Homosexuality: An attempt at clarity

World Net Daily ^ | 2/29/03 | Dennis Prager

[Paloma_55]

The homosexual is equal in God's eyes to the heterosexual.

Parents must love their children, including the child who is homosexual. At the same time, a homosexual child must understand a loving parent's sadness over his or her inability to sexually love a person of the opposite sex.

[Paloma_55]

"Sexually Love" ???
Prager makes a few clear mistakes in his analysis. First off, love has nothing to do with sex. The term "make love" was coined to convince some girl in the back seat of a car that she should spread her legs. Sex is sex... Love is love... Anyone who has been married a while knows the difference. :)

Secondly, The point that we are all equal in God's eyes. This is biblically false. If you are Christian, you are saved when you accept Jesus as your savior and repent. Accepting Jesus and refusing to repent does no good. It is Bibically inconsistent to accept salvation, and then ignore the call to repent... and continue to sin as if its no big deal.
Most other religions that accept the existance of God require some form of moral behavior to gain God's favor. Telling God to "pound sand" in order to continue enjoying one's adulterous behavior (homo or hetero) is not going to be looked upon by God with favor.

I think Dennis is trying to mollify the homosexual activists and dis-arm them by appearing moderate on this issue.

A waste of time... these people will not be mollified and they will refer to anyone who disagrees with them as homophobes and extremists. They don't realize they are the extremists!

[wideawake]

his or her inability

Prager is off course right here.

All voluntary sexual acts are discrete choices made by individuals who have a clear ability to choose to partake in them or not.

The only person who is unable to avoid immoral sexual acts is someone who is mentally disabled or being subjected to unwanted sexual violence.

I'm saddened: Prager is usually the first to insist on personal responsibility for one's actions.

[Brian Allen]

<< Excerpted - click for full article ^ >>

Why?

Are you shilling for WND?

Do you get a kickback for "hits" on this link?

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Secondly, The point that we are all equal in God's eyes. This is biblically false. If you are Christian, you are saved when you accept Jesus as your savior and repent.

Dennis Prager is Jewish, so I don't think this is a way he's likely to think.

[mongrel]

On your first point, we have one English word (love) that tries to cover the territory of a number of words in other languages. While you may have a personal preference that the word "love" not be used in a particular way, any dictionary worth its salt includes that definition. There is certainly a kind of love for another that includes sexual attraction. Prager was simply pointing out that some people do not feel capable of having this kind of love for the opposite sex. It would therefore be shortsighted to include this as a "clear mistake."

On your second point, you miss the shades of meaning on equality. This seems to be a mistake repeatedly made by both sides of the debate, a point that Prager does well at describing. To say that someone is created in the image of God, a worthy recipient of God's love, a human being worthy of respect; these are ways in which we are all equal. The Bible supports that. On the other hand, behavior has an impact and boundaries will and must be drawn which means not all people will be treated the same. That is also Biblical. Prager should be commended for working at this distinction.

[Sam Cree]

" First off, love has nothing to do with sex."

OK, whatever you say.

[mongrel]

Look carefully at what Prager wrote. He is not saying that people are not responsible for their behavior. The inability he is referring to is more like a stipulation, a parent saying, "you say you're unable to be heterosexual, that makes me sad."

[Jeff Head]

Here's the clarity.

Homsexual behavior is a sin.

We should teach that it is wrong and use Christian principles to help those who become caught up in such depravity by teaching them of the clearly documented downsides of such a lifestyle, and the clear teachings of God regarding the same.

In helping them we must do it without ever allowing that the behavior is somehow acceptable either to us, or to God.

The most important and fundamental issue in the above explanation is the first sentence.

Fregards.

[dagoofyfoot]

BUMP!

[Nonstatist]

I think Prager is dead on. A reasoned and nuanced assessment, IMO.

[EdReform]

Bump & Ping

[isthisnickcool]

So much talk about 3% (if that high) of the US population. Why? Because over the past 3 decades the queers have screamed at the top of their lungs about wanting not to be queer anymore. They want to be "normal" and they demand that. And the Democrats and the media seem to want them to be "normal" too.

When I was younger I had a friend who's dad became "gay" one day. When we were in high school. His dad even opened a business on the corner of Montrose street in Houston. Not to make money, just to go down there when he wanted. Then he made my friend work there. So I spent a lot of time in "the Montrose" when I was 17-20 years old.

So, unlike most of the population, I met numerous queer men. They ran the gambit, from flaming limp wristed tippy-toe screechers to leather clad "bikers" to men that seemed just like any other guy. But trust me, once you got to know them a little bit none of them were normal and nothing will ever make them normal. I tend to think most of them were born the way they are. But some I was not so sure about. Some of them I think just liked the "theatrics" of being within the queer crowd. They just liked the attention. Get a crowd of them together and they are damn loud!

I'm tired of hearing from the queers. I'd prefer the queers just shutup and do what they do (yuk!) and leave the huge majority of regular people alone. Not that they really bother anyone personally. There are not enough of them. How many people here meet new "gay" people every day? Every week? You don't unless you are in the areas they cluster in or the industries they cluster in. America hears about these people in the media. Which pays way too much attention to them. Why?

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[FactQuest]

Well said.

I think, too, that Christian would do better to focus on the far more rampant and corrosive sins, like adultery, greed, lust, envy, pride...

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

The homosexual is equal in God's eyes to the heterosexual.

This is very true. Although the "proud" homosexual will being taking a left turn into hell due to non-repentance of his sin. Just as we shouold love the adulterer, wife/husband abuser, alcoholic, we should also love the homosexual.

Of course, love has nothing to do with sex (read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 to find out what love is). In case you don't have it handy:

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

Nothing in there about love being based on what you put your "thing" into...

[sharktrager]

The homosexual is equal in God's eyes to the heterosexual.

Parents must love their children, including the child who is homosexual. At the same time, a homosexual child must understand a loving parent's sadness over his or her inability to sexually love a person of the opposite sex.

Society has the right and obligation to prefer heterosexuality to homosexuality. It is better for children – they need a mother and a father. And it is better for the individual – a woman makes a man a better person; and a man does the same for a woman. Advocating heterosexuality as society's ideal no more implies bigotry or "homophobia" than advocating marriage implies bigotry against singles or "single-phobia."

Societies that regard homosexual sex as the equivalent of heterosexual sex have far more homosexual sex. Ancient Greece esteemed man-boy sex, and consequently had far more of it than modern society.

Men who are not sexually attracted to women have no choice about being homosexual. Proponents of heterosexuality should, therefore, use the word "choose" sparingly when referring to homosexual men.

We do not know why people are homosexual. The cause may be genetic, or it may be neonatal, but we have nothing approaching proof for either explanation. It may also be psychologically induced, and in some cases this can be shown (e.g., "gay" men who were subjected to sexual contact with a male when they were boys). In none of these cases can a homosexual be said to have chosen to be one.

Many women in lesbian relationships, however, can find some men sexually desirable. Such homosexuals can be said to exercise some degree of choice.

A significant percentage of women in lesbian relationships have come to those relationships primarily as a result of sexual abuse by a man.

Bisexuals, by definition, exercise choice. They can be asked (though not legally coerced) to limit their sexual behavior to heterosexual relationships.

It is unfair to a child who can be adopted by a married couple to be adopted by a same-sex couple. Children have a basic human right to a mother and a father.

The Boy Scouts have the right and the duty not to place "gay" men in situations where they are alone with boys – just as the Girl Scouts should not place heterosexual men in positions where they are alone with girls. Yes, most "gay" men control themselves around boys – but the disproportionate sexual abuse of boys by homosexual priests suggests that some proportion of "gays" will not be able to control this desire.

Jewish and Christian denominations are right to refuse to ordain avowed practicing homosexuals. At the same time they are not required to ask prospective clergy what their sexual orientation is. Sexual orientation is the individual's business; publicly proclaimed sexual behavior is the denomination's business.

Consensual, private sex between adults is not always acceptable. Even most "gays" judge consensual adult incest such as father-daughter or brother-sister (or brother-brother) sex wrong. Many "gays" even believe it should be illegal. Therefore, heterosexuals who draw their line of acceptance at homosexual sex are not necessarily any more bigoted than "gays" who draw their line at consensual incest.

The "gay" movement's constant linking of "gay" equality with equality for the trans-gendered (someone who acts like the opposite sex) undermines its moral credibility and feeds the belief that the movement seeks to undermine Judeo-Christian and Western liberal society. It is one thing to demand that "gays" not be fired for their private behavior or sexual orientation. But it is quite another to demand that men who wear women's clothing in public must be allowed to keep their jobs.

"Homophobic" is an epithet – often as ugly as "fag." Activists for homosexuality-heterosexuality equivalence should make arguments, not smear all those who believe in the heterosexual ideal. Likewise activists for the heterosexual ideal must never deny the humanity or dignity of the homosexual human being.

Anyone, including homosexuals, should have the right to name beneficiaries in case of death, to name the visitors they wish in case of illness, etc. That is elementary decency.

Marriage is the bedrock institution of society, and must not be redefined. If it is, there are no moral or logical grounds to prevent redefining marriage to include more than two people.

"Gay" activist groups are radical organizations. Opposing them no more renders a person anti-"gay" than having opposed communist parties rendered one anti-worker.

None of these propositions in any way contradicts the opening statement: The homosexual is equal in God's eyes to the heterosexual.


Dennis Prager, one of America's most respected and popular nationally syndicated radio talk-show hosts, is the author of several books and a frequent guest on television shows such as Larry King Live, Politically Incorrect, The Late Late Show on CBS, Rivera Live, The Early Show on CBS, Fox Family Network, The O'Reilly Factor and Hannity & Colmes.

[Consort]

Heteros are responsible for homos. Heteros give birth to homos. Eliminate the heteros and the homo problem will go away. Yes? No?

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Paloma_55: " First off, love has nothing to do with sex."

Sam Cree: OK, whatever you say.

Paloma_55 is absolutely right. Although I just posted it here it is again:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

Since this article tries to use the Bible for it's reference one must also use the Bible for the definition of love.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Men who are not sexually attracted to women have no choice about being homosexual.

Of course this is not true. Apparently people think if they repeat it enough that it will become true. There are thousands of men who are no longer homosexual. Somehow they made the **choice** to be attracted to women. Did they have their genetics altered?!?