Gay Rights or Wrongs?

President Obama is so wrong. His enthusiastic support of legislation legalizing same-sex marriage is born out of his mistaken idea that this is a civil rights issue. In other words, it's not about sex, or morals, or even family values… it's about protecting an abused minority and as the first African American President, this natural reflex is understandable. This being said, however, he is still terribly wrong.

Homosexuality is wrong in so many ways that one has trouble knowing where to begin. It's wrong socially because it violates the universal and primal purpose of human sexuality which is the procreation and nurturing of children. This reason alone should be enough to refuse it marital status. The simple fact that two men or women cannot inherently and naturally produce a child is the basic reason that should deny them the status initially created and promoted to protect this act and the family that comes from it.

Homosexuality is wrong socially because it engenders basic anti-person and social problems. What the Gay lobby doesn't publicize is that their group has the highest incidence of depression, drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, mortality, and suicide rates than any comparable heterosexual group. Of the less than three percent of the American population that is actively and openly Gay, only a tiny fraction is interested in permanent union. However, those who want to marry legally have received an enormous amount of publicity. The rest are using this debate as a method of legitimizing an unhealthy lifestyle that ultimately creates a burden on our social services and families who must deal with the negative effects of their choices and the de-stabilization of our way of life.

Homosexuality is wrong morally and spiritually. Every major religion condemns same sex activity. What is interesting is that even pagan nations of old (i.e. Assyrians) had specific prohibitions against it. As Christians we read in both the Old and New Testaments the clear condemnation of this sin. Leviticus 18:22 refers to it as, "… detestable;" Romans 1:26-27 calls it, "… unnatural… indecent;" Paul the Apostle says that those who practice this will not inherit the kingdom and are doing ungodly and unholy things – I Corinthians 6:9-10; I Timothy 1:10.

Many religious leaders and teachers are changing their once held biblical views on homosexuality but can only do so by twisting clear passages to say what they don't say (i.e. Paul condemned homosexual prostitution, not sex between two consenting males), or they deny that the Scriptures are inspired (i.e. Paul was writing from cultural prejudice against homosexuality). You can justify and approve of homosexuality and same-sex marriage but you can't do it using the Bible as your inspired support or justification. When religious leaders do this, they are on their own.

Homosexuality is wrong politically. This is where Mr. Obama rests his case but the case for same-sex marriage is weakest when it is supported by the argument of "minority rights." The Gay lobby's argument (and one appropriated by misinformed politicians) goes something like this: homosexuality is genetically based and therefore the sexual orientation resulting from it unavoidable. This would then mean that homosexuals constitute a unique minority. This minority group therefore should have equal rights and special protection under the law.

The "minority" strategy sees Gays aligning themselves with legitimate minority groups such as African Americans and handicap organizations, etc. The argument becomes, "You wouldn't discriminate against people with handicaps therefore you shouldn't discriminate against us." The problem here is that homosexuals do not meet the threshold of minority status as it has been recognized by various courts and human rights authorities in deciding minority status cases in the past.

There are several criteria that traditionally have been used to decide minority status and homosexuals don't meet the standard for any of these. For example: those applying for minority status must prove that they exhibit immutable or distinguishing characteristics like race, color, gender, national origin that define them as a distinct group.

The scientific argument that homosexuality has a genetic basis has not been proven. As a matter of fact all the serious research for the last fifty years overwhelmingly concludes that the causes of homosexual behavior is a result of many family and environmental factors that create a tendency towards this behavior. In other words, homosexual behavior is still a choice motivated by conditioning, not a specific genetic disposition like eye color or gender, or even disease.

Another condition for granting minority status is a proven history of political powerlessness. Homosexuals and lesbians number less than 3% of the population (Chicago Hope Study, 1997; U.S. Census, 2010) and yet have parlayed the same-sex marriage issue into a national debate with the generous support of a sympathetic media and gullible politicians. This is not the result of a politically powerless group. Mr. Obama's efforts on their behalf as a defender of an oppressed minority are admirable but sadly misinformed and plainly wrong.

I hope that the grass roots movement against this foolish and immoral legislation will gain strength so that the American people will speak out against it. I hope that we in the churches of Christ will not stand by silently as ungodly laws are forced upon us and cause the accelerated decay of our national moral fabric. Once homosexual marriage is widely recognized, there will be no reason to prohibit adoption, daycare, ministry and any number of key social functions for them to exploit in their effort to make homosexuality a normal, legitimate, acceptable lifestyle that cannot be challenged in any way whether it be legally or morally. When that day comes, what I am writing and saying will be a crime and you will be liable for reading it or sharing it.