Homosexuality
Homosexuality as discussed in the Holy Bible
For those with questions regarding the Biblical position on this subject, the following scriptures are noted. (The article just below may be slow to open. Also the box in the lower right area of the panel can be clicked to open it as well.) Please See Biblical Archaeology Section for Possible Location of the City of Sodom. See bottom of page regarding God's forgiveness, compassion, and help.
| homosexuality_as_discussed_in_the_christian_scriptures_cc.pdf |
Donald Rinsley MD was a leading child psychiatrist. His views regarding homosexuality are in a letter to the editor. (His credentials are directly below.)
Donald B. Rinsley Papers (available online 9-2013)
Kansas State Historical Society microfilm MF 6303
“Student, psychiatrist, professor; of New York City; Cambridge, Mass.; Topeka, Kan. Born Donald Hindle Zirinsley in 1928, full name: Donald Brenden Rinsley, died 1989...He was assistant chief of the Adolescent Unit of the Children’s Division of Topeka State Hospital in Kansas during the years 1960 – 1968. While he was at Topeka State, he developed innovative treatment programs for severely disturbed adolescents...faculty member in general psychiatry at the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry and Mental Health Sciences beginning in 1960. In 1968, he joined the child psychiatry faculty there; he served on the faculty’s Executive Committee in 1969 through 1975 and again in 1977 through 1979...chief of the Adolescent Unit at Topeka State Hospital in 1968...associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, serving in that capacity from 1970 through 1977. He was a member of the executive and senior treatment faculty of the Child Psychiatry Training Program at Menninger...associate chief of psychiatry education at the Topeka Veterans Administration Hospital, later renamed the Colmery-O’Neil VA Medical Center...In 1983 and 1984, he was the Skilman Professor in Child Psychiatry...Dr. Rinsley was known for his expertise in the theory and practice of psychiatry. He wrote or co-authored six books…."
A letter to the editor, by Dr Rinsley, regarding the treatment of homosexuality and written to the American Journal of Psychiatry 145:7 July 1988, can be viewed below and at the following link below the editorial. The download is sometimes slow and the box in the lower right hand corner can be clicked to open it as well. Also a more recent review of the subject can be accessed at the link to the Family Research Council. I want to say that it was my privilege to be taught by this man when I was in Medical School in the late 1980's.
Kansas State Historical Society microfilm MF 6303
“Student, psychiatrist, professor; of New York City; Cambridge, Mass.; Topeka, Kan. Born Donald Hindle Zirinsley in 1928, full name: Donald Brenden Rinsley, died 1989...He was assistant chief of the Adolescent Unit of the Children’s Division of Topeka State Hospital in Kansas during the years 1960 – 1968. While he was at Topeka State, he developed innovative treatment programs for severely disturbed adolescents...faculty member in general psychiatry at the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry and Mental Health Sciences beginning in 1960. In 1968, he joined the child psychiatry faculty there; he served on the faculty’s Executive Committee in 1969 through 1975 and again in 1977 through 1979...chief of the Adolescent Unit at Topeka State Hospital in 1968...associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, serving in that capacity from 1970 through 1977. He was a member of the executive and senior treatment faculty of the Child Psychiatry Training Program at Menninger...associate chief of psychiatry education at the Topeka Veterans Administration Hospital, later renamed the Colmery-O’Neil VA Medical Center...In 1983 and 1984, he was the Skilman Professor in Child Psychiatry...Dr. Rinsley was known for his expertise in the theory and practice of psychiatry. He wrote or co-authored six books…."
A letter to the editor, by Dr Rinsley, regarding the treatment of homosexuality and written to the American Journal of Psychiatry 145:7 July 1988, can be viewed below and at the following link below the editorial. The download is sometimes slow and the box in the lower right hand corner can be clicked to open it as well. Also a more recent review of the subject can be accessed at the link to the Family Research Council. I want to say that it was my privilege to be taught by this man when I was in Medical School in the late 1980's.
Harold M Voth MD was a leading adult psychiatrist. His views on homosexuality are in a letter sent to me JGL. (His credentials are directly below).
He was born on Dec. 29, 1922 and died Jan. 20, 2003. His MD was from University of Kansas Medical School in 1947, and his training in psychiatry at the Menninger School of Psychiatry, Topeka, KS 1952. Before that he was active in the Navy and eventually became a reserve officer and reached the rank of Rear Admiral in 1976. He was the Medical Officer to the Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet. As well, he received the Legion of Merit, the highest peacetime medal, for work on implementation of the Naval and Marine Corps anti-drug program. In his medical work he became the Chief of Staff at the Topeka VA Hospital from 1981-1991; Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Univ. of Kansas School of Medicine in 1965-sometime after 1991 (time of the cv I have). He was also a staff psychiatrist at the Menninger Foundation from 1957-1991. He was a charter Fellow of the American College of Psychoanalysts, a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and an Examiner for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc., in Basic and Clinical Psychiatry. He also had several research grants. Information is from his cv and Narth editorial: www.narth.org/docs/voth.html. It was my privilege to be taught by this man as well while I was in medical school in the late 1980's.
In a letter to me, JGL, date March 28, 1995 he stated,
"People are not born homosexual nor do they choose this sexual orientation freely. Homosexuals are driven to their lifestyle by powerful forces within the deeper regions of their mind. These psychological elements are the result of flawed psychological development that is the consequence of having grown up in a dysfunctional family. There is no evidence whatsoever to support the claim that homosexuality is biologically determined. Twin studies do not prove it. Genetic studies, chromosomal studies, chemical studies, etc. have never validated the biologic hypothesis. Homosexuals can be successfully treated if they are willing to be treated, and if the person conducting the treatment understands the condition and has mastered the techniques for bringing about constructive changes."
Please note: the concepts in this letter are public knowledge and are on the internet along with opposing views. It was my privilege to be taught by this man when I was in medical school in the late 1980's.
Family Research Council Summary Information on Homosexuality-written 2010. (See their website for detailed documentation.)
Homosexuality and Pedophilia Impact
"...However, despite efforts by homosexual activists to distance the gay lifestyle from pedophilia, there remains a disturbing connection between the two. This is because, by definition, male homosexuals are sexually attracted to other males. While many homosexuals may not seek young sexual partners, the evidence indicates that disproportionate numbers of gay men seek adolescent males or boys as sexual partners. In this paper we will consider the following evidence linking homosexuality to pedophilia:..." From FRC see link below.
Homosexual Parent and Children Outcomes
"In a historic study of children raised by homosexual parents, sociologist Mark Regnerus of the University of Texas at Austin has overturned the conventional academic wisdom that such children suffer no disadvantages when compared to children raised by their married mother and father. Just published in the journal Social Science Research,[1] the most careful, rigorous, and methodologically sound study ever conducted on this issue found numerous and significant differences between these groups--with the outcomes for children of homosexuals rated "suboptimal" (Regnerus' word) in almost every category." From: FRC see link below.
World Magazine Article on Homosexuality 2014-online (Review on the Issues from a Christian Perspective)
Conclusion from Wayne Grudem*
"Homosexual conduct of all kinds is consistently viewed as sin in the Bible, and recent reinterpretations of the Bible that have been raised as objections to that view do not give a satisfactory explanation of the words or the context of the relevant verses. Sexual intimacy is to be confined to marriage, and marriage is to be only between one man and one woman, following the pattern established by God in creation. The church should always act with love and compassion toward homosexuals, yet never affirm homosexual conduct as morally right. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers the “good news” of forgiveness of sins and real hope for a transformed life to homosexuals as well as to all sinners."
"Taken from the ESV® Study Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2008 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved." Written by:
*''Wayne is professor of theology and biblical studies at Phoenix Seminary. He has authored 20 books and was the general editor for the ESV Study Bible." Click on the link below for the full 4 page article.
"Homosexual conduct of all kinds is consistently viewed as sin in the Bible, and recent reinterpretations of the Bible that have been raised as objections to that view do not give a satisfactory explanation of the words or the context of the relevant verses. Sexual intimacy is to be confined to marriage, and marriage is to be only between one man and one woman, following the pattern established by God in creation. The church should always act with love and compassion toward homosexuals, yet never affirm homosexual conduct as morally right. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers the “good news” of forgiveness of sins and real hope for a transformed life to homosexuals as well as to all sinners."
"Taken from the ESV® Study Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2008 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved." Written by:
*''Wayne is professor of theology and biblical studies at Phoenix Seminary. He has authored 20 books and was the general editor for the ESV Study Bible." Click on the link below for the full 4 page article.
Twin Studies: Homosexuality Not Genetic
"Eight major studies of identical twins in Australia, the U.S., and Scandinavia during the last two decades all arrive at the same conclusion: gays were not born that way.
'At best genetics is a minor factor,' says Dr. Neil Whitehead, PhD. Whitehead worked for the New Zealand government as a scientific researcher for 24 years, then spent four years working for the United Nations and International Atomic Energy Agency...Because identical twins are always genetically identical, homosexuality cannot be genetically dictated. 'No-one is born gay,' he notes. 'The predominant things that create homosexuality in one identical twin and not in the other have to be post-birth factors.'" Studies up to 2013.
Another website link lists several articles that review possible factors associated with Homosexuality but argues that a "gay " gene has not been found. It reviews data up to 2014-but nothing significantly new has been found since then that I can find. See 2nd link.
Increased STD Rates Among Homo/Bisexual Men in 2014 in United States
"HealthDay News -- In 2014, 1.4 million cases of chlamydia were reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- a 2.8% increase since 2013. This is the highest number of cases of any sexually transmitted disease (STD) ever reported to the CDC, the government researchers said in their annual report...And the syphilis rates were highest among gay and bisexual men, according to the CDC's Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2014 report...Increasing rates among men represent a large part of the overall increases across all three STDs. In 2014, gay and bisexual men accounted for 83% of reported cases among men when the sex of the partner is known. And just over half of men with syphilis in 2014 were also HIV-positive."
Growing Up With Gay Parents NCBI 2015
"A very large body of social science research going back decades has documented the vital and unique role of mothers and of fathers in childhood development. These studies have also demonstrated the negative psychological, educational, and social effects on children who have been deprived of growing up in a home with both biological parents who are married to each other. A very brief summary of findings on the mothers’ unique and crucial role in childhood development would include these points: 1. Infants and toddlers prefer their mothers to their fathers when they seek solace or relief from hunger, fear, sickness, or some other distress; 2. Mothers tend to be more soothing; 3. Mothers are more responsive to the distinctive cries of infants: they are better able than fathers, for example, to distinguish between their baby’s cry of hunger and cry of pain; 4. They are also better than fathers at detecting their children’s emotions by looking at their faces, postures, and gestures. Not surprisingly, then, 5. Children who were deprived of maternal care during extended periods in their early lives “lacked feeling, had superficial relationships, and exhibited hostile or antisocial tendencies” as they developed into adulthood. (Kobak 1999).Clinical experience would suggest that motherlessness, while not studied as extensively as fatherlessness, causes even greater damage to a child, because the role of the mother is so crucial in establishing a child’s ability to trust and to feel safe in relationships. Fathers also bring an array of distinctive talents to the parenting enterprise. 1. Fathers excel when it comes to providing discipline and play and challenging their children to embrace life’s challenges; 2. Fathers provide essential role models for boys; 3. A father’s presence in the home protects a child from fear and strengthens a child’s ability to feel safe. The extensive research on the serious psychological, academic, and social problems in youth raised in fatherless families demonstrates the importance of the presence of the father in the home for healthy childhood development."
Christian Ministries that deal with Sexual Issues
Leaving Homosexuality (Focus on the Family online 9-14-2014)
by Jeff Johnston
Click on button below to read article.
by Jeff Johnston
- Overview
- The Right to Counseling for Unwanted Same-Sex Attractions
- What Do We Mean When We Talk About Change?
- De-Sexualizing The Deeper Needs of Homosexuality
- God is Patient, Be Patient With Yourself
- Growth Into Manhood: Resuming the Journey
- Homosexuality: Real Hope and Real Change
- Reliable Resources for Teaching Children About Marriage, Sexuality and Homosexuality
Click on button below to read article.
"What does the Bible really say about homosexuality? by Lita Cosner Published: 7 May 2015 (GMT+10)" Creation Ministries International
"...Male-female complementarity—God’s designGenesis portrays the Creation of humanity as male and female in God’s image, and the creation of Eve as Adam’s suitable helper. Together, these passages teach us that 1) men and women equally share the image of God, and 2) they were created with distinct roles, and this is particularly evident in the context of marriage..." See link below.
"...Male-female complementarity—God’s designGenesis portrays the Creation of humanity as male and female in God’s image, and the creation of Eve as Adam’s suitable helper. Together, these passages teach us that 1) men and women equally share the image of God, and 2) they were created with distinct roles, and this is particularly evident in the context of marriage..." See link below.
Question: "What does the New Testament say about homosexuality?"
Answer: "The Bible is consistent through both Old and New Testaments in confirming that homosexuality is sin (Genesis 19:1–13; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Jude 1:7). In this matter, the New Testament reinforces what the Old Testament had declared since the Law was given to Moses (Leviticus 20:13). The difference between the Old and New Testaments is that the New Testament offers hope and restoration to those caught up in the sin of homosexuality through the redeeming power of Jesus. It is the same hope that is offered to anyone who chooses to accept it (John 1:12; 3:16–18)." See link below for more information, and other links for a wider discussion on the subject of Homosexuality.
Answer: "The Bible is consistent through both Old and New Testaments in confirming that homosexuality is sin (Genesis 19:1–13; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Jude 1:7). In this matter, the New Testament reinforces what the Old Testament had declared since the Law was given to Moses (Leviticus 20:13). The difference between the Old and New Testaments is that the New Testament offers hope and restoration to those caught up in the sin of homosexuality through the redeeming power of Jesus. It is the same hope that is offered to anyone who chooses to accept it (John 1:12; 3:16–18)." See link below for more information, and other links for a wider discussion on the subject of Homosexuality.
There is Forgiveness In Jesus Christ
See John 8:1-11 This is the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. The scribes and pharisees asked Jesus what should they do. The law made it legal to stone her to death (Lev. 20:10).
John 8:
1Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." KJV
And in 1 John 1:9 it says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." NASB Bible Please note that the Bible presents homosexuality as a sin (missing the mark of God); and some psychiatric professionals have considered it a flaw in psychological development. But, from a Christian position there is Hope In Christ.
John 8:
1Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." KJV
And in 1 John 1:9 it says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." NASB Bible Please note that the Bible presents homosexuality as a sin (missing the mark of God); and some psychiatric professionals have considered it a flaw in psychological development. But, from a Christian position there is Hope In Christ.