Born or Made? The Gay Debate
April 4, 2002 It's become the mantra of the gay lobby: Sexual
orientation is in our genes—our biology is destiny. According to gay activist
Denny Lee, "When people understand that being gay or lesbian is an integral
characteristic, they are more open-minded about equality for gay Americans."
Problem is, there's no evidence that homosexuality
is an "integral characteristic." It's something to keep in mind on the eve of
the latest "gay holiday."
Radical gays are fond of quoting studies that
purport to prove that gays are born, not made. For example, ten years ago, Simon
LeVay of the Salk Institute announced that he had found a significant difference
in the brain structure of homosexual and heterosexual men, but subsequent
research by others failed to duplicate LeVay's findings.
The same goes for the research of Dean Hamer, who
claimed to have found a "gay gene." Hamer—who is gay—was subsequently
investigated by the Office of Research Integrity of the U.S. Public Health
Service.
Then there's a 1993 study on twins and sexual
orientation by Boston University psychiatrist Richard Pillard. Pillard claimed
he'd found evidence that homosexuality is a family trait. But Dr. Paul Ewald, an
Amherst College biologist, told the Boston University Daily Free Press that
Pillard's research made no such genetic connection.
Dr. Ruth Hubbard of the Council for Responsible
Genetics says the gay hype over genetics "is due to the fact that there is money
to be made through biotechnology." And she adds: "There's no such thing as a gay
gene. It is a waste of time and money" to look for one.
So why are researchers looking for one?
If gays can prove that homosexuality is genetic,
there would be, they believe, no excuse for making moral distinctions between
homosexual and heterosexual behavior. But wait a minute: Suppose there was a
genetic connection. Would that justify gay "marriage"? It's been established in
one study a genetic connection in criminal behavior. Does that excuse crime? Of
course not. Or how about a gene for heterosexual behavior? Does that mean rape
would be condoned? No! Nor does it mean homosexual behavior is inevitable and
acceptable. We are more than the sum of our genes.
On April 10, gay groups will celebrate the "Day of
Silence Project." They're encouraging students around the country to take a
nine-hour vow of silence to protest what they consider inappropriate
discrimination against homosexuals. We can expect the press to trot out all the
same, tired claims about gay genes, and, therefore, we should just accept as
perfectly normal this behavior and give them full rights to adopt children and
to marry.
On that particular day of silence, why don't we do
what many other Christians are doing and use it to speak out. Tell them about
couples like John and Anne Paulk, now on the staff of Focus on the Family. John
and Anne both came out of the homosexual lifestyle, married, and raised a
Christian family.
We can also tell people about the phony research
about so-called gay genes—and about the truth about how God heals homosexuals
through groups like Exodus and Regeneration.
If you call us here at BreakPoint (1-800-995-8777),
we'll send you materials that will help you make those arguments.
True hope for homosexuals lies, not in a gay gene,
but in the Gospel.
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