homosexuality and the Bible

If your maternal uncle was gay, statistics show that there's a way-better-than-even chance you will be, too, if you're male. That's a pretty convincing indicator that there's a gene that provides an influence towards homosexuality on the X chromosome.I mean, if it wasn't biological, why would people be gay? There's still a significant amount of intolerance and invective delivered their way in our society. If it's just a sex thing, why bother?

Mr Jack, Identical twins who are separated at birth, where one is gay, the other displays a higher than average chance of being gay, too, indicating a genetic component.Mark------------------
"I can't prove creationism, but they can't prove evolution. It is [also] a religion, so it should not be taught....Christians took over the school board and voted in creationism. That can be done in any school district anywhere, and it ought to be done." Says Kent "consistent" Hovind in "Unmasking the False Religion of Evolution Chapter 6."[This message has been edited by mark24, 08-19-2003]

I am not A Christian, please check who you are replying to more carefully. edit: ah, I see you spotted that one.A genetic component to sexual preference and a 'gay gene' are very different ideas. I would be astonished if there wasn't a genetic component to sexual preference; I would be equally amazed if there was a gene that made you gay. The selective pressure against a 'gay gene' would be huge.Edit again: In any case this is drifting rather off topic, I think if you wish to discuss this further we should take it to a new topic. Yes?[This message has been edited by Mr Jack, 08-19-2003]

Hum Biol. 1998 Apr;70(2):347-65. Related Articles, LinksHuman sexual orientation has a heritable component.Pillard RC, Bailey JM.Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, MA 02118, USA.We present an overview of behavioral genetics research on homosexual and heterosexual orientation. Family, twin, and adoptee studies indicate that homosexuality and thus heterosexuality run in families. Sibling, twin, and adoptee concordance rates are compatible with the hypothesis that genes account for at least half of the variance in sexual orientation. We note observations of homosexual behavior in animal species, but the analogy to human sexual orientation is unclear. We discuss the reproductive disadvantage of a homosexual orientation and present possible mechanisms that could maintain a balanced polymorphism in human populations.andScience. 1993 Jul 16;261(5119):321-7. Related Articles, LinksComment in:
Science. 1993 Jul 16;261(5119):291-2.
Science. 1993 Sep 3;261(5126):1257; discussion 1259.
Science. 1993 Sep 3;261(5126):1258-9.A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation.Hamer DH, Hu S, Magnuson VL, Hu N, Pattatucci AM.Laboratory of Biochemistry, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.The role of genetics in male sexual orientation was investigated by pedigree and linkage analyses on 114 families of homosexual men. Increased rates of same-sex orientation were found in the maternal uncles and male cousins of these subjects, but not in their fathers or paternal relatives, suggesting the possibility of sex-linked transmission in a portion of the population. DNA linkage analysis of a selected group of 40 families in which there were two gay brothers and no indication of nonmaternal transmission revealed a correlation between homosexual orientation and the inheritance of polymorphic markers on the X chromosome in approximately 64 percent of the sib-pairs tested. The linkage to markers on Xq28, the subtelomeric region of the long arm of the sex chromosome, had a multipoint lod score of 4.0 (P = 10(-5), indicating a statistical confidence level of more than 99 percent that at least one subtype of male sexual orientation is genetically influenced.The Science paper fell a bit out of favor as the results could not be reproduced.The genetics of homosexuality will be like all other behavioral traits...quantitative and not dependent on a single gene.

Not really. It's the same as any genetically influenced behavior. You can inhereit a gene for alcoholism. But you can't be an alcoholic without alcohol, so the gene doesn't "automatically" make you an alcoholic.Likewise you're not gay unless you're having (or intend to have) gay sex. A gene can't get you laid, after all. But a gene can be a big factor in who you want to have sex with, just as a gene can be a big factor in how much, and under what circumstances, you drink.

Hi Guys,We have drifted off topic a bit, although you could argue that the discussion is about God making his creation complete with a gay gene, Truthlover specifically named his thread 'Homosexuality AND the Bible.The disucssion is very interesting and one that I think deserves a thread of its own, if one of you could start it off I would appreciate it.I feel that a lot of people will be clicking on this thread and be disappointed that in a thread with over 20 posts in it, only about 4 or 5 actually are directly related to the topic title.Thanks!

Hi All,How does this fit in with the research showing a maternal hormonal basis in the varying degrees of sexuality?Has anyone here read Brain Sex by Anne Moir and David Jessel?------------------
Asgara "An unexamined life is not worth living" Socrates via Plato

Well, until Rrhain comes around, is there anyone to address Truthlover's points?I suspect we'll be back on topic before long.

Hi Crash,Yes I agree, but I think that the scientific side of this debate is very interesting and deserves a thread of its own. I think that the posts so far that discuss the scientific side of things will no doubt lead to a more detailed discussion and that a separate thread would make easier reading.Cheers!

Psalms 51:5Behold, I was shapened in iniquity; and in sin did my mother
conceive me.Job 14:4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclea? not one.John 3:6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit.Romans 5:12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by
sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all have sinned.

So, it looks like you agree - gay sex isn't any worse in God's eyes than straight sex.Why all the flap about a gay bishop, I wonder?

You will reap what you sow...

That's hardly loving and charitable. Not much of a Christian, are you?So, are you here to debate, or to threaten?

The same could be asked of you. I accept hard love.
Even a child may get spanked by a loving parent.
An indifferent parent could care less...

Sure, but don't you find it the height of arrogance to assume a parental role in terms of my spiritual health? I sure do. Who made you the expert on what I should believe?As for parental indifference you can look to your God for that, I think. For your own part you might seek a little Christ-like humility.