Does homosexual orientation fall within the same scope of biblical understanding as homosexual behavior?

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The Revisionist Answer

 The ancients, including writers of the Bible, knew nothing of homosexual orientation. Thus, even if Scripture condemns homosexual behavior, orientation cannot come under the Bible’s prohibition. The church should fully accept people who are born gay. At the least, homosexual thoughts arising from homosexual orientation are not sinful.

 The Biblical Answer

 Homosexual orientation was known in the generations in which Scripture was written. Paul gives no indication that it does not fall under his general condemnations of homosexuality in Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 1 Timothy. 

 Lustful homosexual thoughts are not as grave in consequence as are the acts, just as adulterous or murderous thoughts have fewer consequences than do the overt actions. 

 But the moral culpability for thoughts is the same as for deeds, as Jesus makes clear in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). Scripture certainly associates evil desires and thoughts with the evil deeds belonging to a Christian’s unregenerate past (Eph. 2:1–3). Christians are exhorted to think heavenly thoughts (Col. 3:1–4), right and pure thoughts (Phil. 4:8). We must “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5 NIV; pp. 158–62, 198–201, 268–73).

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