Two Myths About Homosexuality

Before I went to college I had never met a homosexual—at least, not knowingly. So I held some of the same misconceptions and prejudices that many people do. But in my Freshman year I met several homosexuals, including one who became one of my best friends. And that helped dispel many of my previous notions about the gay community.

Why do some people—and indeed, some Christians—want to persecute the LGBTQ community in general and homosexuals in particular? I believe it is grounded in some of the same myths that I grew up believing.[1]

Probably the biggest myth about homosexuality is that homosexuals choose to be that way. Indeed, the Texas Republican Party platform for 2022 calls homosexuality “an abnormal lifestyle choice.”[2] From what I can tell, that is rarely, if ever, the case.[3]

For any straight people who still believe this myth, I have one question: Did you choose to be attracted to people of the opposite sex? Personally, I did not. I was never sexually attracted to males, and the thought of having sex with another man frankly did not interest me in the least. Based on my conversations with my homosexual friends, the opposite is true for them—they are naturally attracted sexually to people of the same sex and have no sexual interest in persons of the opposite sex.

Scientific studies have not been able to definitively answer the question of why people develop the sexual orientation they do. Complex genetic and environmental factors are apparently involved. But one thing these studies and the American Psychological Association all agree on is that choice has nothing to do with it. In other words, people do not choose to be homosexual.

Another myth is that homosexuals are more likely to abuse or molest children than are heterosexuals. In the hate-filled sermon that I referenced last week, the preacher stated confidently that “all homosexuals are pedophiles.”[4] But this is simply nonsense born from ignorance.

One study found that child molesters generally fall into one of two categories: (1) fixated—these have no interest in adult sexual relationships at all, and will molest children of either sex, and (2) regressive—these have adult sexual relationships but will focus their sexual needs on children in certain situations. The study also found that most of the regressive type of molesters are in fact heterosexual men, while the fixated molesters cannot be said to be either homosexual or heterosexual since they are not interested in adult sexual relationships.

The Child Molestation Research & Prevention Institute says that 90% of child molesters target children within their circle of friends and family, and that most are heterosexual men.

To my knowledge, there is no reliable scientific evidence to support the belief that homosexuality and child molestation are in any way linked.

So if people do not choose to be homosexuals, and homosexuals are not more likely to molest children, should we nevertheless exclude them from the church? I must confess that I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, there are scriptures such as Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and 1 Timothy 1:10 which seem to condemn homosexual conduct. ^[5]

But I am coming around to the idea that homosexual conduct is merely one of many sins, and we dare not exclude all sinners from God’s church or else the church would be empty. So what makes homosexual conduct different from other sins, aside from our irrational prejudice against homosexuals? Should we exclude sexually active homosexuals from the church when we don’t exclude gossips or divorced people or the greedy or many other types of sinners?

I don’t think it’s an easy question to answer, but it’s something to think about.

[1]. This blog entry is based in part on the article, “10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked,” found at https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2011/10-anti-gay-myths-debunked.

[2]. https://texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6-Permanent-Platform-Committee-FINAL-REPORT-6-16-2022.pdf, page 21, section 143 (emphasis added)

[3]. It is arguably true of bisexuals, however, since bisexuals are sexually attracted to persons of both sexes. They can therefore choose to engage in either heterosexual sex or homosexual sex.

[4]. https://stedfastbaptistkjv.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Why-We-Wont-Shut-Up-Bro.-Dillon-Awes-Stedfast-Baptist-Church.mp3. The remark in question is at about time 58:00 (out of 1:26:49).

[5]. And as I mentioned last week, some scholars believe the Bible’s condemnation of homosexual conduct actually refers to pederasty and/or male temple prostitution, rather than homosexual acts between consenting adults. In any event, I do not believe the Bible condemns mere homosexual attraction, as opposed to homosexual acts.