Where is Homosexual Empathy?

Empathy:  The ability to put yourself in another person's shoes.

A few semesters ago, I took an ethics class at a community college.*  The teacher asked where aligned ourselves on whether we felt homosexuality was a result of nature or nurture .  In other words, do we feel homosexuality is a choice you make or something that you are born with?  About 80% of the class raised their hand and identified with the nurture side of the argument. Meaning, they felt homosexuality was a either a conscience choice made by someone or a result of some sort of psychological trauma.  I was among the few that agree with the nature side of the argument.  Meaning, we felt most homosexuals are "born that way" to some extent and cannot control who they are attracted to.

The nurture argument generally goes as follows: "The Bible says homosexuality is sin.  Why would God create something that is forced to live in that sin?  Therefore, being gay is a choice you make."  As far as I can tell, that argument and the "unnatural" argument are the only arguments used, or some variation of them.  I would like to challenge conventional Christian thinking in regards to this argument...

To do this, all I need is a very simple line of questioning...
Do you believe homosexuality is sin?  (most Christians answer yes)
Do believe man is born into sin? (all Christians answer yes)
Then why can't we be born slanted towards a particular sin?

Christianity teaches we are all born into sin.  Job 15:4, for example, implies that sinfulness is a property of humanity. In Psalm 51:5, the psalmist says that he was born from sin.  And, of course, Romans 3:23 says we are all sinners, falling short of God's standard.  I can cite other verses, but I think all Christians can agree that we are all born sinful.  Sin is not a choice.

We also have no problem conceding that particular sins might be heredity or somehow a part of our DNA.. most of us agree with this in regards to alcoholism, drug abuse, and even a propensity for violence.  So, why not homosexuality? Why do we feel our faith is under attack if someone argues that homosexuality something you are born with?

Think about this:  I am a heterosexual.  I do not decide who I find attractive or who I don't.  If I meet a particular woman and think she's pretty, I cannot make the decision to think otherwise.  If I do not find a particular woman attractive, I cannot not simply decide to find her smokin' hot.  It's not a choice I make.  It either happens or it doesn't.  I can, however, decide who I take on a date, whether or not to be sexuality active, who I have relations with, how I treat somebody, etc.  In other words, to put it bluntly, I can control my penis; I cannot control what my penis likes.

Every homosexual I've known has also said similar things: they are attracted to whom they are attracted to.  They don't make the decision to be or not to be sexuality attracted to a particular man, they say. They just are.

Sin manifests it's self in different ways in different people.  However, all of us are afflicted by it.. that is a core Christian belief.  I think homosexuality that is simply another way sin has manifested itself in certain individuals.  I thank God that it hasn't manifested itself in me.  I am grateful that being with the person I love and living in sin are not the same things in my life.  I cannot imagine the pain Christian homosexuals must feel..

So what's my point?  What am I trying to say?  I'm glad you asked. I am simply asking: where's the empathy?  Why are homosexuals shunned from our churches and alcoholics and other "sinners" are prayed for and accepted?  Why do treat homosexuals as somehow worse sinners than we are?  I fear the reason is mostly the inaccurate view on nature vs. nurture.  We can look at other sins and say, "Bless his heart.  There but for the grace of God go I."  But when it comes to homosexuals, we think "It's his choice.  If he don't want to be judged, he shouldn't be gay."  This is hypocritical.  A homosexual is no more of a sinner than I.

We feel like are losing ground in an argument if we concede that a homosexual may, in fact, be "born that way."  However, this is not the case.  Be careful, if you look at the issue with a different lens, you just might find yourself empathising with the feelings another wretched human being, just like yourself.

More of what this means politically later...

*It should be noted that I am in my 30s and most of the class was right out of high school.  Also, I live in the Deep South and most of the class identified with evangelical (Protestant) Christianity, as I do.  Also, I am a heterosexual male.

Abortion: The Elephant In The Room

I have not updated this blog in 2 years. There’s been a reason for that. It goes beyond busyness or writer’s block. Apathy or frustration towards the political process is not the reason either. The reason is simple: abortion. I realized being a blogger who criticizes the Political Right and the Church’s current devotion to them but has nothing to say about abortion may be equivalent to a weather vane without an arrow: pointless. I have tried to write about abortion before, but found my views conflicting with one another. It’s not that I’ve had nothing to say. It’s just that I haven’t known what to say. But today, I’ve decided to power through it and get ‘er done.

I have many conversations with Christian friends who all agree: abortion is wrong. I can debate with most of these friends and they can agree with me on some problems with Republican policies. Yet, they are still loyal to the party for one reason: Abortion. They feel abortion is a moral wrong. They feel any vote cast for a pro choice candidate, is a vote cast to murder babies. They feel terminating a fetus for convenience sake is wrong. The fetus has no decision in the process. The mother and the father chose to engage in a certain behavior, so they should be responsible.. so goes the argument. For those reasons, they are loyal Republicans.

I don't feel they are necessarily wrong in how they feel... abortion is an awful thing. Abortion is taking a human life who has no opinion in the process. But I can see the other side... My main argument against litmus test voting on the abortion issue is simple: If you are concerned about preserving human life, then the GOP is not your party.

Think about it... Which party is more likely to support capital punishment? Which party is less likely to support gun control? Which party fights against every environmental protection mandate? Which party is more likely to get us involved in a pointless war?

The Republicans also want to cut social safety nets to the bone. Food stamps. Medicaid. Welfare. Pell grants. You name it.. if it's a program designed as a "hand out" to those who are less fortunate, the GOP wants to cut it. Why is this relevant when it comes the abortion issue? Well, two reasons. First, the number one reason women cite when having abortion is money. They can't afford the baby. So, you can argue that pro-safety net policies (entitlement programs) actually reduce the number of abortions. The more you help women afford their babies, the less abortions will occur. The second reason is even more absurd... Consider this: If the GOP gets its way, abortions would cease, or at least be greatly reduced. That means as many as 30 million more babies born each year. However, Republicans don't seem to care about the child after it exits the womb. Their viewpoint may as well be: you better have that child, and when you do, you can either get a good job or live in a cardboard box. That doesn't seem to be a very pro-human life position.

I have more to say on the issue, but to sum up.. I believe that the GOP's current stance on abortion is less of a grave concern for the preservation human life than it is a calculated tactic to hold their evangelical Christian base