Sexual Orientation: Nature or Nurture, and the Church's Response?

I am not a gay basher, nor do I approve of and condone homosexuality as a lifestyle that somehow dovetails with the church. Six months ago I turned 50 years old, and during my lifetime I have witnessed the gradual social transition that homosexuality has undergone. A homosexual sexual orientation has not been considered socially acceptable in American society until the last couple of decades or so. If a person was gay 35-40 years ago, he or she was usually very discreet about it. Times have changed, and along side this change has emerged the discussion about whether or not someone is born with a bent towards homosexuality. And as this discussion lingers, the question begs: What should be the church’s response to homosexuality, regardless of whether the answer to this nature/nurture question is ever scientifically determined—and regardless of what the answer to this question may be?

This is a huge topic, and there are certainly many different individual threads connected to the nature versus nurture discussion. Consequently, tackling and attempting to answer this nature/nurture question really doesn’t solve all that much; it just shifts the discussion to some other questions.

I have an opinion on whether or not a person is born with a homosexual sexual orientation, but before I share my own position I’d first like to ask: Why does it matter? Does it make it any more socially acceptable if a person is born with a predisposition towards be sexually attracted to people of the same sex? Should it? While there is really no way of knowing for sure, I kind of suspect that with the speed of technological advancement that we’ve witnessed in the last half century, particularly in the area of DNA discoveries, that this nature/nurture question might be scientifically answered before long. Maybe even during my lifetime. And if and when we are privy to the answer to this nature versus nurture question, then what will this mean? Since homosexuality is a charged and often debated topic, especially as it concerns how the church should view people who are sexually attracted to members of the same sex, I think it would be helpful if we all pondered these questions.

Okay, my take on the whole nature/nurture question is that a person probably is born with some bent towards practicing homosexuality. Quite simply, if a gay person claims that he or she was born with some “leaning” towards being a homosexual, I am inclined to agree that this may in fact be the case. Up until about 5 years ago, I would have never even considered contemplating such a conclusion. I had always believed that, if a person were born with some bent towards homosexuality, then this would mean that God had created this person with this particular bent. And I was convinced that this couldn’t possibly be true, because if it were, I wouldn’t be able to juxtapose this with my understanding of God.

So what happened 5 years ago to change my opinion on this? Well, I suppose the best way to describe my 180 degree turn is to attribute my current stance on this nature/nurture debate to a fuller understanding of God and a fuller understanding of sin. I’m not naïve. I imagine there are some folks reading this (from the pro “nature” crowd) that applaud my changed view on this, and applaud my ability to embrace a fuller understanding of God, but cringe at the fact that my changed view is equally the result of a fuller understanding of sin. I also realize that there are some who may be reading this (from the pro “nurture” crowd) that abhor my changed view on this matter. This bunch would most likely commend me for embracing a fuller understanding of sin, but would probably accuse me of embracing an inaccurate understanding of God.

Just because I believe that a person might be born with a bent towards a gay sexual orientation, it doesn’t mean that I don’t still consider homosexuality a sin. I believe the Bible makes it clear that homosexuality is sin. I also believe the Bible considers drunkenness to be a sin. And as someone who has had first-hand knowledge and experience with alcoholism, I have to ask myself the question: When God created me, did He create me with a bent towards the sin of drunkenness? And if He did, is it unfair that God would create me in such a way that my reaction to drinking alcohol could rarely be controlled? I believe these are legitimate questions, and I think they’re applicable as it relates to the entire nature/nurture discussion concerning homosexuality.

What really changed my opinion on this whole nature versus nurture thing was my conclusion that we are all born with individual “bents” or “leanings” toward sin. Don’t some people wrestle more than others when it comes to resisting the urge to steal? Or how about adultery? While some people may be captives to some sins, to a higher degree than the average person, we don’t hear them running around claiming that they were born to be a thief, or that they were born with some “adultery” gene. But at the same time, it seems undeniable that some people wrestle with issues at a level that others do not.
However, just because we, as human beings, may have been created with a predisposition to something, this doesn’t give us a license to act upon it. And this is especially true if we are a God follower; because God’s word does not change. I believe God’s grace is sufficient enough to help every single one of us overcome and deal with any individual innate predispositions we may have—be it alcoholism, homosexuality, or anything else. And I realize that there is a temptation to believe that our individual situation is unique, and that nobody else is wrestling with the urges or impulses that haunt us, but I do not believe this to be true. One of Satan’s greatest tricks is to convince us that we’re the only person on the block who deals with “such and such” to the degree that we are dealing with it. This is just a lie from hell.

So, if I’m correct, and homosexuality is a predisposition that a person is born with, then what should be the church’s response to the homosexual who seeks a relationship with God and with a community of believers? Quite simply, we just need to love a person in this situation. I know we sometimes confuse love and compassion with the convoluted notion that to love a person who is engaged in wrongful behavior is to somehow condone the behavior itself. But again, this is a lie from the pit of hell. I’m not saying that this isn’t sometimes a difficult road to navigate, because it often is. However, we should never underestimate the power of love! Some may ask: How does just loving someone help to bring them through deep-seated patterns of sin? While I may not be able to explain how this happens, I know that it does. Operating in God's love gives us the wisdom and the ability to speak the truth and inspire others in ways that defy the world's understanding. God’s love working through us is the most powerful force on the face of this earth.