[Puppage]

and I'm not arguing

Nor was I

... but of out of curiosity, do you believe there is a "gay gene"?

No, I do not. However, I also don't believe "gay" is a disease, either.

I don't think you can use one to prove/disprove the other, or to equate the two. That being alcoholism (a disease) & homosexuality (physiology). Mind you, this is just my opinion.

[Stu Cohen]

I don't think you can use one to prove/disprove the other, or to equate the two. That being alcoholism (a disease) & homosexuality (physiology). Mind you, this is just my opinion.

I understand. My point is just that we hear that there is a "gene" for just about everything and this and that is "hereditary".

It would be easy to pick and choose what "genes" we believe in, but in my opinion, people are able make their own decisions. Maybe there is a "crack gene" and a "methamphetamine gene" too. Who knows. But you can either use it or not. A disease implies the lack of a substance would kill or hurt you (like insulin to a diabetic, or thyroxin to a thyroid patient). Drug use just doesn't meet that definition, since not using the drug in and of itself will not hurt you.

[Texas Songwriter]

Is a person who has never encountered alcohol afflicted with the disease of alcoholism? No. There is a choice one has when he picks up an alcoholic beverage and imbibes. Now I do believe people who choose to drink will cause disease in their body. Cirrhosis, heart disease, alcoholic pancreatitis, muscle waisting, different neuropathies, alcoholic encephalopathy, inanition, and many other diseases which are directly the body's response to excessive alcohol intake.

Though reported dubiously, there is not a gene which makes one imbibe EtOh. Without question there is an addiction to alcohol, just as there is an addiction to cocaine, heroin, tobacco, and other chemicals.

The choice to drink alcohol is a conscious decision of mind and is not directed by a gene locus on any chromosome.