Recently in a blog I read two more of the Christian justifications for why it’s reasonable – and not just the result of God’s command – to designate homosexuality a sin.
The first is a higher instance of drug use and domestic violence. This blog tried to create a line of causation, stating that since these issues are symptomatic of “deep mental duress,” they are “an indication of the psychological problems caused by the choices under discussion.” And this gives, “great weight to the American Psychiatric Association’s original stance on homosexuality as a mental disorder.”
First of all, the American Psychiatric Association reversed that original stance because science – unlike religious dogma – changes when new evidence is presented that suggests an opposing conclusion.
Secondly, drug use and domestic violence are not always symptomatic of anything other than personal choice. When I was a kid, I was stoned every single day, yet I was never under any “mental duress.” Poor people have astronomically higher instances of drug abuse and domestic violence. is it because they’re all suffering from mental disorders? Sure, why not? If you play fast and loose with what it means to be under “mental duress,” everyone can use this excuse for everything they do. No one would have to take responsibility for anything (much like some drug addicts, drunks, and child molesters who claim that they have a “disease” and thus don’t have any choice in the matter).
All gay people are not psychologically damaged. And to state the obvious, all straight people are not psychologically ideal (whatever that even means). If we want to discuss the “root causes” of social ills, they run a lot deeper than whether you’re attracted to boys or girls. And further, if homosexuality is a mental disorder, what the hell is wrong with you Christians? Are you so incredibly heartless as to designate a mentally handicapped person a sinner? How can they be sinning if they’re mentally ill? They have no choice in the matter, right? They have a psychological disease.
My personal favorite is that homosexuality is bad because gay people can’t biologically reproduce. This is no joke – this blog actually blamed declining birthrates across the world on homosexuality! I’ve heard Christians blame secularism and women’s lib for declining birth rates, but this reaches new levels of absurdity. Nations like Japan, Italy, and Russia (and several European countries) have abysmal birth rates, this is true. But it’s not because more people are becoming gay; it’s because the heterosexuals aren’t having as many babies as they used to! Look at the numbers: Family size is decreasing, and the age at which women have babies is increasing. It is the straight people who have the problem here. (On an interesting note, in ancient Greece and Rome homosexuality was far more tolerated and widespread than it is today, and yet they managed to increase their populations even while contending with much higher infant mortality rates.)
The blog summated with “Widespread homosexuality could end human history, but even moderate levels can damage the entrepreneurship, innovation, and capital investment associated with growing populations.”
I don’t know how to interpret this incredibly odd statement. How do homosexuals damage entrepreneurship, innovation and capital investment? Does being gay make you a Marxist? And do Christians honestly fear that homosexuality is becoming “widespread”? They need not. The only thing that’s becoming widespread is tolerance, and some Christians are behind the curve.
