Wednesday, January 16, 2008

The Cause of Homosexuality?

A blog I've been reading recently quoted Romans 1:18-32, and as I read this quote I saw something I've never seen before. I had always read this passage to say that because people commit some sin (such as homosexuality) they've become separated from God. This passage says that it's the other way around; instead of sin causing separation from God, it is the separation from God that causes sin.

Here are the relevant portions of the passage (NIV):

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him . . . .

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another . . . .

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity . . . .

So, the cure for homosexuality, or for greed, or for evil wickedness, or for any other sin, is not a twelve-step program, or a regime of self-discipline, or hypnosis; rather it is to:

1. Glorify God
2. Give thanks to God.
3. Retain the knowledge of God.

Wow. Can it really be that simple? ("Simple" in concept, I mean, not neccesarily in execution.)

2 comments:

Nathan R. Hale said...

Valuable insight!

evoljasen said...

Papi;
Actually part of those 12 steps are teaching people to recognize God, to ask God for help and to focus on God daily....