Is homosexuality a choice?

[Corkscrew]

According to my religious friend, being gay is one’s own personal choice. He is of the opinion that since God, according to the bible, has made homosexuality a sin; he would not have allowed people to be born gay.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if he believes that being gay is a choice, doesn’t that mean he is capable of engaging in a homosexual affair at any time? He says he is heterosexual, but if he has a choice in his sexuality, wouldn’t this make him bi-sexual?

 

[Zadok]

If sexuality does not involve any choice of any kind – why are we having this or any other discussion concerning it? We must understand that if no one has individual will of such things then such discussion results only from differences over which no one can react other than how they react and nothing will ever be learned or changed – unless they are forced to be or accepting something they are not really capable of.

Zadok

 

[Erebus]

Well I'm heterosexual and it doesn't seem like I can make myself bisexual (believe me, I've tried) so it's either not a matter of choice or somebody who claims that it is needs to teach me how to make that choice

 

[MW0082]

It most certaintly is not a choice, and the easy way to prove this.... Who would choose to be gay? Who would choose to oppressed and beatened and murdered? No one would choose to gay, it's silly ti think otherwise.

 

[Dan4reason]

If sexuality does not involve any choice of any kind – why are we having this or any other discussion concerning it? We must understand that if no one has individual will of such things then such discussion results only from differences over which no one can react other than how they react and nothing will ever be learned or changed – unless they are forced to be or accepting something they are not really capable of.

Zadok

The question here is whether homosexuals have a sexual attraction to the same sex and no or little sexual attraction to the opposite sex. Sexual attraction like most traits in coded in DNA. I like most people claim that homosexuality has a genetic component because homosexuals do indeed have a sexual attraction to the same sex.

Some people like to claim that homosexuals are really heterosexuals who just "choose" to make out with the same sex and not have sexual relations with the same sex. This is the meaning of the question.

 

[Circle_One]

According to my religious friend, being gay is one’s own personal choice. He is of the opinion that since God, according to the bible, has made homosexuality a sin; he would not have allowed people to be born gay.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if he believes that being gay is a choice, doesn’t that mean he is capable of engaging in a homosexual affair at any time? He says he is heterosexual, but if he has a choice in his sexuality, wouldn’t this make him bi-sexual?

Do you choose to see the color red as red, or can you choose to say, see it as purple? Can you train your body to see it as purple? I'm gonna go with no. You can fool your brain, or someone can brainwash you into believing, that what you've always thought was red is actually purple, but that doesn't actually change the colors at hand.

 

[Corkscrew]

Do you choose to see the color red as red, or can you choose to say, see it as purple? Can you train your body to see it as purple? I'm gonna go with no. You can fool your brain, or someone can brainwash you into believing, that what you've always thought was red is actually purple, but that doesn't actually change the colors at hand.

I’m of the opinion that being gay is not a choice. I was just trying to illustrate how religious belief can force a person to draw illogical conclusions. How can he say that he is heterosexual on one hand, but infer that he is also bi-sexual; along with everybody else, apparently?

 

[Breathe]

I am a heterosexual, married man with children. I do not believe homosexuality (by homosexuality I mean both male-male and female-female) is a choice at all. I do not believe one can choose to be heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual.

Nor do I believe in a Deity who would condemn what consenting adults do, especially since it is not only not a choice, but also natural. After all, there are homosexual animals.

 

[Corkscrew]

I am a heterosexual, married man with children. I do not believe homosexuality (by homosexuality I mean both male-male and female-female) is a choice at all. I do not believe one can choose to be heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual.

Nor do I believe in a Deity who would condemn what consenting adults do, especially since it is not only not a choice, but also natural. After all, there are homosexual animals.

I agree with you completely. Frankly, I’m a little offended that because of my friend’s religious beliefs, he thinks I can go out and perform oral sex on Bill tonight. I’m not saying that there is no way that I would, but there would have to be a whole lot of money or a gun involved.

 

[JustAsking]

According to my religious friend, being gay is one’s own personal choice. He is of the opinion that since God, according to the bible, has made homosexuality a sin; he would not have allowed people to be born gay.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if he believes that being gay is a choice, doesn’t that mean he is capable of engaging in a homosexual affair at any time? He says he is heterosexual, but if he has a choice in his sexuality, wouldn’t this make him bi-sexual?

I would like to think homosexuality is no more more a "choice" than heterosexuality. You're wired for a certain "like" and that's all there is to it.

 

[MW0082]

I would like to think homosexuality is no more more a "choice" than heterosexuality. You're wired for a certain "like" and that's all there is to it.

Precisely, and I always like to ask any straight person to have a hoimosexual experience and prove it IS a choice. None have yet to accept the challange, hence they know it is not a choice...

 

[Meow Mix]

According to my religious friend, being gay is one’s own personal choice. He is of the opinion that since God, according to the bible, has made homosexuality a sin; he would not have allowed people to be born gay.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if he believes that being gay is a choice, doesn’t that mean he is capable of engaging in a homosexual affair at any time? He says he is heterosexual, but if he has a choice in his sexuality, wouldn’t this make him bi-sexual?

Ask your friend if he thinks being left-handed is a choice, as some Catholics believed (and probably still do believe) while rapping poor kids on the knuckles with rulers if they tried writing with their left hand, believing they could be "rehabilitated" into writing with their right hands.

Something tells me your friend will probably say "I doubt it, people are just born left-handed."

Then you can say, "Bingo."

 

[Corkscrew]

Ask your friend if he thinks being left-handed is a choice, as some Catholics believed (and probably still do believe) while rapping poor kids on the knuckles with rulers if they tried writing with their left hand, believing they could be "rehabilitated" into writing with their right hands.

Something tells me your friend will probably say "I doubt it, people are just born left-handed."

Then you can say, "Bingo."

You would not believe the theories he presents to me on this belief of his. He has told me that in high school, kids that don’t fit in can come together and form groups, he a likened it to a group of jocks, but instead of getting involved with sports, they become gay. I guess because they don’t fit in and have nowhere else to turn but to each other is his rational. It is so strange because he is a very intelligent individual, but when it comes to religion, all common sense goes out the window. He twists and turns reality to make it conform to whatever messages the bible conveys.

 

[Father Heathen]

If sexuality does not involve any choice of any kind – why are we having this or any other discussion concerning it?

If there is a god - why are we having this or any other discussion concerning it? See the problem with your logic?

 

[MW0082]

You would not believe the theories he presents to me on this belief of his. He has told me that in high school, kids that don’t fit in can come together and form groups, he a likened it to a group of jocks, but instead of getting involved with sports, they become gay. I guess because they don’t fit in and have nowhere else to turn but to each other is his rational. It is so strange because he is a very intelligent individual, but when it comes to religion, all common sense goes out the window. He twists and turns reality to make it conform to whatever messages the bible conveys.

Your friend is gay or bi, he does not want to believe he is. he is grasping at straws out of fear of hell. pretty simple really, straight people do not have gay sex. It is that simple.... it is not a choice..

 

[Quiddity]

What difference does the answer to this make?

 

[tumbleweed41]

Precisely, and I always like to ask any straight person to have a hoimosexual experience and prove it IS a choice. None have yet to accept the challange, hence they know it is not a choice...

Spot on.
Let me try an experiment.

I, Tumbleweed, do hereby declare that I find men sexually attractive.










Nope, didn't work.

 

[tumbleweed41]

What difference does the answer to this make?

It makes a difference when bigots attempt to use the "choice" fallacy to deny that LGBT's deserve the same rights as heterosexuals.

 

[MW0082]

Spot on.
Let me try an experiment.

I, Tumbleweed, do hereby declare that I find men sexually attractive.









Nope, didn't work.

See didn't work, sexuality is embedded in us from birth. We have no control, hence why I knew I liked men at 7 and has not once altered.....

 

[Sunstone]

Spot on.
Let me try an experiment.

I, Tumbleweed, do hereby declare that I find men sexually attractive.










Nope, didn't work.

You're supposed to hold your breath and hop about on one leg while chanting your declaration. Works every time if you do it right. That's precisely how I choose my sexual orientation every morning at 10 o'clock before the traffic report comes on the radio.