Part I
Within the last few months I’ve become aware of California Proposition 8, a proposal to amend the state constitution to place a ban gay marriage. This is not the first attempt of a state to ban gay marriage, and won’t be the last. Just today a similar judicial decision was handed down in Connecticut granting the right of homosexuals to marry, and there will undoubtedly be a backlash there too.
So why should I care? I don’t live in California or Connecticut. In the next few years this issue will affect all Americans no matter where we live. Gay rights and gay marriage are not going away.
For those of you that are LDS this issue is particularly relevant because of the LDS church’s active involvement in this political battle. You may know that in June the First Presidency of the Church issued a letter read to be read over the pulpit in all California congregations calling for members to “do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman.” The Church is the single largest financial contributor to this proposal and has donated over 5 million dollars to the cause so far. This is causing a dilemma for many LDS people, and has spawned many movements by active LDS members that disagree with the Church’s involvement in a political matter, especially when they are specifically asking members to vote a certain way and to donate their means and time to the cause.
Many are unsure of their personal stance on this issue and many others are against gay marriage but they may not have clear reasons for their position.
The importance of this issue requires us all to become informed so that we can make knowledgeable decisions about it. That is why I’m writing about this. I hope you will take the time to read and respond with your thoughts and opinions. If we disagree and have a different point of view I welcome your comments, and I will be respectful of your view. I want to share what I’ve found in my search for understanding, and have a discussion with the people in my life to better understand their position.
I’ve divided this topic into a series of posts because it gets complicated, and there is much to discuss within the context of this issue. I will post one segment at a time, leave time for comments and discussion before posting the next part.
I think one of the most important aspects of this issue is to determine whether homosexuality is a lifestyle choice made by some people, a product of a dysfunctional environment, or a biological condition that a small portion of our species is born with.
Nature vs. Nurture and Biology vs. Choice
Is homosexuality an inherently evil choice that deviant members of society are making, or are homosexuals born with an innate attraction to their own sex that is no more a conscious choice than the choice that heterosexuals make to be attracted to the opposite sex?
Since the LDS church is entangled in this issue let's see what the prominent scholars of the Church believe about whether homosexuality is a choice or not? According to BYU biology professor William Bradshaw it is no more a choice than whether you are right-handed or left-handed. You can read what his research shows here (it’s a quick read and really worthwhile): http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/49488
This is nothing new. The scientific/medical/psychological community as a whole has understood this for many years. There is no evidence whatsoever to show that homosexuals are born straight and then suddenly decide to become gay. Most homosexuals report that they had homosexual feelings from a very young age. Environmental factors have also been mostly ruled out; this is a biological matter just like the color of our hair and eyes. Homosexuality appears in similar proportions throughout the animal kingdom as it does in humans. Are the animals making an evil choice to be gay? There is so much evidence from all perspectives that homosexuality is a trait that people are born with that it really challenges the idea that choice has any part of it.
I’ve heard some say that it may not be a choice to be gay, but that it is a choice to be sexually active if you are gay. I try to put myself in the position of a gay LDS member. Here is my conceptualization of what it would be like from the perspective of a heterosexual man. I’m given two choices:
1. Marry a man even though I’m only attracted to women.
2. Live the rest of my life in celibacy, alone, never sharing intimacy with another human being.
Not very attractive options.
If the same moral rules against fornication and adultery apply to homosexuals, should we give them the option to marry so they can live that higher law and commitment to their partner too?
Thoughts, reactions?
Coming up next: Part II – The Politics of Gay Marriage – looking at the arguments on both sides of Prop 8
Within the last few months I’ve become aware of California Proposition 8, a proposal to amend the state constitution to place a ban gay marriage. This is not the first attempt of a state to ban gay marriage, and won’t be the last. Just today a similar judicial decision was handed down in Connecticut granting the right of homosexuals to marry, and there will undoubtedly be a backlash there too.
So why should I care? I don’t live in California or Connecticut. In the next few years this issue will affect all Americans no matter where we live. Gay rights and gay marriage are not going away.
For those of you that are LDS this issue is particularly relevant because of the LDS church’s active involvement in this political battle. You may know that in June the First Presidency of the Church issued a letter read to be read over the pulpit in all California congregations calling for members to “do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman.” The Church is the single largest financial contributor to this proposal and has donated over 5 million dollars to the cause so far. This is causing a dilemma for many LDS people, and has spawned many movements by active LDS members that disagree with the Church’s involvement in a political matter, especially when they are specifically asking members to vote a certain way and to donate their means and time to the cause.
Many are unsure of their personal stance on this issue and many others are against gay marriage but they may not have clear reasons for their position.
The importance of this issue requires us all to become informed so that we can make knowledgeable decisions about it. That is why I’m writing about this. I hope you will take the time to read and respond with your thoughts and opinions. If we disagree and have a different point of view I welcome your comments, and I will be respectful of your view. I want to share what I’ve found in my search for understanding, and have a discussion with the people in my life to better understand their position.
I’ve divided this topic into a series of posts because it gets complicated, and there is much to discuss within the context of this issue. I will post one segment at a time, leave time for comments and discussion before posting the next part.
I think one of the most important aspects of this issue is to determine whether homosexuality is a lifestyle choice made by some people, a product of a dysfunctional environment, or a biological condition that a small portion of our species is born with.
Nature vs. Nurture and Biology vs. Choice
Is homosexuality an inherently evil choice that deviant members of society are making, or are homosexuals born with an innate attraction to their own sex that is no more a conscious choice than the choice that heterosexuals make to be attracted to the opposite sex?
Since the LDS church is entangled in this issue let's see what the prominent scholars of the Church believe about whether homosexuality is a choice or not? According to BYU biology professor William Bradshaw it is no more a choice than whether you are right-handed or left-handed. You can read what his research shows here (it’s a quick read and really worthwhile): http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/49488
This is nothing new. The scientific/medical/psychological community as a whole has understood this for many years. There is no evidence whatsoever to show that homosexuals are born straight and then suddenly decide to become gay. Most homosexuals report that they had homosexual feelings from a very young age. Environmental factors have also been mostly ruled out; this is a biological matter just like the color of our hair and eyes. Homosexuality appears in similar proportions throughout the animal kingdom as it does in humans. Are the animals making an evil choice to be gay? There is so much evidence from all perspectives that homosexuality is a trait that people are born with that it really challenges the idea that choice has any part of it.
I’ve heard some say that it may not be a choice to be gay, but that it is a choice to be sexually active if you are gay. I try to put myself in the position of a gay LDS member. Here is my conceptualization of what it would be like from the perspective of a heterosexual man. I’m given two choices:
1. Marry a man even though I’m only attracted to women.
2. Live the rest of my life in celibacy, alone, never sharing intimacy with another human being.
Not very attractive options.
If the same moral rules against fornication and adultery apply to homosexuals, should we give them the option to marry so they can live that higher law and commitment to their partner too?
Thoughts, reactions?
Coming up next: Part II – The Politics of Gay Marriage – looking at the arguments on both sides of Prop 8
So Paul, seeing anyone right now? Okay okay... My only comment is that I believe it is important to assist people to achieve personal happiness- and that happiness often has nothing to do with much of what makes me happy. Once again you are exploring a very deep topic. On an individual basis I just try to treat people how I want to be treated without letting too many of my biases get in the way. I believe many members of many churches will heed their leaders on this one, but many are just like you and I- they will do the same thing they always do- watch how things unfold on CNN and then blog about it, meaning many people will do nothing, and I know that is not your point... Perhaps a better question concerns how or what we can do to show people this is not a black and white issue. And... don't forget how much prejudice is going the other way right now against straight individuals in places like San Fran, etc. Will part 2 contribute to another side of the story? Keep me posted.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the other side of the story will be in part 2. I don't think the other side of the story has much to do with prejudice against straight people though. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but I don't think it would be a social problem on a similar level to the overt discrimination against homosexuals which is what I'm really interested in.
ReplyDeleteI think you nailed the solution to this problem Gage. If people could let go of their biases and just simply treat others the way they would like to be treated so many controverial dilemmas would be solved. Sounds like a suspiciously Christian idea, hmmmm.
Part two will include the arguments of the proponents of Prop 8 though, so stay tuned and thanks for commenting!
paul. thanks for tackling this and for showing it in many lights. I'm on the other side of the world and have been interested but not overly connected to the issue...although, I have many gay mormon friends who are openly out and our discussions about this subject have been poignant and important to me...I'm a little scared to have this discussion with my non-mormon gay friends because I don't really know where I stand on the political side of things. First, I apologize that I won't be adding a whole lot of thought to your discussion but appreciate the opportunity to be an quiet absorber. Secondly, I miss you! I hope we can hang out when I get home soon!
ReplyDelete"...to determine whether homosexuality is a lifestyle choice made by some people, a product of a dysfunctional environment, or a biological condition that a small portion of our species is born with."
ReplyDeleteOne of the common problems with the discussion, to my mind, is actually the fact that people want to figure out "which one" of the above causes homosexuality. I think there are many factors that contribute to homosexuality, and people are all different - there's no one-size-fits-all reason, and so there is also no one-size-fits-all "solution" or policy. I have gay friends who were almost certainly born with that tendency. And also ex-gay (and currently gay) friends who tell me about their young life and how it contributed to this very complicated preference for them. It certainly doesn't help to tell gay people they can and should change when it simply isn't within their power. But is it helpful to tell them they can't and shouldn't change, when for a few it may be possible and beneficial for them? I'm not sure what the answer is. It's a very frustrating issue because we know so little about it, really. I can only, personally, respect each person's decisions about how to manage their life and their challenges and tend to their own happiness, since no one else can know what is the right course for someone else.