Unpacking My Mind: November 2014

Roger was gay. We all knew it, and we all made his life miserable. When we passed him in the hall, we called out his name in an effeminate manner. We made crude gestures, and we made Roger the brunt of cheap jokes. He never took showers with us after gym class because he knew we’d whip him with our wet towels. I wasn’t there the day some of the guys dragged Roger into the shower room and shoved him into the corner. Curled up on the floor, he cried and begged for mercy as five guys urinated all over him. The reports said that Roger went to bed that night as usual, and that sometime around two in the morning he got up, went down to the basement of his house, and hanged himself. When I heard about Roger, I realized that I wasn’t a Christian. I was a theologically sound evangelical, believed all the points of the Apostles’ Creed, and had declared Jesus to be my Saviour. But I know now that if the Holy Spirit had actually been in me, I would have stood up for Roger. When the guys came to make fun of him, I would have put one arm around Roger’s shoulder, waved the guys off with the other, and told them to leave him alone and not mess with him because he was my friend. But I was afraid to be Roger’s friend. I knew that if I stood up for a homosexual, people would say cruel things about me too. So I kept my distance. If I had done better, who knows if Roger might be alive today.[1]

This paper seeks to give an overview of some of the major questions Christians face when approaching the issue of same-gender attraction (SGA)[2] and how the Church should respond. Although there is not sufficient space in this paper to go into great depth on any of the questions, I pray that it will encourage you to seek more education on the matter of SGA.

How Prevalent is SGA in Canada?

“Broadly defined, [same gender attraction] is an erotic attraction to persons of one’s own sex.”[3] Recent studies indicate that 3.5% of the population identifies as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB)[4]. This would mean that in Canada, based on recent population estimates[5], there are roughly 1.2 million men and women who identify as LGB. In addition to those who identify as LGB, another 8.2 percent (approx. 2.8 million Canadians) have engaged in same-sex sexual behavior, and an additional 11 percent (approx. 3.9 million Canadians) admit to some degree of SGA.[6] This would indicate that over 22 percent of the Canadian population (approx.7.9 million) has had some degree of SGA. Given the prevalence of SGA in Canada, it would be ignorant to think that it isn’t something with which the Church needs to learn how to deal. If we minimize the importance of learning to relate to such a large demographic, we walk dangerously close to violating the Great Commission’s call to spread the Good News about Christ to all people.

Are People Born SGA?

In the debate between the Church and the SGA community, the issue of cause seems to surface frequently. The more conservative Christian community believes there is either an element of choice, or that it is entirely choice, while the SGA community argues that no one would choose a sexual identity that would lead to discrimination and, therefore, it is inborn with no element of choice. Often the term ‘nature or nurture’ will appear in this debate. The term asks the question: “Is SGA inborn (nature) or a result of one’s upbringing (nurture)?”

Initially, SGA was listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (official list of mental disorders that all mental health professionals refer when diagnosing patients). [7] This changed in 1974 when, due to political pressures, homosexuality was removed from the manual. Although this may seem like a move forward to some, the process by which homosexuality was removed from the manual may have stunted the discovery of cause. One psychiatrist commented: “The entire process, from the first confrontation organized by gay demonstrators to the referendum demanded by orthodox psychiatrists, seemed to violate the most basic expectations about how questions of science should be resolved. Instead of being engaged in sober discussion of data, psychiatrists were swept up in a political controversy. The result was not a conclusion based on an approximation of scientific truth as dedicated by reason, but was instead an action demanded by the ideological temper of the times.”[8] Had proper procedure been followed, there would have been an acquisition of supporting data, through experimentation and survey, to point to the cause of SGA.

Because of the process by which homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, it is sometimes difficult to find reliable, unbiased research to discuss cause. As a result, research materials regarding cause must be reviewed in considerable detail in order to determine reliability. We must be careful when reviewing data regarding cause of SGA that we don’t draw conclusions too quickly. We will now review four cases put forth as evidence for the cause of SGA, and we will review the opposition to those evidences. This will by no means be an exhaustive representation of the research on the cause of SGA, but rather, will serve as a guide to how we might objectively question research findings.

A study done in 1991 by Simon LeVay is often touted as evidence for genetic cause of homosexuality. It was a study of cadavers: thirty-five men, nineteen believed to be homosexual and sixteen believed to be heterosexual. “LeVay found a group of neurons in the hypothalamus that appeared to be twice as large in the heterosexual men as in the homosexual men.[9] He then suggests the size of this group of neurons, called the INAH3, might have something to do with sexual orientation.”[10]

This research does seem to point to a genetic component. However, critics of LeVay’s work point out that “…the changes in the brain structure could have been the result of homosexual behavior, rather than the cause… there is a body of evidence that shows the brain’s neural networks reconfigure themselves in response to certain experiences. Therefore, the difference in homosexual brain structure may be a result of behavioral and environmental conditions.”[11] As a matter of fact, LeVay himself never claimed to have discovered a genetic cause of homosexuality (or SGA) and stated that conclusion as, “…the most common mistake people make in interpreting my work.”[12] Although LeVay’s work does point to the possibility of a genetic cause, it remains inconclusive.

Next we will look at a study conducted by Baily and Pillard. “J. Michael-Bailey and Richard Pillard published a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry in December of 1991 on the prevalence of homosexuality among twins. They studied 56 pairs of identical twins, where at least one brother was homosexual, and found that 29 of them (52 percent) were both homosexual. They also found that 12 of 54 pairs of fraternal twins (22 percent) were both homosexual and 6 out of 57 pairs of adopted brothers (11 percent) were both homosexual.”[13]

Due to the high incidence of homosexuality in twins, Baily and Pillard concluded that there must be a genetic component to explain the higher than usual number. This conclusion, however, is flawed. The issue with this study is that it assumed that environment did not play a role in the sexual identity development of the subjects. In other words, in order to truly show a genetic factor in twins, they would have to have been raised in separate environments. These twins were raised in the same home, having the same or similar experiences that could have contributed to the development of their SGA. Once again we arrive at inconclusive.

Conservative Christian groups often hold the next position, which involves family systems theory. Family systems theory suggests that there is one of the following family patterns result in SGA: “A powerful mother figure who is both feared and needed and a father who is passive and ineffectual, often absent; A hostile, aggressive, rejecting father with a seductive but sexually inhibited mother who needs the attention and dependence of her son for her own self-worth; Both parents passive, overprotective, and afraid of aggression; Seduction or erotic exploitation during childhood by an older sibling, parent, or other extended family member over a period of time.”[14]

Switzer, one of the critics of family systems theory, points out that the subjects of this study are, “sufficiently troubled as to seek psychotherapy.”[15] He also suggests “Studies of gays and lesbians who are reasonably happy and are not in therapy do not reveal much of any of the theories or any combination of them.”[16] Switzer continues by insisting, “there are many people whose childhood and adolescence were spent in a family such as those described, but who are heterosexual, although they may often be troubled in some way [and that] none of the data come out of a genuine experimental setting. There are no control groups of gays and lesbians who are not and have not been in psychotherapy in order to make direct comparison. There are no control groups of heterosexual persons whose early life experiences were like these described in the theories in order to make comparisons. There were no independent judges evaluating the material.”[17]

As we can see, the data put forth in family systems theory provides no more of a clear picture than the studies conducted by LeVay or Baily and Pillard. At best, family systems theory suggests environmental factors that may play a role in cause of SGA, but without further study one could not conclude that family systems theory’s assertions are factual.

The final case put forth is less a scientific study than a conclusion drawn by a Christian theologian. Karl Barth argued that homosexuality is unnatural because homosexual partner’s sexual organs do not go together. “Hence, for Barth, homosexual intercourse is wrong because of certain biological characteristics of this behavior.”[18]

The Church often uses a similar line of argument when discussing cause of SGA. The lynchpin of this approach is: “one who infers a moral judgment from biological characteristics commits a naturalistic fallacy.”[19] The naturalistic fallacy is sometimes referred to as ‘argument from nature’ and it is the claim that what is natural is inherently good or right, and that what is unnatural is inherently bad or wrong. The issue with making this line of argumentation as a Christian is that it places natural law over moral law. In other words, if homosexuality is wrong because the sexual organs don’t go together, what are we to conclude if we find a genetic cause that suggests parts can or do go together?

As Christians, we must be careful not to become too dogmatic in our assertions about cause of SGA. At best, research is inconclusive as to the cause of SGA and as we see in the naturalistic fallacy, we cannot appeal to nature to give grounds for moral law. Regardless of cause, be it ‘nature’ or ‘nurture’, Biblical moral law does not change and that should be the foundation of our stance on SGA.

What Issues do SGA people and their families face?

Those who struggle with SGA face issues that many in the Church may find difficult with which to relate. Gary Collins, a Christian counselor and author, offers a few of the issues faced by those struggling with SGA. “These issues include struggles with one’s homosexual orientation and temptations, estrangements from one’s family, loneliness and inability to find or to trust others who can give support, struggles with self-esteem, anti-gay attitudes or harassment, mental-health concerns, or grappling with the issue of whether to be honest with others about one’s homoerotic tendencies.”[20] In addition to the issues mentioned by Collins, SGA persons who are part of a faith based community, such as Christianity, often face “[a] knee-jerk abandonment of…valued religion [which] can result in extreme isolation in the same way that leading a double life to maintain ties inevitably results in alienation from self and valued others.”[21]

In addition to the issues faced by those who are SGA, their family members often encounter challenges when their loved one ‘comes out.’ “… [D]iscovering a family member is lesbian, gay, or bisexual can pose new questions about faith and often causes individuals to reevaluate their previous religious beliefs.”[22] In fact, statistics shows that a large percent of families impacted by the SGA of their loved ones leave their place of worship. “14% left their congregation and did not seek another place of worship, 8% left their denomination and sought out a new denomination known for affirming LGB members, and 3% left their specific congregation and sought a new one within the same denomination that was known for affirming LGB members. Sixteen percent worked to change the doctrine of their congregation or religion.”[23]

The impact that SGA can have on individuals and families is significant. As the Church moves to better understand how to approach the issue of SGA, it is important that we learn how to walk through some of these battles alongside those who are struggling. Whether or not we are licensed counselors, we can all take part in showing the love of Christ to individuals who are going through very emotional trying times as they attempt to work through their SGA.

Is Sexual Re-Orientation the Goal?

The last question we will deal with is whether or not the goal of the Church should be to see individuals who struggle with SGA re-oriented sexually from homosexual to heterosexual. Many things must be considered when posing this question. First we will look at the emotional and social impact of such a goal. Then we will consider the plausibility of re-orientation therapy, and finally, we will decide if sexual re-orientation is the goal.

It is important to note that “…the concept of using sexuality as a way of framing a person’s identity dates only as far back as the late seventeenth century…”[24] This has led many people to report that “…their sexual orientation is a stable part of themselves and central to their identity. Others find their sexual orientation to be a more fluid identity….[we] must be careful not to…presume that sexual orientation is always central to identity, because [it] may differ from [person to person].”[25]

Sexual re-orientation therapy remains largely unsupported by the medical community, “Because conversion therapy is a religiously and not scientifically based practice, [therefore] there is no professional training condoned by ACA or other prominent mental health associations that would prepare counselors to provide conversion therapy”[26] As a result, many doubt the legitimacy of such therapy. Two reputable Christian counselors concluded, after much research in sexual re-orientation they: “…did not share the optimistic and seemingly universal generalization of some conservative Christians who seem to imply that anyone with any motivation can change, if change is taken to mean complete alteration of sexual orientation to replace homosexual with heterosexual erotic orientation.”[27]

Based on the lack of medical support and the evidence against re-orientation therapy’s success, we can agree that re-orientation may not always be possible; but is it necessary? The Biblical condemnation of homosexuality refers strictly to the ‘acts’ of homosexuality, not the attraction itself. We must understand that someone who struggles with SGA may continue in that struggle even as they pursue their relationship with Christ. My pastor of many years once wrote an article on the topic of homosexuality and in it he made this statement: “Many Christians with homosexual orientation fight against their desires for homosexual relationships through the power of the Holy Spirit. I admire these brave saints who endure lives of sexual frustration because of their commitment to Christ.”[28] I think that summarized the attitude we must have toward those who may discover they cannot alter their SGA.

Conclusion

“The reality of homosexuality isn’t ‘out there’. It’s here, inside the church, in youth groups across the country.”[29] We need to ensure the Church is a place that is conducive to healing for those struggling with their sexual identity. If we truly have a heart for the lost, and we honestly want to see people transformed by Christ, we will take time to educate ourselves on the subject of same-gender attraction in order that we might fully understand the pain that someone goes through when dealing with their sexual identity, SGA and sexual identity confusion.

[1] Anthony Campolo, Speaking My Mind (Nashville, TN: W Pub. Group, 2004), Ch. 5.

[2] The abbreviation SGA may be used throughout the paper to represent same-gender attraction, which includes homosexuality and bisexuality.

[3] Gary R. Collins, Christian Counseling: A Comprehensive Guide, Third ed. (Waco, TX: Word Books, 2007), 377.

[4] Gary J. Gates, How Many People Are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered, April 2012, The Williams Institute, UCLA Law, University of California School of Law, Los Angeles.

[5] Statistics Canada. "Population Estimate 2014." Statistics Canada: Canada's National Statistical Agency. January 2014. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/start-debut-eng.html.

[6] Gates.

[7] The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual had this listed as homosexuality referring to same-sex attraction.

[8] Chad W. Thompson, Loving Homosexuals as Jesus Would: A Fresh Christian Approach (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2004), 105.

[9] The hypothalamus has been associated with the regulation of hormone release and reproductive behavior.

[10] Thompson, 100.

[11] Ibid., 101.

[12] Ibid., 101.

[13] INqUEERY, "What Does Science Say about Homosexuality," INqUEERY, 2006, Baily & Pillard, http://www.inqueery.com/index.html.

[14] David K. Switzer and John Thornburg, Pastoral Care of Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999), 23.

[15] Ibid., 23, 24.

[16] Ibid., 23, 24.

[17] Ibid., 23, 24.

[18] Pim Pronk, Against Nature?: Types of Moral Argumentation regarding Homosexuality (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1993), 216.

[19] Ibid., 216.

[20] Collins, 389.

[21] Ruperto M. Perez, Kurt A. DeBord, and Kathleen J. Bieschke, Handbook of Counseling and Psychotherapy with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2000), 424.

[22] Suzanne H. Lease and Julie L. Shulman, "A Preliminary Investigation of the Role of Religion for Family Members of Lesbian, Gay Male, or Bisexual Male and Female Individuals," Counseling and Values 47, no. 3 (April 2003): 196, doi:10.1002/j.2161-007X.2003.tb00266.x.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Perez, DeBord, and Bieschke, 16.

[25] Ibid., 26.

[26] Joy S. Whitman and Markus P. Bidell, "Affirmative Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Counselor Education and Religious Beliefs: How Do We Bridge the Gap?," Journal of Counseling & Development 92 (April 2014): 169, accessed April 1, 2014, doi:10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00144.x.

[27] Collins, 389.

[28] Verner Drost and Smythe Street Cathedral, Homosexuality - A Christian Response, PDF, August 2007.

[29] Alan Chambers, God's Grace and the Homosexual next Door (Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, 2006), 137.

Bibliography

Campolo, Anthony. Speaking My Mind. Nashville, TN: W Pub. Group, 2004.

Collins, Gary R. Christian Counseling: A Comprehensive Guide. Third ed. Waco, TX: Word Books, 2007.

Gates, Gary J. How Many People Are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered. April 2012. The Williams Institute, UCLA Law, University of California School of Law, Los Angeles.

Statistics Canada. "Population Estimate 2014." Statistics Canada: Canada's National Statistical Agency. January 2014. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/start-debut-eng.html.

Thompson, Chad W. Loving Homosexuals as Jesus Would: A Fresh Christian Approach. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2004.

INqUEERY. "What Does Science Say about Homosexuality." INqUEERY. 2006. http://www.inqueery.com/index.html.

The Baily & Pillard study is familiar to many Journals, I was not able to access the appropriate journals for this particular study, but attest to the accuracy of this site in relation to psychological journals I have reviewed.

Switzer, David K., and John Thornburg. Pastoral Care of Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999.

Pronk, Pim. Against Nature?: Types of Moral Argumentation regarding Homosexuality. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1993.

Perez, Ruperto M., Kurt A. DeBord, and Kathleen J. Bieschke. Handbook of Counseling and Psychotherapy with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2000.

Lease, Suzanne H., and Julie L. Shulman. "A Preliminary Investigation of the Role of Religion for Family Members of Lesbian, Gay Male, or Bisexual Male and Female Individuals." Counseling and Values 47, no. 3 (April 2003): 195-209. doi:10.1002/j.2161-007X.2003.tb00266.x.

Whitman, Joy S., and Markus P. Bidell. "Affirmative Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Counselor Education and Religious Beliefs: How Do We Bridge the Gap?" Journal of Counseling & Development 92 (April 2014): 162-71. Accessed April 1, 2014. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00144.x.

Drost, Verner, and Smythe Street Cathedral. Homosexuality - A Christian Response. PDF. August 2007.

An article written by the senior pastor of Smythe Street Cathedral during his sermon series on 'Christian Morality.'

Chambers, Alan. God's Grace and the Homosexual next Door. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, 2006.

Other Sources Referenced but not cited:

Balch, David L. Homosexuality, Science, and the "Plain Sense" of Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 2000.

Balkin, Richard S., Richard E. Watts, and Saba R. Ali. "A Conversation About the Intersection of Faith, Sexual Orientation, and Gender: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives." Journal of Counseling & Development 92 (April 2014): 187-95. Accessed April 1, 2014. EBSCO.

The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church. Nashville, TN: United Methodist Pub. House, 1993.

Comstock, Gary David. Gay Theology without Apology. Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 1993.

Grenz, Stanley J. Welcoming but Not Affirming: An Evangelical Response to Homosexuality. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998.

Jones, Stanton L., and Mark A. Yarhouse. Homosexuality: The Use of Scientific Research in the Church's Moral Debate. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Mazzalongo, Michael. Gay Rights or Wrongs: A Christian's Guide to Homosexual Issues and Ministry. Joplin, MO: College Press Pub., 1995.

Pronk, Pim. Against Nature?: Types of Moral Argumentation regarding Homosexuality. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1993.

Swartley, Willard M. Homosexuality: Biblical Interpretation and Moral Discernment. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2003.

DesRoches, Bonita L. The Journey. A paper written while searching for answers – for the truth that would dispel the lies many believe about the subject of homosexuality. 2002

Unpacking My Mind

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Broken Hearted (2008) - by Jonathan DesRoches

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Book Review - Simple Church (Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger)

Friday, November 28, 2014

Re-Orienting the Church about Same Gender Attraction