Homosexuality and the Christian Tradition - Essay Example

? Homosexuality and the Christian Tradition The issue of homosexuality is one of the most crucial and one of the most widely discussed moral issues. Homosexuality is a current issue in religion because there are around 1.75 billion gay people in the world today (How many gay people in the world?). However, the Bible says that homosexuality is evil. This means that 1.75 billion gay people are actually doing evil deeds. However, either 1.75 billion people are immoral, or 1.75 billion people need our help from the Christian Church. Based on the teachings of the Bible, yes, they are doing evil deeds. The moral issue regarding homosexuality is clear. Actually gays and lesbians are immoral people and do immoral acts, at least according to the Bible. Homosexuality violates many Christian principles. However, homosexuals should be loved and accepted even though we cannot accept their homosexuality. The issue regarding homosexuality is actually based on whether it is an individual’s choice or not. If it is an individual’s choice, then homosexuality is evil and the homosexual who practices it deserves to be criticized. However, if there is a reason that homosexuality is not an individual’s choice like it is genetic, then it means that homosexuality is not such a bad thing after all because it is beyond human control. According to a study by Allen and Gorski of the University of California in 1992, “The midsagittal plane of the anterior commissure in homosexual men was 18% larger than in heterosexual women and 34% larger than in homosexual men” (Allen & Gorski). This means that a part of the brains of homosexual men are actually larger than the brains of heterosexual men. A group of Swedish scientists from the Karolinska Institute also had the same findings. According to the researchers, the brains of gay men have the same sizes as the brains of heterosexual women (Park). These findings give us the idea that homosexuality is not one’s fault. Therefore, if we take this point of view, it means that homosexuality cannot be prevented. It also means that homosexuals are not to blame for their sexual orientation. If homosexuals are not to blame for their sexual preference, then the Church should show them mercy and should help solve the discrimination and hatred that homosexuals experience, especially that homosexual hate groups are usually based at the church. Therefore, the Church must begin the campaign to help homosexuals, and the Church should also remain open-minded at all times. After all, Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” he particularly did not say, “Love your neighbor s as yourself” except if he is gay (Mt. 22:39, New International Version). Therefore, in following the footsteps of Christ, a Christian should therefore be the first to understand the grieving homosexual, because Christian love is supposed to be universal. However, even though some scientists and experiments say that homosexuality has a genetic basis and that it is not the homosexual’s fault to be homosexual, the Church maintains its opinion against homosexuality. According to the Book of Leviticus in the Bible, which says, “You must not have sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman; it is a detestable act” (Lev. 18:22). God is advising a Jewish man here and so God does not agree that it is all right for a man to have sex with another man. The Book of Leviticus is the book of Law of Moses, and therefore it should be obeyed and followed. Homosexuality violates other passages of the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, the men of Sodom want to have sex with the male angels who accompany Lot. They ask him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them?” (Gen. 19:5). Then, later on, God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah. Thus, we assume that God destroys these cities because of their many moral violations including homosexuality. Another violation of homosexuality is against Romans 1:26-27: “Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones…men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.” This passage is actually very clear that homosexuals are punished by God for their homosexual acts. A fourth Biblical passage that homosexuality violates is 1 Corinthians 6:9: “Or do you not know that wrong doers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men.” This passage makes it clear that God is against the homosexuals, and that He equates them with the idolaters and the adulterers. In 1 Timothy 1:10, God says, “For the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers….” It is therefore obvious from the lines that Christianity also equates homosexuals with slave traders, liars and perjurers, or those people who deserve God’s punishment. Therefore, for Christians, homosexuality is really evil, and homosexuals are really at fault. One of the basic religious beliefs that are violated by homosexuality is the sanctity of the family. For the Christian Church, the family is where Christian values are first taught. Moreover, this family must be a normal family with a father, a mother and their children. In this way, children will be able to know their roles in society as men and women, and later on as fathers and mothers. However, if the family is made up of a gay or lesbian couple, this will be a reason for the child’s confusion later on in life. There is also a chance that the child will not be able to act as a good father or good mother someday because homosexual parents may not have special roles like father and mother. The worse situation happens when the child also grows up to be homosexual. Homosexuality also violates the concept of marriage. Marriage is sacred not only in Christianity but also in other religions. Marriage is the spiritual union between a man and a woman, based on Church tradition and based on the Bible. However, homosexuality involves the union of two people of the same gender, so naturally it is a union between two people who are against the teachings of the Church and the Bible. Moreover, if homosexuality is allowed, marriage will lose its spiritual value because anyway, anyone can be together, even people of the same gender. Another thing that marriage violates is the conception of a child. In Christianity and in every religion, the most important outcome of marriage is the conception of a child. Every husband and wife becomes truly happy when they have a child by natural means. In Christianity and in every religion, natural means is good and artificial means is not. Both man and woman are given by God the natural ability to produce a child of their own. In homosexual relationships and homosexual marriages, this is not possible and so they use artificial means to produce their own children. Therefore, homosexual relationships and homosexual marriages are a violation of nature. Homosexuality also violates some historical ideas of Christianity. One of these is the historical idea of the Creation of Man. According to the Book of Genesis, God made Adam and Eve, one man and one woman who loves the man. God did not make another man to love Adam. God’s Creation was a creation of heterosexual relationship. Therefore, homosexuality is a violation against Christianity and against nature. Homosexuality also violates the importance of the role of a man in a family setting. In a homosexual relationship, the two men may act as women and so there is no man to handle family matters and family problems. In all religions and cultures, the father and his strength are often emphasized. If there is no strong image of a father in the family, the son will not have a role model for himself later on. The daughter will not have a role model for her husband either. Thus, in a homosexual family, the children will not be able to develop a good image of a father and a mother. Aside from the idea of family, homosexuality also violates the sacredness of sex. Since most countries do not allow homosexual marriages and since homosexual marriages are not blessed by God or recognized by the Church, then every homosexual sex is sex outside of marriage. Any sex outside of marriage is really something immoral for only marriage can allow two people to have sex (What Do Christians Think about Homosexuality). This means that homosexuals who have sex with another person of the same gender actually commit immorality, and they deserve to be punished in the name of religion. The case against homosexuality is strong. Homosexuality is clearly a violation of many Christian principles and many statements in the Bible. However, personally, I believe that there are good solutions to this. According to Christianity.org, the best choice of moral life for a homosexual is celibacy (What Do Christians Think about Homosexuality). When a homosexual is celibate, he does not commit any sexual act outside of marriage and so he remains good. However, there is always a problem of impure thoughts and intentions, and these are also against morality. It is difficult to find a solution, and so perhaps the best way to deal with homosexuals is to understand their situation and to do good to them. Sometimes, the best way to change someone for the better is to do good to him. After all, a Christian should love his neighbor as much as he loves himself. Personally, I still believe that homosexuals should be helped, accepted and loved. Perhaps, they are only doing their homosexual acts because they need love and acceptance. Loving and accepting a homosexual must serve as a challenge for the true Christian. It always begins with putting oneself in the person’s shoes and trying to understand his or her situation. Works Cited 1 Corinthians. Biblegateway.com. 2013. Web. 26 Apr 2013. 1 Timothy. Biblegateway.com. 2013. Web. 26 Apr 2013. Allen L. S. & Gorski, R. A. “Sexual orientation and the size of the anterior commissure in the human brain.” 1992. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 89:15 (7199-7202). Genesis (19:5). Biblegateway.com. 2013. Web. 26 Apr 2013. How many gay people in the world?.” 2011. GW News. 26 Apr 2013. Leviticus. Biblegateway.com. 2013. Web. 26 Apr 2013. Matthew. Biblegateway.com. 2013. Web. 26 Apr 2013. Park, Alice. “What the Gay Brain Looks Like.” Time. 17 June 2008. Web. 26 Apr 2013. Romans (1:26-27). Biblegateway.com. 2013. Web. 26 Apr 2013. What Do Christians Think about Homosexuality. Christianity.org. 2013. Web. 26 Apr 2013. Read More