Actscelerate.com

I thought the Church had settled the gay question nature/nurture

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3147 **10/30/17 8:54 am**

I guess I was wrong as some of our posters take it as fact that people are born gay or "don't choose" their sexual preference (I don't say "orientation"). Is that where we are again? I don't see a belief in a sovereign, merciful and just God as compatible with the idea that He would force homosexuality on someone.

Re: I thought the Church had settled the gay question nature/nurture

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1994 **10/30/17 9:33 am**

Re: I thought the Church had settled the gay question nature/nurture

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **10/30/17 11:47 am**

The church can decide that homosexual behavior is wrong, but the church can't "decide" that sexual preference is a matter of simply "nurture" if there are in fact other factors involved.
To say God wouldn't allow someone to be born with a same sex attraction would be like saying God wouldn't allow a man to be born with a propensity for promiscuity or that God wouldn't allow someone to be born with a genetic anomaly.

Re: I thought the Church had settled the gay question nature/nurture

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3147 **10/30/17 11:54 am**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **10/30/17 12:01 pm**

Would it mess up your theology if we found out there is a biological (say pre-birth exposure to agricultural chemicals or to hormones) component or a genetic component to same sex attraction?
I'm told that some Christians once believed the earth was flat.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **10/30/17 12:05 pm**

I think the Augustinian concept of an inherited â€˜sinful natureâ€™ which causes one to sin (aka â€˜Original Sinâ€™) certainly fits well with the liberal, modern idea of people being â€˜born gay.â€™

My own view happens to be more in line with the church fathers prior to Augustine, as well as the historic Eastern branches of Christianity, all of which maintain the basic idea of human freewill contra Augustinian Manichean determinism.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **10/30/17 12:10 pm**

Biological, chemical or hormonal effects during gestation can certainly affect the mental and physical development of babies before they are born; e.g., fetal alcohol syndrome, crack babies, etc. That would of course be of a different category altogether from the idea that God created someone with behavioral issues or gayness originally built in.

Friendly Face Posts: 253 **10/30/17 12:17 pm**

Do you want to deal with effeminates too? There are many in our church and they were born that way. The Bible has something to say about them and we pass it off.

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3147 **10/30/17 1:06 pm**

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **10/30/17 2:14 pm**

Iâ€™ll be honest and admit I donâ€™t have it all figured out. I know what the Bible says about the sinfulness of the lifestyle, but as to the origins of said behavior Iâ€™m not settled. It would not shatter my faith to learn that some may be born with those tendencies due to genetic abnormalities. I think sometimes we feel such a strong need to â€œdefend Godâ€.

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 7307 **10/30/17 2:22 pm**

Every human being is born with a genetic predisposition for an obsessive behavior that the Bible defines as sin.

It is related to us in the context of "the flesh".

Everybody's got something they can't control through the power of their will.

It requires the grace of God to overcome.

It is a scientific fact. Shocked

_________________
Charles A. Hutchins
Senior Pastor SPWC
Congregational Church of God

www.spwc.church

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **10/30/17 2:23 pm**

I like the black and white, I mean Yes and No questions. When the answers go GREY it confuses us old folk. I believe it is a CHOICE now the reasons for that choice in my mind is u for grabs.

Lots of stuff I don't know, most of the things brought up in comments I do/did not know. I am glad it is not my decision to make for everyone. OUCH!

Now Dasheik has just said:
I think sometimes we feel such a strong need to â€œdefend Godâ€.

Man is that a mouthful for chewing. Thanks man!
_________________
Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **10/30/17 2:49 pm**