I suggest writing this letter or something like it as a letter to the editor of every newspaper in Massachusetts, or every paper in the US.
The more science studies homosexuality, the more we see the major factor determining homosexuality is environment. That's not a bold statement, it's what science continues to report. We should heed the words of John Adams when he said:
"Facts are stubborn things, and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
As two of the three little pigs learned, we must build our house out of something solid. This was an important teaching of Jesus as well. He said it is foolish to build your house on sand, or to build your core position on something that is easily washed away. Instead, we should build our position on something solid, something which stands firm under scrutiny.
In regards to homosexuality and genetics, the work of homosexual activist Dr. Simon Levay has often been used to support the idea that homosexuality is genetic, and his work is still quoted to this day. But what did Levay really find? Here is what Levay said of his own work:
"It's important to stress what I didn't find. I did not prove that homosexuality is genetic, or find a genetic cause for being gay. I didn't show that gay men are born that way, the most common mistake people make in interpreting my work. Nor did I locate a gay center in the brain."
In 1973 the APA (
American Psychiatric Association) declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder. According to Levay, it wasn't science that propelled the APAs change, he said "Gay activism was clearly the force that propelled the APA to declassify homosexuality."
Dr. Robert L. Spitzer played a pivotal role in the above 1973 decision made by the APA. Spitzer used to believe homosexuals couldn't change but after studying the results of therapy he now believes homosexuals can change:
"I thought that homosexual behavior could be resisted--but that no one could really change their sexual orientation. I now believe that's untrue--some people can and do change."
Spitzer concluded with:
"the mental health professionals should stop moving in the direction of banning therapy that has, as a goal, a change in sexual orientation. Many patients, provided with informed consent about the possibility that they will be disappointed if the therapy does not succeed, can make a rational choice to work toward developing their heterosexual potential and minimizing their unwanted homosexual attractions."
This is amazing information! Homosexuals can change, they can leave their lifestyle! It's not just Spitzer and Levay making the above comments, although they are well known, it's being reported by many different organizations that thousands have left the homosexual lifestyle.
Still, we need to be careful with this information and not use it incorrectly. We need to reach out to those who want help and make our best efforts well known.
A May 2000 panel was scheduled by the APA to debate the issues, but was canceled due to the highly charged political nature of the debate. We
still need national debates on this subject, we need to talk about it so we can make informed decisions on homosexuality and marriage.
Sources:
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/John_Adams/http://www.narth.com/docs/innate.htmlArchives of Sexual Behavior, Dr. Robert L. Spitzer, Vol. 32, No. 5, October 2003, pp. 403-417
My understanding is that even if this Constitutional amendment in Mass. is passed, it is voted on by the people too late to be of help, since the Mass. Legislature must take up gay marriage sooner thna the people can vote on an amendment.
Am I mistaken here?