A) A chosen lifestyle
B) Genetic flaw
C) Mental illness
As a recovering alcoholic, I suspect homosexuality is a very similar pathology to alcoholism. The "nature vs. nurture" debate can be become quite contentious, but is of no value to the afflicted. If I believe that alcoholism is a genetic matter, I can justify continued drinking on the basis that "I was born this way" and my predisposition is not my fault, and simply part of who I am. If I come to believe that it's a strictly behavioral matter, then I can ultimately make the case that I can control my drinking by choice, and justify returning to the bottle. If I view it all as a mental illness, I can obviate my role in the matter, and embrace my *victimhood* while waiting on a purely clinical solution.
You leave out a fourth possibility, which is where I, and countless other alcoholics have found relief and sanity, and where I suspect homosexuals could find similar peace, and that is confronting it as a spiritual issue, where we have sought to fill a void with our deviant, self-destructive behavior.
Excellent post!
BINGO. I also believe its a spiritual issue. Its not a choice, not genetic, and not a mental illness. You are exactly right. It goes straight back to Romans 1:25-27 again.
Its interesting that those who have identified the spiritual dimension have reversed course. There are a growing number of 'ex-gays' reaching out in ministry to the gay community. They are usually reviled and hated, but the numbers are growing nonetheless. Excellent analysis.
Great post!
Perhaps, but even though you have found relief from your alcoholism through spirituality, you are and always will be an alcoholic. The same can be said about gay people: Even if they are able to find relief from their affliction through religion, they are and always will be homosexual even if they no longer engage in homosexual behavior.
That's a really good thing to keep in mind. While homosexuals are people, too, some people appear to forget or overlook this fact.
Occasionally we have ex-gays and gays struggling with their same-sex attraction on FR. And I cringe at some of the posts we have here and when I look back at some of my posts years ago, I realize I could have said worded a sentence or two very differently.