Do some have that homosexual drive in them? If the scriptures above place all temptations in the same pool, I would have to conclude that there is something inside some that the homosexual temptation would appeal to. It is when the lust is conceived, it grows until it is finished and when it is finished it brings death to the individual. The drive is set and, in that area, the ability to chage without Divine influence is too close to impossible, humanly speaking.

I didn’t read Dave as saying it was 100% genetically determined. Once again, this is a case of the road not running both ways. If, as homosexuals claim, it is 100% genetically determined, then my heterosexuality must also be 100% genetically determined. Don’t know many heteros who would assent to that.

But then, is it a sin to “be” homosexual if one never engages in homosexual sex? When I ask gays this question, they act like they don’t understand it and say, “What’s the point?” Exactly. This is why I think the distinctions you make between one’s preferences and one’s behavior and one’s identity are so crucial. One’s preference need not determine one’s identity, nor drive one’s behavior. A preference for profligacy in heteros is a sin only if it translates to a behavior and an identity. Why do we not treat homosexuality the same?

Bowden says, “I don’t like the word “choice” because sexual orientation is not as simple as choosing to wear a suit v. jeans or the choice to eat at one restaurant v. another one. People don’t change their orientation on a whim.”

I agree with Bowden in that sexual orientation isn’t like a light switch that you can flip whenever you feel like. I do believe that God can change someone’s orientation on a whim, so the last statement could use a qualifier. As for the word “choice,” I think it depends on who you’re talking with. I prefer to use the term “God’s plan” or “God’s work” instead of “God’s sovereignty” when talking with my non-Calvinist friends.

I believe caution is in order. Having the right mix of salt with our compassion can be challenging and can vary from person to person. Bowden’s statements above on homosexuality can be easily changed to fit other sins like this: “IOW, biological/genetic predispositions, life experiences, family dynamics, and one’s self-talk (thoughts) probably interact in such a way as to form our [pride, selfishness, bitterness, etc].” We have to ask ourselves, “Am I trying to understand how sin got a hold of this person’s life or am I trying to diminish the seriousness of their sin?”

We just need to be careful that in our push to be compassionate that we don’t turn sin into a psychological sickness. I think we need to maintain a balance in our lives that is expressed in the Bible. On the one hand we should have compassion because people are captive(in bondage) to sin without many real choices. On the other hand we have to remember that every person is responsible and guilty before God. The worst thing we could do (besides preaching condemnation instead of the gospel) is to ignore the seriousness of our sin.

I understand what you are saying, but I have a hard time accepting the logic. To say there is a biological component is not the same as saying sexual orientation is 100% genetically determined.

We’re not talking about the veracity or integrity of God’s Word. We’re talking about the mechanism(s) by which human beings manifest sexual orientation.

One of the things I find interesting in this discussion is to put the shoe on the other foot. Ask critics if they choose to be heterosexual or if they are wired that way? Challenge them to honestly confront whether or not they could choose to identify with homosexuals. In most cases, they admit that there really is no choice for them. I then admonish them to make it a two-way street. I never much cared for people who reserve a privilege to themselves that they do not afford for others.

Well said. I read this book some years back: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_Sex and found it particularly constructive. It helps identify the intersection of hormones, neurochemistry, sexual development, and sexual identity. I learned in physics class that one can predict the force of gravity between two points, but once you have three or more, the calculations go out the window. It appears that sexual identity also depends on multiple forces interacting in unpredictable ways with varying results depending on the circumstances. In other words, there is no one predictor of sexual identity,nor is there one “fix” for people who don’t care for their particular identity.

I don’t like the word “choice” because sexual orientation is not as simple as choosing to wear a suit v. jeans or the choice to eat at one restaurant v. another one. People don’t change their orientation on a whim.