or God is an unfair, double-binding sadist to have made them that way and also said that it is an “abomination” in his eyes.

I thought we already knew this about God from reading the bible. The Christian God has created all sorts of poor folks destined to burn in hell from the moment they are born. It is all part of Gods plan.

I seriously doubt they were ever gay if they changed that easily. If you can throw a gay man in with a bunch of sexy women or even just one and nothing happens, not even a rise out of him, then you know it’s something in his nature that isn’t changeable- at least not that easily.

Is that how Truth Ministry does it? I could pretend I was gay and bravely struggle through that rigorous treatment. I wonder how long I could convince them I need to have supplemental treatment to prevent relapse? Does it cost as much as going to Trixie’s Escort Service?

By saying this then from their world view God must have made them that way. If that is the case then either it is wrong to interfere with the way that God made them, or God is an unfair, double-binding sadist to have made them that way and also said that it is an “abomination” in his eyes.

So which way is it, oh Ministers of Truth?

However, I think it’s important to consider the issue of choosing sexual orientation. It’s very politically incorrect to say these days that (any) people choose their sexual orientation, but let’s talk this through. Hear me out please (no pun intended). First, no one has found a single gene that causes homosexuality in a simple Mendelian way (although many, like Dean Hamer, have tried). Much research needs to be done, but the most you can say is that there is a genetic predisposition. Having a predisposition for something–let’s say liking cheetos–is not synonymous with being “born that way.” However, there can also be a tremendous influence on a developing fetus from its chemical environment during pregnancy, and this is one very likely way in which a predisposition for one sexual orientation develops.

That said, there are most certainly a number of people whose predominant sexual orientation from birth is homosexual, with no desire for the opposite gender. A much larger proportion of a population is predominantly heterosexual, with no desire for the same gender. There does exist a group in the middle though–many of whom choose to identify as bisexuals–whose orientation is more fluid. What exactly influences these people to identify as homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual? You can bet that their personal developmental psychology plays a role, as well as social norms. Many of these ‘flexible’ people may choose to identify with a group that is not discriminated against (heterosexuals) due to outside pressure. I would bet this is where many of the “conversion” stories come from. A biologically informed opinion would include the factoid that many traits are determined by a complex interaction of genes, developmental environment (pre- and post-natal), social norms, and personal choices.

So, it’s important to recognize that sexuality, for a significant portion of the population, is much more fluid than many people would care to admit. So a Christian ministry can certainly hope to ‘convert’ some people (which is all the more reason to resist such “ministries” that cause people emotional harm).

I’m pretty sure he missed the real meaning, it’s not really that Asians don’t choose to be Asian, it’s that there’s nothing wrong with being Asian in the first place.

And that’s exactly what the response should be. It is much easier to respond “I was born this way,” but it’s simply not true for everyone. It’s harder to argue that “because the Bible says so doesn’t make it wrong,” but that seems to really be at the root of all this. Thoughts?