As we all know, one of the main issues for the "Christian Right" is that of homosexuality. It's a sin, it's unnatural, it's not in God's plan.
Well, this diary is being written by a Christian. There will be three main points to it:
1)Scriptural "evidence" used by the "Christian Right" isn't what it seems.
2)Homosexuality is not a choice, and does, in fact, have at least a biological basis.
3)Reparative therapy (converting homosexuals to heterosexuals) does not work.
With point 3, I will also expose some of the methods used in reparative therapy. I warn you, though, that part is not for the faint at heart.
The right use any number of bible verses to back their claim that homosexuality is a sin. The most commonly quoted by the right is Leviticus 18:22.
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
It is interesting that they do not also use Leviticus 20:13.
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.
It seems that most biblical literalists aren't all that literal when it comes to the penalties for such a sin.
There is also much controversy over the interpretation of this verse. Some believe that it only refers to pagan temple worship, because this was a common thing then. There were male prostitutes in pagan temples, and part of their worship was sex with these prostitutes. Others believe that since only the males are mentioned, that it speaks more to how women were viewed than to homosexuality. Women were viewed as property. To commit the same act to another man as one would to a woman is an insult to the man, because it shows that you view him on the same level as a woman - as property. Those who have no explanation for the meaning simply say that we as Christians are no longer bound to Old Testament law, as the law has been fulfilled in Christ. Others also point out that the Old Testament laws also say not to wear mixed fabrics and that eating shellfish is an abomination, but we still do that, so the verse on homosexuality shouldn't be an exception.
There are also a few verses used from the New Testament in opposition to homosexuality. One of these is Romans 1:26-27.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
The meat of the argument against this one are the words "exchanged" and "natural." This implies that these were previously heterosexual adults, who in a frenzy of lust engaged in homosexual activities. For the full analysis, see
this article. For information on the other verses, see the links on
this page.
Now for the second point of this diary: homosexuality is not a choice. For this, we turn to a study done by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
The sexual area of a gay man's brain works a lot like that of a woman when exposed to a particular stimulus, researchers say.
In an experiment, men and heterosexual women sniffed a chemical from the male hormone testosterone. The homosexual men's brains responded differently from those of heterosexual males, and in a similar way to the women's brains.
"It is one more piece of evidence ... that is showing that sexual orientation is not all learned,'' said Sandra Witelson, an expert on brain anatomy and sexual orientation at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.
link to full article
The article goes on to explain that there are two parts of the brain they were looking at: the olfactory, which responds to everyday scents, and the preoptic area of the hypothalamus, which is "active in hormonal and sensory responses necessary for sexual behavior." When homosexual men and heterosexual women sniffed a sample containing male pheromones, the hypothalamus was activated, but when heterosexual men sniffed the same sample, the olfactory was activated. This shows that homosexuality has a biological basis, which means it is natural, and it is not a choice.
Finally, we examine reparative therapy. Many members of the "Christian Right" believe that through this therapy, homosexuals can change and become fully functional and happy heterosexuals. However, this is not true. A survey was done by Dr. Robert Spitzer, a Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University. In a year and a half of searching and corresponding with "ex-gay" groups, he could only find 274 people who claimed that they had successfully been converted. This suggests a failure rate of 99.98%. (source) Also of interest is the American Psychological Association's resolution on reparative therapy.
The methods used in reparative therapy are simply unbelievable. From American University Washington College of Law:
Those who have gone through "reparative" therapy and have been involved in "ex-gay" ministries speak of the medically unsound methods employed by these therapists and organizations, such as behavioral therapy, electrical shock therapy, chemical aversive therapy, drug and hormone therapy, surgery, and psychotherapy. Other accounts are similar and include... "covert desensitization" therapies that teach a young person to associate homosexual feelings with disgusting images. These forms of "treatment" frequently result in nervous breakdowns and feelings of guilt; some patients have witnessed others in their programs commit suicide and mutilate their genitals.
...
Kidnapping gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youths and taking them to in-patient centers by transportation or escort services has emerged as another un-therapeutic "reparative" therapy technique. ... A number of cases that involved kidnappings have resulted in physical abuse, ranging from restraints and handcuffs that cause bruises to bloody beatings and hair pulling.
The report also explains how therapists will recruit at gay and lesbian bars, leading them to believe they want a relationship, then taking them into therapy.
This is a despicable movement that must be stopped. We must be ready to confront them with the truth. Homosexuality is something that they are born with. They have no choice, and they deserve to live in peace, with the same rights as everyone else.
Standard disclaimer: Neither this diary or any of my comments to it necessarily reflect the views of John Laesch or his campaign.