Is homosexuality a choice?

[MW0082]

People have sex for all kinds of reasons besides attraction. Money. A place to stay. Fear. Coercion. I'm not saying those are good reasons, but they happen.

I do think that most people are at least potentially bisexual, but seriously, anybody can have sex with somebody he's not attracted to -- even straight guys. It happens all the time.

Not to any straight guy I know, I think you still have to have that potential or attraction or it's not gonna happen...:drool:

 

[AxisMundi]

Thats not my point, you stated one is simply attracted and another is having sex. Both are gay, you never said the second doesn't like men. you said he is having sex with them. You may want to be a little clearer..... Besides anyone who has sex with the same sex, regardless of the reason is at minimum bi-sexual....

Your comments fly in the face of peer reviewed science, I'm afraid.

A hetero can indeed participate in homosexual sex without being gay, or bi.

Might I suggest you start your reseach at the apa.org site?

 

[Smoke]

Not to any straight guy I know, I think you still have to have that potential or attraction or it's not gonna happen...:drool:

I'm gay, but I'm not attracted to all men. And I've definitely had sex with men (and women too) to whom I wasn't attracted.

 

[AxisMundi]

..Even some conservative Christian experts who oppose homosexuality have admitted that the "success rate" of reparative therapy is only about 30%, and that it is most effective with religious homosexuals. ....

There is no "success rate" in the anti-gay ministries.

Gays in this "system" are still gays and living a lie.

Truth Wins Out - History Of The Ex-Gay Ministries

 

[AxisMundi]

Not to any straight guy I know, I think you still have to have that potential or attraction or it's not gonna happen...:drool:

Happens in jail all the time.

And unlike your personal ancedote attempt at evidence, there are hard statistics on the matter at the DOJ website.

 

[Evandr]

Life does not begin at birth and if a person is born with gay/lesbian tendencies it is because they "chose" to develop those character traits during the millennia’s of their pre-mortal existence. If a person is suffering under the weight of their own sexuality they still have nobody to blame but themselves and, being subject to the commandments of God, having exorcised their free agency to develop their own character traits, it can be rightfully said that they are still subject to the consequences of their actions via the judgment of a perfectly just God. In short, trying to blame God for your own foolishness will not wash, it never has and it never will. This is not a game, we are being tried and judged to see the strength and weaknesses of who we chose to become "BEFORE" we were born into mortality. Our sexual tendencies most certainly were a choice we made for ourselves and must now, good or bad, live with the consequences.

 

[Midnight Pete]

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?

Clearly, God allows people to be born gay and lesbian and bi and transgender.

 

[Agnostic75]

Clearly, God allows people to be born gay and lesbian and bi and transgender.

Not according to many conservative Christians who claim that environment has a lot more to do with sexual preference than genetics does. Even if genetics is 100% responsible for sexual preference, God does not "allow" humans and many animals to develop homosexual desires, he "causes" them to develop homosexual desires. In addition, God does not "allow" hurricanes to injure and kill people, he "causes" hurricanes to injure and kill people. From a bibilical perspective, there is no such thing as natural disasters, only supernatural disasters, that is, unless you have evidence that the weather originally created itself, and that cancer viruses originally created themselves.

 

[Agnostic75]

Life does not begin at birth and if a person is born with gay/lesbian tendencies it is because they "chose" to develop those character traits during the millennia’s of their pre-mortal existence.

According to whom?

 

[Corkscrew]

Life does not begin at birth and if a person is born with gay/lesbian tendencies it is because they "chose" to develop those character traits during the millennia’s of their pre-mortal existence. If a person is suffering under the weight of their own sexuality they still have nobody to blame but themselves and, being subject to the commandments of God, having exorcised their free agency to develop their own character traits, it can be rightfully said that they are still subject to the consequences of their actions via the judgment of a perfectly just God. In short, trying to blame God for your own foolishness will not wash, it never has and it never will. This is not a game, we are being tried and judged to see the strength and weaknesses of who we chose to become "BEFORE" we were born into mortality. Our sexual tendencies most certainly were a choice we made for ourselves and must now, good or bad, live with the consequences.

Wow, this changes everything; although, I am a little curious as to the source of this information.

 

[Revoltingest]

Life does not begin at birth and if a person is born with gay/lesbian tendencies it is because they "chose" to develop those character traits during the millennia’s of their pre-mortal existence. If a person is suffering under the weight of their own sexuality they still have nobody to blame but themselves and, being subject to the commandments of God, having exorcised their free agency to develop their own character traits, it can be rightfully said that they are still subject to the consequences of their actions via the judgment of a perfectly just God. In short, trying to blame God for your own foolishness will not wash, it never has and it never will. This is not a game, we are being tried and judged to see the strength and weaknesses of who we chose to become "BEFORE" we were born into mortality. Our sexual tendencies most certainly were a choice we made for ourselves and must now, good or bad, live with the consequences.

Hmmm.....there are some interesting ramifications of the underlined reasoning.
If other traits are the result of a freely made pre-birth selection, then some people have chosen...
- to have a speech impediment, when they could just choose to speak normally.
- to have sub-par intelligence, when they could just choose the right test answers.
- to have migraine headaches, when they could just choose not to have pain in their thinking organ
- to be schizophrenic, when they could choose to ignore the voices
- to be depressed, when they could choose to be happy.

I wish I'd chosen to be more ruggedly handsome. Was that an option?

 

[MW0082]

Happens in jail all the time.

And unlike your personal ancedote attempt at evidence, there are hard statistics on the matter at the DOJ website.

No it does not happen in jail all the time, it does happen in long term prison containments. With violent and clearly mentally unstable individuals. I have been to jail, and prison, not ashamed. Sorry to say it doesn't happen as often as they claim it to. Even when it does it is between consenting homosexuals. I am going to try and find the documentary on it.

Accoriding to the documentary it happens more often in youth detainment centers, and maximum security centers, and that was due to the gang initiative and the lack of outside connect. Which I would also say all these individuals were already outside the norm of society.

 

[Eliot Wild]

I wish I'd chosen to be more ruggedly handsome.

Believe me, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Most of the time I wish I weren't so dashingly good-looking--people tend to think of me as nothing more than a pretty face.

At times too, I find myself wishing I weren't so witty and funny--people tend think because I'm a bundle of laughs and so much fun at parties that I'm also shallow and incapable of deep thoughts.

And finally, I often find myself wishing I weren't so dang loving, generous and charitable. But, what can I say, that is just my nature, and others often take advantage of me in that regard.

No, be glad, Revoltingest, that you aren't stuck with my unenviable traits.

 

[Revoltingest]

Believe me, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Most of the time I wish I weren't so dashingly good-looking--people tend to think of me as nothing more than a pretty face.

At times too, I find myself wishing I weren't so witty and funny--people tend think because I'm a bundle of laughs and so much fun at parties that I'm also shallow and incapable of deep thoughts.

And finally, I often find myself wishing I weren't so dang loving, generous and charitable. But, what can I say, that is just my nature, and others often take advantage of me in that regard.

No, be glad, Revoltingest, that you aren't stuck with my unenviable traits.

I feel embiggened now...thanx!

 

[AxisMundi]

No it does not happen in jail all the time, it does happen in long term prison containments. With violent and clearly mentally unstable individuals. I have been to jail, and prison, not ashamed. Sorry to say it doesn't happen as often as they claim it to. Even when it does it is between consenting homosexuals. I am going to try and find the documentary on it.

Accoriding to the documentary it happens more often in youth detainment centers, and maximum security centers, and that was due to the gang initiative and the lack of outside connect. Which I would also say all these individuals were already outside the norm of society.

You'll forgive me, I trust, if I do not believe you, considering my own personal experiences and they plethora of clinical research and simple statistics available.

BTW, a "documentary" does not proof make, sorry. A documentary is, for all intents and purposes, the opinions of the producer.

In any area where people are removed from the opposite sex for prolonged periods, jail, ship board (especially back in the day), etc. a number of people will turn towards their own gender to satisfy the single most basic instinct in the human animal, sex. When those who are hetero are returned to the general society, they also return to their normal sexual activities, ie sex with the opposite gender.

Like most who remain willfully ignorant on the matter, you confuse, and refuse to seperate, same-gendered sex with homosexuality.

 

[AxisMundi]

Life does not begin at birth and if a person is born with gay/lesbian tendencies it is because they "chose" to develop those character traits during the millennia’s of their pre-mortal existence. If a person is suffering under the weight of their own sexuality they still have nobody to blame but themselves and, being subject to the commandments of God, having exorcised their free agency to develop their own character traits, it can be rightfully said that they are still subject to the consequences of their actions via the judgment of a perfectly just God. In short, trying to blame God for your own foolishness will not wash, it never has and it never will. This is not a game, we are being tried and judged to see the strength and weaknesses of who we chose to become "BEFORE" we were born into mortality. Our sexual tendencies most certainly were a choice we made for ourselves and must now, good or bad, live with the consequences.

And why would someone "choose" to be born with an inherent, natural trait that would lead to their oppression, discrimination, and persecution?

 

[Maimonides]

This is my area. As a neuropsychologist I can say with confidence that there has been some research that has shown anatomical differences in the brain (hypothalamus etc) and cerebral asymmetry between hetero and homosexuals. If anyone undertands basic biology you would know that the hypothalamus (below the thalamus) controls the release of hormones (propagated by the endocrine system) to release hormones for sexual desire. Now if there have been consistent reports of differences in the size of the hypothalamus of gay men and straight men then we can infer a genetic factor. Even research has shown gay males and females who were raised in a conditioned heterosexual environment still report to have homosexual desire. Its not a matter of rejecting your so-called true nature at all its about what your brain desires. Having a penis or a vagina does not necessitate sexual orientation at all.

 

[Revoltingest]

This is my area. As a neuropsychologist I can say with confidence that there has been some research that has shown anatomical differences in the brain (hypothalamus etc) and cerebral asymmetry between hetero and homosexuals. If anyone undertands basic biology you would know that the hypothalamus (below the thalamus) controls the release of hormones (propagated by the endocrine system) to release hormones for sexual desire. Now if there have been consistent reports of differences in the size of the hypothalamus of gay men and straight men then we can infer a genetic factor. Even research has shown gay males and females who were raised in a conditioned heterosexual environment still report to have homosexual desire. Its not a matter of rejecting your so-called true nature at all its about what your brain desires. Having a penis or a vagina does not necessitate sexual orientation at all.

An interesting perspective you have.
Btw, greetings, fellow Boondocks fan!

 

[Maimonides]

An interesting perspective you have.
Btw, greetings, fellow Boondocks fan!

Hey thanks I should have appropriately introduced myself in the thread for introduction. Thanks for the greeting!

 

[Midnight Pete]

This is my area. As a neuropsychologist I can say with confidence that there has been some research that has shown anatomical differences in the brain (hypothalamus etc) and cerebral asymmetry between hetero and homosexuals. If anyone undertands basic biology you would know that the hypothalamus (below the thalamus) controls the release of hormones (propagated by the endocrine system) to release hormones for sexual desire. Now if there have been consistent reports of differences in the size of the hypothalamus of gay men and straight men then we can infer a genetic factor. Even research has shown gay males and females who were raised in a conditioned heterosexual environment still report to have homosexual desire. Its not a matter of rejecting your so-called true nature at all its about what your brain desires. Having a penis or a vagina does not necessitate sexual orientation at all.

What Your Brain Desires = Your True Nature