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Is Being Gay a Choice?
Townhall.com ^ | March 11, 2015 | Ben Shapiro

Posted on 03/11/2015 8:23:51 AM PDT by Kaslin

Last week, Dr. Ben Carson stepped onto a political mine -- really, jumped onto it with both feet -- when he answered a question from CNN's Chris Cuomo about the nature of homosexuality. "You think being gay is a choice?" Cuomo asked Carson, after Carson rightly stated that being black and being gay are two very different phenomena. "Absolutely," replied Carson. He then went on to explain, "A lot of people who go into prison straight go into prison straight -- and when they come out, they're gay."

Carson's unstated line of reasoning is perfectly logical. When Cuomo asked Carson whether he thinks "being gay is a choice," Carson interpreted that question to mean: "Is homosexual behavior a choice." To that, the answer is obviously yes, since all non-reflexive behavior is essentially a choice. Cuomo, however, took his question to mean: "Is homosexual inclination a choice." To that, the answer is obviously no -- it is either a byproduct of biology or environment. Feelings, in other words, are not choices; it is possible that some feelings can be shaped by behavior, but as a general rule, feelings are not chosen. Behaviors, however, are chosen. Thus, being black -- a non-behavioral characteristic -- is not like being gay or being straight, in the sense that one cannot choose not to be black, while one chooses one's own sexual behavior.

The divide between Carson's understanding of "being gay" and Cuomo's understanding of the same term demonstrates the rhetorical slight-of-hand that has marked the gay rights movement. By conflating behavior with feeling, and calling it all "orientation," homosexual advocates have conflated biology with choice, and called it all biology.

And even they know that such conflation is a lie.

Take, for example, supposed gay spokesperson Dan Savage. He understands that homosexual behavior is a choice. He compared being gay to being religious: "Faith -- religious belief -- is not an immutable characteristic." He also compared being gay to "military service and marital status." This is logically correct. But Savage refused to acknowledge the implications of this line of thought, because doing so would force him to recognize that society often discriminates between those behaviors it finds productive and those it finds unproductive in terms of the law (military service, for example, is a protected class because we all benefit from the military service of others; being a member of Code Pink is not protected, because we do not all benefit from someone's membership in Code Pink). Instead, Savage fell back on his trademark vulgarity, telling Dr. Carson to "suck my d---." "If being gay is a choice, prove it," wrote Savage. "Choose it. Choose to be gay yourself."

That is an insipid argument; were the shoe on the other foot, Savage would have to demonstrate that being gay is involuntary by engaging in sexual behavior with every male he meets. Given his prior solicitation of Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, and Herman Cain, that may well be his desire, but it's a rotten argument overall.

But arguments no longer matter. Logic no longer matters. Feelings matter. We intuitively understand that behavior defines us rather than feeling; no one would label a vegetarian a person who deplores meat-eating but chows down on steak every night. But when it comes to sexual behavior, we look to get ourselves off the hook: All sexual behavior is involuntary, so how can we be expected to make decisions about it? Hence the left's absurd lie during the Clinton era that everyone lies about sex; hence the asinine notion that chastity until marriage is an impossibility; hence the morally blind belief that societal pressure for sexual morality is discriminatory in the same sense that racism is discriminatory.

The result: No honest discussion can be had about the extent of human choice, the limits of human choice, and our own preferences among the choices human beings make. We are mere animals, forced by our firing neurons to act on each and every impulse. We have no choice. And those who say we do ought to perform oral sex on us.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: bencarson; boycotttimewarner; gayandlesbian; gaybullies; gaynewsrooms; gays; homofascism; homosexualagenda; homosexuals; lavendermafia; pinkjournalism; pravdamedia; sexpositiveagenda; thoughtcrime; timelies
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To: Sherman Logan

Given that, the act, or what one DOES, still IS a choice, regardless of what one IS.


21 posted on 03/11/2015 8:41:41 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: Gaffer
Doesn’t matter....1 or 2% of the population is an aberration and NOT normal.

THIS.

Everyone comes out of the womb sexually equipped by God to either be a pitcher or a catcher in order to be fruitful and multiply. After that, it's all about who is training you, what you learn to do and what you accept as a personal choice. Homosexuality is, by default, a dead end proposition. If those practicing homosexuality had no ability to recruit outside of their fringe cult, the world would be free of the depravity in a few generations. This is why homosexuals prey on the young. It's a sick and twisted way to justify their own existence as demented freaks and keep their practice alive.

22 posted on 03/11/2015 8:42:04 AM PDT by TADSLOS (The Event Horizon has come and gone. Buckle up and hang on.)
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To: Gaffer

Have them look at some “gay rights” web sites.


23 posted on 03/11/2015 8:42:46 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: Kaslin

My daughter’s best friend from childhood chose to have a boyfriend.Then she chose to have a girlfriend. She recently chose to have a boyfriend again. So obviously its not a choice.


24 posted on 03/11/2015 8:43:18 AM PDT by subterfuge (Minneseeota: the laughingstock of the nation - for lots of reasons!)
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To: Kaslin
Yes, one can choose to be happy, cheerful, joyful, celebratory. Or queer homosexual, for that matter!

HOMOSEXUAL, because there's nothing GAY about it.

25 posted on 03/11/2015 8:43:58 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & Ifwater the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: edpc

The rise of the Anti-Christ and the rise of the Nephellium.


26 posted on 03/11/2015 8:45:44 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist (The Keystone Pipe like Project : build it already Congress !)
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To: Beagle8U

Oh, THAT Savage...

(In my best homo lisp) He’s thutch a thavage...


27 posted on 03/11/2015 8:46:15 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & Ifwater the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: Kaslin

Meredith Baxter decided in her 60’s that she’s gay. Bob Tur, the photographer, said on TMZ that before his “sex change” to be a “woman” that he was never attracted to men. After hormone treatment he became attracted to men. When Bob (his name change escapes me and I don’t want to google it) made that point, Harvey skipped over it pretty quickly and didn’t ask any questions. Does that mean homosexuality can be cured?


28 posted on 03/11/2015 8:47:42 AM PDT by tuffydoodle (Shut up voices, or I'll poke you with a Q-Tip again.)
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To: American Constitutionalist

I don’t care if it is “in” their genes or not. It is an aberration and NOT normal and by NO means a license to parade that it is.


29 posted on 03/11/2015 8:48:08 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Kaslin

Because humans have a wide variety of natural emotions, desires and thoughts, it is worthless to ask if a particular sexual attraction is a matter of choice or not. Who chooses what emotions and desires they will have? The better question is: of all the emotions and desires a person might have, which are moral to entertain and which are immoral and must be rejected?

Asking if having gay feelings is a choice dodges that question entirely. We are told, if a person feels something, it must be natural. What if a person feels he should murder or abuse someone else? A person with normal thoughts knows to reject any hatred that rises to the level of wanting to hurt or kill someone else. Why is it any different with sexual feelings? I think only because too many people want to excuse the moral implications of sexuality.

But I think it is deeper than that. God clearly tells humanity what His rules of sexual morality are. He clearly states in several places such as Revelation 22:15 that those who are sexually immoral cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. So, I think that some people use sexual expression as a way of rejecting God and His moral laws.


30 posted on 03/11/2015 8:48:25 AM PDT by theBuckwheat
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To: Sherman Logan

I saw a prison documentary, a man saying exactly what Carson said, he came in straight and left gay...was rearrested for male prostitution.

Sexuality is not as locked-in as many would have you believe. There’s been studies on identical twins, where one is gay and the other isn’t. If it was purely genetic this couldn’t happen. They also found that over time many of the “gay” twins actually turned more hetero, many to exclusively hetero - leading to the conclusion that there’s probably more ex-gays out there than in the current gay population. Although the left will not allow any discussion on ex-gays because they know it is true.

This is all taboo though and not allowed in discussion. If real science on the topic were allowed it would be at odds with the gay narrative.


31 posted on 03/11/2015 8:49:40 AM PDT by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing consequences of poor moral choices among everybody)
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To: Kaslin

“Gay” is not something you ARE. It is something you DO. You may not be able to choose what you ARE. But you can choose what you DO.


32 posted on 03/11/2015 8:51:46 AM PDT by IronJack
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To: ilovesarah2012

Then the result showing 63% believe gays should have a legal right to adoption should really confound you. It does me. How can there be a higher number for adoption than marriage?


33 posted on 03/11/2015 8:51:47 AM PDT by moehoward
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To: American Constitutionalist
Thoses who lived in Soddom and Gomorroah were Hybrids and these queers wanted to mate with God’s true Holy Angels when they came to rescue Lot.

Slight problem. If the Nephilim were human/demon hybrids, they all died in the Floor. Long before Sodom or Gomorrah.

There is no connection at all in the Bible between Sodom and the Nephilim.

There is reference to Nephilim around this time and at the time of Joshua. Exactly what means is an interesting question. But there is no connection to Sodom.

34 posted on 03/11/2015 8:53:11 AM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: TBP
activating that is still a matter of consciously-chosen action

For one man to convince another man to get in bed naked with him isn't just one little choice along the way but thousands of choices. It requires years of committed study and practice to become an actual homosexual.

35 posted on 03/11/2015 9:00:10 AM PDT by Reeses
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To: Kaslin
Dr Carson is probably right. In my 70+ years I have seen apparently straight guys "go gay" but must add they returned to straight in few years. I have a suspicion that the first sexual experience has a major role in determining whether an individual will be straight or gay for life.

Philosophically, I believe "Gay" is mostly a lifestyle and people who are, stay that way in comfort with themselves.

I think we all ought to let it go....and stop trying to make each other feel bad.

Thank you Dr. Carson. You are a brave soul.

36 posted on 03/11/2015 9:01:32 AM PDT by Rapscallion (Obama: All the news that's fit to control and manage.)
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To: moehoward

Adoption by gays is really tragic. Take for example the story of David Tuterra, that wedding planner guy, and his so called “husband.” “Husband” wanted a divorce because he had grown tired of Tuterra’s need to bring a third man into their bedroom. Problem was, these perverts had a surrogate pregnant with twins. Perverts got divorce, surrogate had babies, each sexual deviant got themselves a baby to play with. Didn’t hear about this on the news, did you? It got buried pretty damn fast, for obvious reasons.

In the years to come, when all these children adopted by homosexuals start to come out about what they witnessed (or worse, forced to participate in), the shit will hit the fan. But it will be too late.


37 posted on 03/11/2015 9:03:38 AM PDT by tuffydoodle (Shut up voices, or I'll poke you with a Q-Tip again.)
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To: Kaslin
And those who say we do ought to perform oral sex on us.

Here is an example of the excessive meanness in this horrible and unnecessary debate.

38 posted on 03/11/2015 9:03:56 AM PDT by Rapscallion (Obama: All the news that's fit to control and manage.)
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To: Sherman Logan

Was that a world-wide floor?


39 posted on 03/11/2015 9:05:43 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: Rapscallion

Meredith Baxter decided late in life that she was a lesbian.

A male member of the pop group Culture Club admits to a long term relationship with Boy George. He later decided he wasn’t homosexual, married a woman and had kids.

Anne Heche, lover of Ellen DeGeneres, went back and forth a couple of times. Married to a man, then Ellen’s lover, then back to men.


40 posted on 03/11/2015 9:07:57 AM PDT by tuffydoodle (Shut up voices, or I'll poke you with a Q-Tip again.)
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