(WARNING: Article may not be suitable for young readers. reader discretion is advised.)
I recently sat on a discussion panel in a Graduate-Level Counseling/Psychology class at the local university. The night's topic was in regard to homosexuality. My two co-panelists included a conservative Baptist preacher and a Gay male. When I introduced myself to the class, I made it clear that, although I consider homosexuality a sin, according to Scripture, it is only one of many sins which include heterosexual sex outside of marriage, lying, stealing, pride, etc. As with all other sins, I added, there are consequences - not punishment - but negative responses for our own poor choices. I stated that God created sex but He did so within bounds.
During that discussion, "Pat" admitted that his main concern was not whether or not he was sinning, or whether or not his union with his current lover was accepted by God or the Church. No, his main concern, he said, was financial. Let's face it, when two people, gay or straight, share their lives together, and one of them dies, the survivor generally has a very tough time maintaining the lifestyle they had created as a pair. Part of me wants to say, "Gee, you're right! That's not fair!" Deep in my spirit, I realized, "There are consequences for every sin, Pat."
As the Gay agenda grows increasingly hostile toward traditional values, Christians MUST understand why that agenda should not be validated by the public policies of our nation. The liberal media would have us believe that homosexuality is everywhere and they call us "homophobic" if we won't accept Gays as a legitimate minority in our country (how an individual's unnatural sex acts are supposed to get them recognized as a minority along with Blacks and Hispanics is beyond me).
GAYS IN OUR MIDST
For years, the Gay-rights movement has sought safety in numbers, its leaders claiming that homosexuals make up 10% of the U.S. population. They cited the Kinsey Report, interviews with thousands of men and women for studies on human sexuality in the 1940s and 50s (Researchers into Alfred Kinsey's methods, which supposedly catalogued normal sexuality, noted that the ranks of his test subjects were filled with many sexual deviants, prostitutes and child molesters. Criminals provided as high as 1/3 of his subjects but Kinsey entered them into his database as "normal" individuals. His manipulation even extended to his choice of staff, young men and women, who were required, prior to coming on board, to provide detailed sexual histories. Another requirement was that they be filmed in explicit sexual movies, supposedly for research, shot in Kinsey's attic. Kinsey's research included observation of child sexuality, the manual and oral stimulation of children, and the timing of child orgasms with stopwatches. Part of his collection of sex films included films of children in sex acts and adult-with-child sex. The Kinsey Report claims at least '317?pre-adolescents' were sexually experimented upon by 'older adults,' and confirmation of at least 2,035 child experimental subjects were later admitted in 1980 by [assistants] Gebhard and Pomeroy as reported in Ethical Issues in Sex Therapy?.
Why was this man not arrested? At any rate, Gay activists took hold of the 10% estimate to strengthen their political message–that millions of citizens are excluded from the mainstream by anti-Gay discrimination. Policymakers and the liberal press adopted the estimate–despite protests from skeptical conservatives–citing the 10% figure time and again.
New York Times 4/16/93: "Gay leaders have contended that the number of Gay and lesbian Americans was around 10 %, a figure that many of them suspected to be inflated. But they repeated the number often, they said, as a way of encouraging the nation’s large population of closeted homosexuals to be open about their sexual identity."
Newsweek, 2/15/93: "Some Gay activists now concede that they exploited the Kinsey estimate for its tactical value, not its accuracy. ‘We used that figure when most gay people were entirely hidden to try to create an impression of our numerousness,?says Tom Stoddard, former head of the Lambda Legal Defense Fund."
Truth is, overall, certainly less than 3% of Americans, probably around 2-3% Male, 2% Female, are homosexual or bisexual, according to the best studies available. Admissions from the New York Times on 4/16/93 include: A) First, a belated report on Presidential exit poll results the Times had previously "buried," showing only 3% Male and 2% Female homosexuals: "In fact, one survey analyzing the Presidential vote found that 3 percent of men and 2% of women said they were gay, lesbian, or bisexual. B) The Times also quoted a marketer to the homosexual community: "Sean Strub, who runs a marketing firm in Manhattan that keeps mailing lists of homosexuals for sale to advertisers and politicians, estimated the size of the country’s Gay population at 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent."
Following are some statistics - some taken from Gay publications - that reveal something quite different than what the American media and entertainment industries are preaching. (SOURCE: These statistics were gathered from the "Center for Reclaiming America" website. Emphasis on certain phrases in BOLD are mine.) I believe this information will dispel the myths that we're being programmed to believe about the Gay lifestyle. Jesus said when we know the truth, that truth will set us free. Is this the truth about this subject? You decide:
SAME SEX UNIONS WILL DESTROY TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE
FACT: Dutch study found average Gay union lasts 1-1/2 years, and Gay participants average 8 additional partners outside these relationships (each year). (SOURCE: Amy Fagan, “Study Finds Gay Unions Brief,?The Washington Times, July 11, 2003.)http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030711-121254-3711r.htm
FACT: July 2000, Vermont legalizes same-sex civil unions. 3 yrs later, U of Vermont conducted poll of state's Gay men. When asked whether sex outside marriage was immoral, only 34% of these, who claimed to be in committed relationships, found anything wrong with extramarital sex.(SOURCE: Amy Fagan, “Study Finds Gay Unions Brief,?The Washington Times, July 11, 2003.)http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030711-121254-3711r.htm
FACT: 2003-2004 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census surveyed lifestyles of 7,862 Gays. Of those involved in a “current relationship,?only 15% describe current relationship as having lasted 12 yrs or longer, with only 5% lasting over 20 yrs.(SOURCE: "Largest Gay Study Examines 2004 Relationships," GayWire Latest Breaking Releases, www.glcensus.org.)http://glcensus.org/press/02052004.html
GAY LIFESTYLE BREEDS PROMISCUITY
FACT: Canadian study of Gay men who had been in committed relationships lasting more than a year found only 25% as being monogamous. Study author Barry Adam: “Gay culture allows men to explore different...forms of relationships besides the monogamy coveted by heterosexuals.?(SOURCE: Ryan Lee, “Gay Couples Likely to Try Non-monogamy, Study Shows,?Washington Blade, a Gay publication, August 22, 2003.) http://www.washblade.com/2003/8-22/news/national/nonmonog.cfm
FACT: The Advocate, leading periodical within Gay community, released results of survey taken Aug 1994: 57% of Gay men have had sex with more than 30 partners. Survey also revealed 48% of homosexuals had participated in a “three-way?during previous 5-year period.(SOURCE: “The Advocate Sex Poll,?The Advocate, August 1994.)
FACT: Study published in Washington Blade (a Gay newspaper): “The median number of lifetime male sexual partners was significantly greater for women who have sex with women than controls.?Study suggested lesbians or bisexual women average 12 male sexual partners during respective lifetimes, while average heterosexual woman will have “only?six male sexual partners. Research severely impairs claim that people cannot help but be Gay. In fact, lesbians are more heterosexual than heterosexuals. (SOURCE: “Sexually Transmitted Infections and Risk Behaviors in Women Who Have Sex with Women,?Sexually Transmitted Infections, July 2000.)
FACT: Study, released at july 2003 National HIV Prevention Conference, found 39% of “Gay?and bisexual men admitted they had met partners over Internet and engaged in unprotected sex, according to USA Today. Dangerous, sinful AND stupid!(SOURCE: "Sexual Suicide: The Rebellion of Homosexuality Causes Untold Suffering,?Agape Press, September 29, 2003.)http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/9/292003b.asp
GAY LIFESTYLE INCREASES RATE OF STDs
FACT: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported number of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses rose 11 percent among Gay and bisexual men between 2000 and 2003. Reuters News Service echoed these concerns: "Since the late 1990s... the disease has shown signs of a comeback, particularly among gay and bisexual men." (SOURCE: "HIV, AIDS Cases Rise Among U.S. Gay, Bisexual Men," Reuters News Service, December 1, 2004.)http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=6969460
FACT: According to Journal of Clinical Pathology, homosexuals 3.7 times more likely to be infected with gonorrhea than heterosexuals. According to their findings, 15.2% of homosexuals suffer pharyngeal (throat) gonorrhea.(SOURCE: “Value of Screening for Oropharyngeal Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection,?Journal of Clinical Pathology, 1995, p. 658.)
FACT: Centers for Disease Control reports men who have sex with men at a dramatically increased risk to contract Hepatitis B. (Source: “Viral Hepatitis B: Frequently Asked Questions,?National Center for Infectious Diseases,?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, September 29, 2000.) http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/faqb
FACT: The Advocate magazine: "Syphilis cases rose in 2003 for the third consecutive year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gay men made up 60% of syphilis cases, compared with 5% in 1999. HIV diagnoses increased 17% among gay and bisexual men in 29 states between 1999 and 2002."(SOURCE: Todd Henneman, "Scared of Sex," The Advocate, August 17, 2004.) http://www.advocate.com/html/stories/920/920_scared.asp
GAY LIFESTYLE LEADS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
FACT: Study published in Archives of General Psychiatry, followed 1,007 individuals from birth. Revealed those classifying themselves as Gay, lesbian, or bisexual faced a significantly higher likelihood of suicide. Another study published in same publication, scientists determined that twins engaged in Gay lifestyle are 6.5 times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexual counterparts. (SOURCE: “Is Sexual Orientation Related to Mental Health Problems and Suicidality in Young People??Archives of General Psychiatry #56, October 1999, pp. 876-884.)
FACT: Study published in the December 2003 British Journal of Psychiatry, Gay men significantly more likely to suffer from mental disorders than heterosexual men, less likely to be involved in a steady relationship with one partner, more likely to have used drugs within the preceding 30 days, far more likely to abuse their partner, and more likely to inflict harm upon themselves. Same was true for comparisons between heterosexual women and lesbians.(SOURCE: M. King, E. McKeown, J. Warner, A. Ramsay, K. Johnson, C. Cort, L. Wright, R. Blizard, and O. Davidson, “Mental Health and Quality of Life of Gay Men and Lesbians in England and Wales,?British Journal of Psychiatry (December 2003), pp. 183, 552-558.)
FACT: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology conducted national survey of 2,000 lesbian women. Results: 75% had pursued psychological counseling at one point. Eighteen percent had previously attempted suicide. (SOURCE: “National Lesbian Health Care Survey: Implications for Mental Health Care,?Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology #62, 1994, p. 239.)
FACT: Lesbian, Gay male, and bisexual youths more often associated with school problems, running away, substance abuse, prostitution, and suicide. (SOURCE: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 62(2), pp. 261-269.)
FACT: 1998 issue American Journal of Public Health reported: “a greater-than-seven-fold increase?of suicide attempts among Gay and bisexual males. (Source: "The Relationship Between Suicide Risk and Sexual Orientation: Results of a Population-Based Study,?American Journal of Public Health, 1998.)
GAY LIFESTYLE INCREASES DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE
FACT: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychologists reported: “lesbian?women face higher rates of alcohol abuse. 19.4% of lesbian women engaged in “binge drinking?(compared with 11.7% of heterosexual women). 7% of lesbians considered “heavy drinkers?as opposed to only 2.7% of heterosexual women. (SOURCE: “Study: Alcohol Use More Prevalent for Lesbians,?The Washington Blade, a Gay publication, January 12, 2001, p. 21.)
FACT: Study published by Nursing Research found lesbian women 3 times more likely to abuse alcohol and suffer addictions to other chemical substances.(SOURCE: “Sexually Transmitted Infections and Risk Behaviors in Women Who Have Sex with Women,?Sexually Transmitted Infections, July 2000.)
FACT: Study by Family Planning Perspective magazine: “Among men, by far the most important risk group consisted of homosexual and bisexual men, who were more than 9 times as likely as heterosexual men to have a history of problem drinking.?(SOURCE: Karen Paige Erickson and Karen F. Trocki, “Sex, Alcohol, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A National Survey,?Family Planning Perspectives #26, December 1994.)
GAY LIFESTYLE PRODUCES HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS
FACT: Survey of 1,099 lesbians, the Journal of Social Service Research: slightly more than half of lesbians reported abuse by female lover/partner. Researchers found "the most frequently indicated forms of abuse were verbal/emotional/psychological abuse and combined physical-psychological abuse. (SOURCE: Gwat Yong Lie and Sabrina Gentlewarrier, "Intimate Violence in Lesbian Relationships: Discussion of Survey Findings and Practice Implications," Journal of Social Service Research, 1991.
FACT: In their book, Men Who Beat the Men Who Love Them, authors report, “The incidence of domestic violence among gay men is nearly double that in the heterosexual population.?(SOURCE: David Island and Patrick Letellier, Men Who Beat the Men Who Love Them: Battered Gay Men and Domestic Violence, New York: Hayworth Press, 1991, p. 14.)
GAY LIFESTYLE IS DEADLY
FACT: Study published in International Journal of Epidemiology revealed 20-year-old Gay and bisexual men in a Canadian metropolis face life expectancy 8-20 years less than that of heterosexual men in same environment. Report concluded Gay and bisexual men now face life expectancy rate similar to rates experienced by all Canadian men in 1871. (SOURCE: “Modeling the Impact of HIV Disease on Mortality in Gay and Bisexual Men,?International Journal of Epidemiology #26, 1997.)
FACT: Researchers from U of California at San Francisco found 36% of HIV-positive Gay and bisexual men engaging in unprotected oral, anal, or vaginal sex failed to disclose they were HIV positive to casual sex partners.(SOURCE: Jon Garbo, “Gay and Bi Men Less Likely to Disclose They Have HIV,?Gay Health News, July 18, 2000.)http://www.gayhealth.com/templates/0/news?record=136
FACT: Centers for Disease Control, 65 percent of all AIDS cases reported since 1981 involve men, who have engaged in sexual relations with other men. (SOURCE: “HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report,?The Centers for Disease Control, Volume 9, No. 2, May 1998.)
FACT: Centers for Disease Control reports Gay men currently comprise largest demographic of AIDS patients in the United States. As of December 1999, more than 600,000 homosexual men were infected with AIDS.(SOURCE: “HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report,?The Centers for Disease Control, Volume 9, No. 2, May 1998.)
FACT: Reporting in the American Journal of Epidemiology, Dr. Donald R. Hoover said that a 20-year-old homosexual man, by time he reaches age 55, has 50% chance of becoming infected with HIV.Fathers Are Still Needed Within the Family
FACT: USA Today: “Women have formed civil unions more frequently than men by a 2-1 margin.?These civil unions, often used to form foundation of the family, further perpetuate the fallacy that father’s role is non-essential to the family. (SOURCE: “Vermont’s gay civil unions mostly affairs of the heart,?USA Today, January 6, 2004.)
FACT: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services issued this statement: “Fatherless children are at dramatically greater risk of suicide.?The website adds that a father’s presence in the home contributes directly to better school performance, reduced substance abuse, less crime and delinquency, fewer emotional and other behavioral problems, less risk of abuse or neglect, and lower risk of teen suicide.
FACT: Children’s Trust Fund Fatherhood Initiative: 72% of adolescent murderers grew up with no father at home. (SOURCE: Cornell, D., “Characteristics of adolescents charged with homicide: Behavioral sciences and the law,?5, 11-23, 1987.)
FACT: 1995 Annie E. Casey Foundation study: girls raised in fatherless homes more than 3 times as likely to become unwed teen mothers. (SOURCE: Annie E. Casey Foundation, “Kids Count Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-Being,?1995.)
FACT: 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. (SOURCE: National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools.)
HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT GENETIC! PEOPLE DO HAVE A CHOICE!
FACT: Christian ministries ARE enormously successful in helping people abandon the Gay lifestyle. Exodus International, an interdenominational organization, has 135 ministries in 17 different countries. This ministry reports, “Real change is indeed possible. Studies suggesting change rates in the range of 30-50% [of those inquiring about change] are not unusual.?(SOURCE: Exodus International, "What's your 'success rate' in changing gays into straights?", 2004.) http://www.exodus-international.org/exodus_faqs_success.shtml
FACT: Robert Spitzer, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, conducted study based on interviews with 143 men and 57 women who abandoned Gay lifestyle. Each of these, through religious involvement or psychiatric counseling, was able to successfully abandon the Gay lifestyle. Dr. Spitzer, largely responsible for having homosexuality removed from American Psychiatric Association’s list of mental disorders, now believes a person’s perceived sexual orientation is clinically treatable. (SOURCE: “From Gay to Straight? Study: Sexual Orientation Can Be Changed,?ABC News, May 9, 2001.)http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/sexualorientation010508.html
FACT: This is not a new development. The Bible testifies to this Truth. When Paul wrote to Church in Corinth nearly 2,000 years ago, he addressed the fact that some within the Church had, indeed, abandoned the homosexual lifestyle:
1 Corinthians 6: 9-11Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
FACT: Identical twins have identical genes. If homosexuality were a biological condition produced inescapably by genes (e.g. eye color), then one twin's sexual orientation would always mirror sexual orientation of his identical twin. Yet, a 1995 study revealed opposite is true in vast majority of cases. (Source: N.M. Bailey, R.C. Pillard, “Genetics of Human Sexual Orientation,?Annual Review of Sex Research 6, 126-150, 1995.)
FACT: In 2000, scientists conducted similar study of more than 5,000 sets of identical twins in Australia. In overwhelming majority of instances when one of twins was considered homosexual, corresponding "identical" twin was heterosexual.(Source: "Origin of Homosexuality Unresolved Despite Study," The Washington Times, November 28, 2004.)http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041128-121135-7392r.htm
FACT: A child’s genetics are comprised of contributions from his/her mother and father. If homosexuality is a genetic trait, then which heterosexual parent passed the trait on to the child?(Source: Common Sense)
FACT: A disproportionately high number of homosexuals were abused as children, leading many psychologists to believe that homosexuality is often caused by a psychological desire never to be vulnerable to men, who are usually the ones that abused them during early childhood. Among lesbian women, 37% admitted to being physically abused as a child or adult, 32% had been raped or sexually attacked during their lifetime, and 19% had been involved in incestuous relationships while growing up. These numbers are significantly higher than among straights. (SOURCE: “National Lesbian Health Care Survey,?Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 62(2), 228-42, 1994.)
THERE YOU HAVE IT.
The evidence is screaming that each of us, personally, come to a verdict. If anyone reading this now is considering CHOOSING to enter or remain in the Gay lifestyle - and the truth is that it IS a choice - you are doing so even though you've just been exposed to the truth. That's what it's all about: believing TRUTH or falling for the LIES our society presents to you. It's laughable to hear perspectives such as I heard the other night as Gay proponents try and weasel their ways around the verses of Scripture that condemn homosexuality, claiming that there are too many variations in the translations, that some refer only to temple prostitution, etc. Such denial, an obvious, futile search for loopholes.
Is homosexuality a sin? As I stated earlier, according to Scripture, I believe that it is. As I read Genesis 19:4-5; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; I Corinthians 6:9-10; I Timothy 1:9-10, it seems clear. Lest we forget, homosexuality is no worse a sin than hatred, gossip, doubt, unbelief, rage, rebellion and theft. My own sins are no worse and, as result of the Cross of Christ, are forgiven and forgotten forever. Just as deliverance is available for those who want to be free from any other addiction, I believe it's there for those who find themselves drawn to the Gay lifestyle. One just has to WANT to recognize the trap that the enemy has set for them and desire to be set free.
Because God's mercy is new every morning, we literally have no past every day! That's great news! The best news is that this forgiveness and mercy is available to ALL. Now THAT is the loving, hope-filled message that Christians should be sharing with those trapped in Gay lifestyles. Not to mention those trapped in adultery, substance abuse, unforgiveness or any other sin. Rather than pointing the unfeeling finger of accusation, we who are straight must ask ourselves if we qualify for throwing that first stone.
Scroll down and FORWARD this message. RATE it, too!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pastor Michael is founder of t.e.a.m. ministries (team1min@aol.com). His eMail broadcasts, known as "Your Town for Jesus" (SEARCH it!) are reaching tens of thousands WEEKLY. He ministers by way of email and Instant Message, too. Write him at team1min@aol.com if you'd like to SUBSCRIBE to receive his messages directly.
Michael's mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. Michael is the author of numerous booklets on a variey of subjects that will interest the thinking Christian. Since 1999, he has written and broadcast hundreds of inspirational articles and a dozen booklets, all designed to accelerate the process of spiritual development in God's people.