The Issue of Homosexuality

I realize this is a huge controversy, and I am walking on some very rocky ground here, but you must realize that this is my blog and I am entitled to my opinion. Well, actually a lot of it is straight-up fact, and I'll see what I can do to differentiate between them.

Everyone is talking about homosexuals lately, and it has made a big Internet controversy that I would post about on Facebook, if I knew I wouldn't offend anyone I know I shouldn't offend. (Most people I don't care if they choose to take offense, but there are a select few whom I try not to ever offend, if I can avoid it.) There seems to be a great misunderstanding about what homosexuality really is and its origin.

Some of the activists seem to believe that being homosexual is 1, something that simply happens to some people, and 2, something no one has any control over. Like being born with red hair. Sure, you can cover it up with dye, but it'll still be red.

Well, scientific studies have shown that yes, there are some people who are born with a chemical imbalance (yes, this has been proven)-- an anomaly which causes one to be more attracted to their own gender. No, it's not a "disease", but it is a disorder. Other people, who are homosexual, but don't fall into this category, become homosexual because of other factors, surrounding their environment. (We're talking about nurture vs nature here.) A person growing up in an environment where there is a high exposure to homosexuality has a very high likelihood to take on those attributes, since it has been taught to them that this is normal and acceptable. Another person might become homosexual based on the opposite environment. Some people are taught that being gay is so evil and so wrong that the pressure actually causes them to do the opposite of what they have been taught.

So can a person, or better yet, should one fight homosexual tendancies? This is where we get to the moral or religiouis part of the discussion. To those who are born with chemical imbalances, as well as those who have developed same-gender attraction due to their environment, I say: absolutely. Everyone is born with anomalies and with weaknesses, and everyone is exposed to circumstances that might direct them to choose a certain path. You can always choose. The only circumstance in which you are unable to choose is when you have given up that God-given right to the vices of addiction. True, you cannot choose what "happens" to you, but you can ALWAYS choose how you will react to it. We ought not treat homosexual people as though they are the acception to this.

Case in point, I know a man who was born with an addiction to alcohol. He had never had a drink when he was young, but because both his parents were alcoholics, he was pretty much set with an innate addiction himself. This man had two choices: yield to the temptation and fall into alcoholism or stay away from alcohol and live a much healthier life. Now, there is no saying how hard it would be for this man, once he had a small taste of alcohol, to avoid drinking. We don't know how hard it would be for him to fight off something to ingrained in him. But doing the right thing is seldom doing the easy thing.

Case 2: A man is born with an attraction to children. Is he justified in engaging children in sexual acts? Obviously not. What makes a homosexual person any different?

That being said, I must insert my strong opinion that very few people are actually "born gay". It is a crutch that many people use to get others to feel sorry for them, and to waive the responsibility to do anything about it. Even in this circumstance, temptation can still be avoided, and help can still be found with medical and psychological experts.

I guess it just depends on what you want. The Savior said that "the natural man is an enemy to God". What He meant was that, as stated earlier, we are all instilled with certain weaknesses and tendancies to do wrong. He also commanded us to be perfect. Although that is not something we can attain in this life, we understand that we must work toward that ultimate goal. That means overcoming those natural weaknesses and anomalies. That also means that He will prepare a way for us, and make it possible, as He would never ask of us something we could not accomplish (either in this life or the next). Those who want to follow the Lord and the good that is also instilled within them, will always be given a way to do so.

Conclusion: Homosexuality does not make a person a bad person, and should not be treated that way. (I have a few homosexual friends, and those individuals are good people. I don't look down on them for having the weaknesses they have, any more than I would like them to look down on me for mine.) A person always has a choice on how to react to what they have been given (either their nurture or their nature). Acting (sexually) upon homosexuality is against God's laws of morality, and cannot be justified based on the fact that a person has a tendancy toward it, any more than can any other tendancy, such as pedophilia, alcoholism or violence.