About homosexuality

Sexuality is an existential aspect of life. Human life requires a male and a female to reproduce. Mixing up the two sexes is suboptimal or confusing. Evolution is based on repressing the suboptimal in order to select the most appropriate. Homophobia, the fear of homosexuality, is built into our social behaviour in the same way as we love our children or care for our friends. This is why human civilizations naturally condemn homosexuality.

Some parts of our Holy Scriptures reflect that fear of homosexuality. Which is understandable given the fact that these texts have been written long time ago, while scientific understanding of homosexuality started only some generations ago.

Christianity is actually the first religion that calls us to overcome homophobia. The 2nd Vatican concile stated, in 1960, that having same-sex attractions as such is not considered sinful. It is true that this revolutionary statement is still hidden under thick layers of traditional dust (CIC 2357-2359). This dust is there because many people are not ready for this change. There is still a lot of education work to do world-wide.

Grown up in a region where homosexual people were fully accepted members of society, I was deeply surprised when I discovered that there are still Christians in the 21st century who believe that homosexuality is a sin. How can you believe in the Gospel and at the same time fear homosexuality? Nowadays all experts agree that homosexuality is a condition that you don’t choose, it is not contagious and doesn’t hurt (except indirectly because of homophobia). So how can it be a sin?

I really wonder how such an absurdity is still possible in the 21st century. My current theory is twofold:

(a) Some LGBTQ activists are asking too much. They want to get homosexuality considered as “a natural and normal variation in human sexuality”. They forget that differentiating between male and female is an existential aspect of life.

(b) Some Christians misunderstand the Bible as a cookbook and as a divine command to repress homosexuality. They read Leviticus 20:13, Leviticus 18:22, 1 Corintians 6:9-11, Judges 19:16-24, 1 Kings 14:24, 1 Kings 15:12, 2 Kings 23:7, Romans 1:18-32, 1 Timothy 1:8-10, Jude 7 but forget that the Bible also says not to cut your hair (Leviticus), not to eat pork, that women must not teach (1 Timothy 2:12), or that Jonathan’s love for David surpasses the love of women (2 Sam 1:26).

My suggestions:

  • Can we agree to say that homosexual people should not feel ashamed

  • Can we agree to say that homosexuality is a simple disorder, that homosexual people are extraordinary?