My Unpopular Opinion - Homosexuality

I believe that every word of the Bible is true. And so, I believe that homosexuality is a sin. However, let me also say this - I do not believe that homosexuals should be treated as lesser beings. Nor do I believe that it is a choice. Let's be honest - who would ever choose to be gay? What person would look at the hatred homosexuals endure and say "Yeah. I wanna do that." One thing that I can not stand is how some Christians use their "faith" as an excuse to bash the very people God loves. And let me say this as well - I believe that if Jesus were to be here in flesh and blood today, He would be hanging out with the gay kids. The same way that He broke bread with tax collectors and sinners, He would be spending his time with the gay and lesbian teens.

I have friends who are gay. Do they know my opinion about it? I think so. I know at least one of them sat down with me to talk about it. And we maintained the friendship. I love these men because they are funny and sweet and wonderful friends. I do not love what they do. "Love the sinner, hate the sin."

So while I don't believe that the homosexual lifestyle is a choice, I do believe that there are things that happen to these men when they are young boys that bring them to that lifestyle. From books I have read, the way I see it is this - as a young boy (meaning 1-3 years old) they do not have the proper relationship with their father. He could be a deadbeat, have died, too harsh (in manner of speaking/discipline/etc), or many other things, but it all boils down to this - as a boy, he did not get the loving and respectful relationship he needed from his father. As he grows, he looks for that love and respect from other men. I know I may not be explaining this well, or even completely, but this is what I understand of what I've read in very basic form. No, I'm not necessarily blaming the father, but I am saying that there is a cause and effect. The other cause that I have read about is in the form of sexual abuse. Usually at the hand of a woman (for men) or at the hand of a man (for women).

I also believe that homosexuals can be Christians. I can think of a few people who would feel that was a scandalous statement. But let me explain. While no one can control who they are attracted to (homosexuality is not a choice), they can control what they do about it. A Christian teen can't prevent a crush from forming on a non-Christian teen, but they can refrain from beginning a relationship. A homosexual male may not be able to prevent a crush from forming on another male, but he can certainly stop himself from starting a relationship. See what I mean?

I can speak to this from experience. I was bisexual in high school. And I truly believe that God can save us from any and all sin. I am no longer bisexual. However, shortly after becoming a Christian, I began to develop a crush on a girl in my church. But I never did anything about it. Because I knew that going down that road was sinful, and so I avoided it. In the same way that some alcoholics have the healing hand of God remove their desire for alcohol, some homosexuals can - through Christ - no longer have the desire for a same sex relationship. It happened to someone I know (though I won't use names, because it is his testimony and not mine.) In his youth, he was gay. But he became a Christian and God changed him. He has now been happily married for over 20 years.

God can do all things. But I'm not going to sit here and say that every single gay man or woman would turn away from same sex desires if they were to become a Christian. It's not that God can't do it, it's that sometimes He has a different plan for us. There are people who come out of drug addiction (through Christ) and never turn back. There are others who struggle every day of their lives and have to choose, every single day, to rely on God. This is how I feel about homosexuality.

So, in a nutshell, it is a sin. It's not a choice. There is a cause. It isn't something that has to keep him or her from God. This is just my opinion on the matter. This is what I think about homosexuality. But no matter what we think about it, treating gay people like dirt is not showing the love of Christ. It's only sending them running in the other direction.