A Ramble About Homosexuality

There's a nightly political show that I enjoy watching as a podcast on my computer. The host is a militantly liberal Democrat who enjoys pointing out the inconsistencies and errors of the Republican party. I don't always agree with her, but I appreciate her viewpoint and her commitment to journalistic integrity. This host is also a lesbian, and she often reports on political news stories which are of importance to the homosexual community.



There seem to be many reasons for someone being or choosing to be homosexual. Some women choose homosexuality because they no longer trust men, or have been molested as children. Some men who have been molested as children also choose homosexuality. There doesn't seem to make any difference as to what gender the molester was. Others choose it as a form of rebellion against parents. Still others are legitimately born with their sexual wires crossed. How many people are homosexual for which reason I don't know, and I don't think anyone else really does either.



Those who are sexually attracted to the same gender generally seem to just want to be left in peace, without being condemned by anyone for who or what they are. They want the right to marry the people they are in love with and to have those marriage legally recognized and protected like everyone else's. They want the right to adopt kids and raise families just like any other couple. Ironically, if homosexuality was recognized as a disorder or disability, all of these things would be protected by law under the Americans with Disabilities Act.



Homosexuality is nothing new. It was very common in the ancient world. Among the Greeks and Romans homosexuality was very common and widely practiced. It is said of Julius Caesar that he was "every woman's man and every man's woman." The relationship between Alexander the Great and his best friend is well known and was documented in the movie "Alexander". There, however, the idea of two men "marrying" would have been unthinkable. Marriages were social contracts between two families meant to produce legitimate offspring and heirs. Sexual relations didn't require marriage, neither for that matter did offspring. But legitimate offspring that could carry on a family's name, honor, and wealth did require it. If the couple being married were attracted to or held affection for each other, so much the better, but it wasn't considered an absolute necessity. For the same reasons, homosexuality is practiced in differing tribal groups as well. This understanding of homosexuality is that it is only about the sexual act and deriving sensual pleasure from that act becoming aroused by the physical attractiveness of the other person. In reality, there is no difference between this kind of homosexual practice and heterosexual practice. The only difference is which gender's body parts cause the arousal.



The religious rule of the Christian path is one which has the union with God through Jesus Christ as its goal. It is meant to strip away everything else which could distract from or obstruct this single purpose. Early on, it was recognized by both Jesus Christ Himself and St. Paul, that the ideal "sexual state" to further this purpose was chastity. They also recognized that not everyone was capable of this. St. Paul said that it was better to remain even as he was, unmarried, but that it was no sin to be married if you couldn't handle it. But this was the only sexual activity which was legitimized by either Jesus or Paul, or for that matter the Church for the last two thousand years.



At the time, the question of whether or not marriage was only between a man and a woman wasn't even asked. The functional purpose of marriage was legitimate offspring which was impossible if the happy couple was the same gender. Marriages were performed as a Sacrament recognizing that this sexual union was authorized and blessed by the Church as a furtherance to the goal of union with God through Jesus Christ. It was also obvious that if there was no marriage then there would be no legitimate offspring. But union with God was still the goal of the people involved, and the marriage was seen as a means to further that goal.



There is the romantic idea today that marriage is about finding the right person to "fall in love with" and make you happy. That if you find the right person to complete you then you will live happily ever after. This is a delusion, but it is a delusion which is continually propagated by our culture and society today. If you enter into a marriage with only your own happiness in view, and expecting your spouse to make your happy, then you are entering it with only your own selfish desires in view. You are intent on using the other person to further your own goals. This is not love, and this is not the point or the goal of the Sacrament of Marriage. The Sacrament of Marriage is about drawing closer to God through Jesus Christ in sacrificing yourself daily for the other person.



Homosexuals want to be married for the same reason heterosexuals do. They want to live happily ever after with the person they are in love with. This is as much of a delusion as it is for heterosexuals. It is just as selfish, and the reasoning is just as incompatible with the path of Jesus Christ for this reason.



Can a homosexual be a Christian? Absolutely! Can a heterosexual be a Christian? Absolutely! Being a part of the body of Christ and pursuing the high calling of God in Jesus Christ has absolutely nothing to do with one's sexual desires or what stimulates them to sexual arousal. Following Jesus Christ means dying to your own desires, ambitions, and selfish interests and putting the needs and desires of the other person into prime importance.



The path of Jesus Christ tells us to have compassion and mercy for everyone: close friends, acquaintances, total strangers, and people who don't like you and whom you may not like. It tells us to love others no matter who they are. Sexual desire isn't love. It's a physical impulse which urges us to mate. The path of Jesus Christ urges us to close relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ loving one another as He loved us. We are called to respect them, encourage them, and put their interests above our own. It doesn't matter if they are male or female. There is nothing wrong with friendships and close relationships between two people of the same gender in this context, but we are not to use them to further our own selfish ends or to fulfill our own selfish desires.



It is for all of these reasons that the Church cannot recognize or solemnize a homosexual marriage. There are a good many heterosexual marriages which probably shouldn't be solemnized either because of the reasons for the marriage, but that is the responsibility of the cleric who performs the wedding. It isn't always obvious to the cleric who performs the marriage what the motives of a marriage are, but there are no legitimate motives for a homosexual marriage which furthers the goal of union with God through Jesus Christ.



The Bible says, "as much as is possible, live in peace with all people." This is true of homosexual people as well. They should not be reviled. They should not be discriminated against in society. If a homosexual couple wishes to live together or adopt children, there should be no outcry against it from we who follow Jesus Christ. They should be recognized and given the same respect and honor as we would give anyone else. If a homosexual wants to follow Jesus Christ, awesome! We shouldn't expect them to become something that they're not any more than God expected us to become something that we're not. But they and we need to follow Him on the understanding that it isn't about what we want anymore. It's not about making ourselves happy. It's not about succeeding in achieving all of our dreams and desires. It's about consigning all of our dreams and desires to the Cross with Him, and letting who we are die with Him, so that His life is lived through us.