Homosexuality may not be a PSYCHOLOGICAL disorder but it is surely a SPIRITUAL DISEASE

Two things awakened my interest to write about this issue. First, on May 15, 2008, the Supreme Court of California overturned the ban on same-sex marriage. This made California the second state (the first one was Massachusetts) to allow full marriage rights for same-sex partners (starting on June 14, 2008). Second, I was able to watch the 2007 documentary, For the Bible Tells Me So, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and received plaudits from film critics because of its provocative and timely message. The work attempts to demolish the culture of homophobia around the world. It also offers a critical look at how Judeo-Christian religion perceives the gay community. It features American families which re-oriented their Christian beliefs and values when they discovered that a member of their household is a homosexual. To make things more interesting, daughters and sons of pastors and preachers are presented to showcase the idea that even conservative Christian homes can experience the social stigma caused by having a gay loved-one. Other stories: a case of lesbian suicide caused by a mother condemning her gay daughter, a gay son who became a social activist because of his parents and a lesbian daughter of a former US presidential candidate.

WRONG CONCEPT OF GOD

I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT GOD LOVES EVERY PERSON, INCLUDING HOMOSEXUALS. NONETHELESS, HE CANNOT CONDONE THE SINS IDENTIFIED WITH THE GAY COMMUNITY.

LGBT (Lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans-sexuals) activists never grow weary in emphasizing the LOVE of God to justify their God-loves-the homosexual argument. What they often undermined is His HOLINESS. His love will always be coupled with his Holy character. God gave Man Free Will--he can choose whether to accept or not the authority of God in his life. It is a plain and simple message: God’s love can never be truly expressed in the universe if He condones SIN. He has to punish/hate sin because He loves mankind. For instance, if you love babies, you have to hate abortion and the murder of infants. Homosexuals clamor for social acceptance and they desire people to welcome them with open, loving arms, including the approval of their lifestyle.

It was indeed one of the darkest periods in the history of the US Episcopalian Church in New Hampshire when Bishop Gene Robinson, was elected as its new bishop in 2003. My sense is that he gained the support of majority of the Episcopalian leaders because he was apparently demonized by the media and many Christian, evangelical churches. However, Bishop Robinson is a SELF-CONFESSED, OPENLY, NONCELIBATE GAY. He is also struggling with alcoholism. American preacher and theologian at Harvard University's Divinity School, Peter Gomes, an expert on American religion, also surprised many when he admitted that he is gay. However, unlike, Robinson, Gomes said that he has remained celibate.

MISGUIDED IDEA OF LOVE

One gay bishop in the documentary contends that ALL LOVING RELATIONSHIPS ARE HONORED BY GOD. THAT THE BIBLE SPEAKS NOTHING AGAINST LOVING HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIP. The main question is, What love is he talking about? His opinion is often conflated with the INCLUSIVE character of God’s Love. This would classify the BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN couple as an acceptable expression of affection.

We must understand, however, that although God is Love, He is not ALL-LOVING. To be all-loving is to accept and tolerate everything a person as he/she is without condemning his/her corrupt character. What the LGBT community wants to promote is this (albeit in a subtle manner): they want GOD to be ACCEPTABLE to them and not the other way around. They have created a kind of God that would fit their desires and expectations. The Word of God does not change. He hates homosexuality in all its forms. Simply put, Christianity and homosexuality cannot go hand in hand.

HOMOSEXUALITY: A CHOICE?

The American Psychological Association has excluded homosexuality as a psychological disorder. It means society should accept the condition as NATURAL and NORMAL and should not be deemed as a disease. Some groups also claim that birth order and even genes have something to do with the development of a homosexual child. Further, churches and ministries addressing gender issues can never be really successful in their undertaking mainly because they cannot change the sexual orientation of a homosexual; they can only transform their habits and image.

I subscribe to the idea that persons with gay tendencies do not consciously choose to be attracted to persons of the same sex. However, being a homosexual is CHOICE. One Greek word for “homosexual" in the Bible is aρσενοκοίτης (arsenokoites) which means “abuser of (ones) self.” Abusing one self is a choice. You become a gay if you consciously decide to engage in homosexual activities.

CURING THE SPIRITUAL DISEASE

I can never classify homosexuality as a more “abominable” sin compared to other transgressions mentioned in the Scriptures. Like any other sin, it needs to be laid at the cross and repented of. We can only be righteous through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. He is the ultimate solution to all spiritual illnesses of man.

The problem can be prevented. Many embrace and gravitate toward the homosexual lifestyle because no one offered them spiritual and emotional guidance when they were struggling with the predicament. This make the family and the church crucial in addressing the issue. For instance, teens are looking for responsible and loving adults to help them cope with the problem. What the Bible says as sin must be taken as such. It condemns homosexuality as a sin. Hermeneutically, passages in the Old and New Testaments regarding homosexuality are meant for the protection of man (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Romans 1:26-28).