Think gay sex is wrong? Then you’re not right in the head, claim scientists
The Supreme Court narrowly redefined marriage and
handed the gay-rights movement a major victory: full “equality” and recognition
by the government. With that box checked, the gay-rights movement can now focus
on its ultimate goal: silencing those who disagree.
One new and troubling strategy has emerged from the scientific
community. Instead of vilifying those who believe in natural marriage, suggest
some researchers, we should diagnose them.
It’s an ironic reversal. Years ago, homosexuality was listed in
the American Psychiatric Association’s manual of disorders. But in 1986 it was
removed, followed by a concerted push from Association members to normalize
homosexual behavior.
In just thirty years, America went from a country where
homosexuality was a diagnosable disorder to one where you can be fined for
refusing to bake a gay “wedding” cake. Now things are going a step further. New
research published in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” suggests that homophobia, not
homosexuality, is the psychological disorder.
“Live Science” reports that researchers at the University of
Rome Tor Vergata asked 560 university students to report their feelings about
homosexuality, then gave them a standard psychiatric evaluation.
Participants who exhibited what the researchers called “healthy
attachment styles” tended to show less animosity toward homosexuals. They also
showed more “mature coping mechanisms” in “scary or unpleasant situations,” and
were generally less angry. But those who showed the highest animosity toward
homosexuals exhibited a host of warning signs like inability to trust others,
passive-aggressive behavior, and denial.
Lead researcher Emmanuele Jannini concluded, “After discussing
for centuries if homosexuality is to be considered a disease, for the first
time we demonstrated that the real disease to be cured is homophobia.”
Well, this was red meat for progressive websites and news
outlets, who gladly trumpeted the results.
I can’t help but think of C. S. Lewis’ chilling and prophetic
essay, “The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment.” Lewis believed that persecution
in the future would look less like jack-booted thuggery, and more like therapy:
“…certain schools of psychology already regard religion as a neurosis,” he
wrote. “When this particular neurosis becomes inconvenient to the government,
what is to hinder the government from proceeding to ‘cure’ it,” with mandatory
re-education or other forms of treatment?
Jannini’s willingness to label homophobia as “the real disease
to be cured” shows just how quickly we’re moving down this path. But we can
respond: First, there are a lot of problems with how this study is being
analyzed, even by its authors. For example, should it surprise us that those
who show animosity toward people in general also show animosity toward gay people? Bad psychological
traits probably don’t discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
Secondly, and more importantly, a “phobia” is “an irrational and
debilitating fear” of something, and Christians don’t feel this way about those
who identify as gay, or they certainly shouldn’t. Ours is a rational stance
based on human flourishing and God’s created order, not “irrational animus.”
It’s entirely possible to object to sin, refuse to dignify it, and still love
those caught up in it. In fact, that’s what Jesus commanded us to do.
So no, we don’t need a checkup from the neck up for believing
what Christians have always believed. And no matter how crazy it sounds to some
folks, we have got to point out the true disease, and the only cure.
Reprinted with permission from Break
Point.
