Are we genetically programmed to be religious? Or is it a choice, all based on learned behavior?
I'm no expert on this subject by any means, but I am related to someone who is homosexual and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Not really, I just had to say that. Seriously, my little brother is gay (we are in our late forties). His experience is an enigma to me. He had girlfriends in high school-- a seemingly normal social life. No abuse that I know of, but I could be wrong about that, as an old man who lived on our street made sexual advances to me and to my sister, so he could've just as well tried something with my little brother, too. He met a pretty little girl in college and they married. This happened in the 70's when women were insisting on their liberation by doing such things as refusing to let a man open the car door for her! You know, really dumb stuff like that. His wife was really into "women's lib"--- I don't know what exactly went wrong with their marriage, but it only lasted a year or two. The two of them were friends with another couple who were having problems, too, and when THAT couple broke up, my brother and the other husband became closer friends..... until the two of them became a couple.
So, I don't get this. My little bro, all his formative years, was straight. Can a failed marriage make one change his sexual preference? Can homosexuality be a coping mechanism for failed heterosexual relationships? That is sad, if this is true. Because I knew plenty of girls in college that would've loved to get to know my brother better.
The man who has been his partner for going on 20 years, on the other hand, came from a family of 3 kids, all of them gay. The father was very inhibited with his kids, so maybe this contributed to their lifestyle choices, even though the one who became a friend of my brother and later his partner was also married for a couple of years. I don't know the reason for their failed marriage either.
I feel like my brother could possibly fall in love with a woman--- I mean, I don't think he's beyond being smitten by a beautiful (to him) women with a soul to match his; but I think he's so emotionally comfortable in his present long-term relationship that he doens't even consider it. He is so handsome, and is not effeminate in any way. But I can tell he is so happy with his partner-- I notice that they pat each other on the back a lot--- kind of an encouraging, supportive, sweet pat.
What can a sister do? If homosexuality is sort of a fetish, as someone suggested, there's not much a sister can do about that. But if homosexuality is a coping mechanism (say, for a broken heart or feelings of inadequacy as a husband) or an emotional support, what can a sister or a brother do? Anything? I mean, I don't want to ruin his happiness (20 years with one man is a long time), but I just want the best for him. Is it possible that his homosexual relationship IS what's best for him?