GAY TRUTH

A newly published study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found a strong correlation between transgender ideology and societal and political violence. Titled “ Where the Clinic Meets the Movement: Does Gender Ideology Arm Left-Wing Authoritarian (LWA) Psychology? , ” the study, which surveyed 1,208 U.S. adults, determined that LWA was “positively associated with the justification of political violence across six targets: killing Charlie Kirk, killing Donald Trump, killing Brian Thompson, arson of ICE buildings, damaging wealthy people’s property, and violence against police.” The authors of the report ultimately concluded that “gender ideology may function as an ideological accelerant, telling left-wing authoritarian psychology who the enemy is, why the situation is urgent, and—in those already disposed toward force—that violence is legitimate.” “Left-wing authoritarianism describes a psychological profile characterised by aggression toward perceive...

One way to resolve sexual identity conflicts is to affirm a gay identity as central to who one is as a person. This is historically atypical, but it is common in contemporary culture. One gay historian identifies four forms of homosexuality across cultures and throughout history.59  The first is age-structured homosexuality. This is seen, for example, in age-related initiation ceremonies in some societies in New Guinea.  The second form is gender-reversed homosexuality. An example of this might be the North American Indian berdache (sometimes referred to as “two spirit”, suggesting both a masculine and feminine spirit reside in the individual).  The third form of homosexuality across cultures is role-specialised homosexuality. According to Herdt, an example of this can be found in the Chukchee shaman whose vision quests direct him to engage in same-sex behaviour for a time.  The fourth and final form of homosexuality can be seen in the modern gay movement.  Wha...

MOVE FROM HOMOSEXUAL TO HETEROSEXUAL ORIENTATION Christians have often countered Trajectory 1 with what we can refer to as Trajectory 2, which moves the person from a homosexual orientation (the basis of a gay identity) toward a heterosexual orientation (the basis of a heterosexual identity).  From a Christian perspective, what are we to make of attempts to change sexual orientation? Understandably, a person would consider attempting to change since Christians view heterosexuality as normative. At the same time, the assertion that heterosexuality is normative is no guarantee that sexual orientation can change. As we parse out these different trajectories, I want to explore how they might respond to a key verse from Scripture that is often cited in these discussions: 1 Corinthians 6:11.  After Paul lists several sinful behaviours, he declares, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ a...

MOVE AWAY FROM GAY IDENTITY It helps a person think about who they are and how they think of themselves and communicate who they are to others rather than limiting the discussion to arousal patterns and measures of sexual attraction. It is interesting to think about what some Christians have said about their change of orientation experience. In our study of ninety-eight people attempting to change orientation through involvement in a Christian ministry, we asked, “How helpful has the ministry been so far?” Here are a few responses: • It “made my walk with Christ closer.” • ‌“It was very helpful to increase my relationship with God, making it closer.” • It got “my hands on materials that are helpful to read.” • ‌“I need that intermediate place between church, between the rest of the world to be able to be honest … to have somewhere to be real.” • ‌“They’ve helped me to find myself.” Note that the areas of help have a lot to do with spiritual themes, such as walking closer with the Lord...

I do not want to suggest that Christians who experience same-sex attraction cannot experience some reduction in it over time, as that has been reported by some who have had that as their goal.  Some find that they can marry heterosexually.84  However, the church would do well to expand the vision of the Christian who is navigating sexual identity issues beyond the expectation of complete heterosexuality or the expectation of heterosexual marriage, even if a modest number of believers do experience a more significant shift.  Many others will not experience the same degree of shift, and a Christian’s measure of spiritual depth and maturity does not hinge on the eradication of same-sex attraction or an increase in attraction to the opposite sex.  If a believer does not experience heterosexuality or a significant reduction in homosexual attractions, he or she has much to experience in the life of the church and in a personal walk with God.  For all believers, single...

The topic of a Christian understanding of homosexuality and a Christian and pastoral response to homosexuality is related in some ways to a Christian view of singleness.  There is a need, particularly among Protestant Christians, to revisit our view of singleness and how we communicate what we value in the local church.  If most of our programming is geared toward marriages and families in ways that communicate a devaluing of the single state, we will (perhaps unintentionally) convey to the person who contends with same-sex attractions that they must attain heterosexuality to find a spiritual home in the body of Christ. Recent scholarship on a Christian understanding of singleness suggests that marriage alone cannot convey all that there is to know and experience of God’s nature. Lisa McMinn illustrates this well: The fullness of God’s nature cannot be captured in one human who bears God’s image, in marriage as a model of God’s love for the Church, or in one of Christianity’s...