The Great Homosexuality Debate (split from the Jesus Draws Thread)

[Darrell]

Quote:I do not believe that sexual orientation is a choice.

I agree that for some people this appears to be the case.

Having consensual sex with a person of the same gender, however, is by definition a choice.

I believe there is a huge distinction between "being gay" and choosing to act on those impulses and attractions. It is never a sin to be tempted. It is a sin to succumb to temptation no matter what form it comes in. I agree that the church at large has assigned "too much sin" to homosexuals and not given them a safe haven to be honest about their struggles for fear of being judged and suspected of other misdeeds. I don't think that is truly following Christ's example of dealing with sinners. Yet Christ was not content to merely excuse the sin of the penitent and he never encouraged them to continue living in it. He instead forgave it and said "go and sin no more", which indicates that there was both something to forgive and the possibility of not being bound to that sin.

It's also worth noting that there is nothing in Scripture that say God wants us to be happy all the time. Paul obviously struggled with a "thorn in the flesh" of some variety that he could never completely conquer. The Christian life explicitly one of warfare against the flesh. We all fight those battles in various realms.