Fundamentalism and Homosexuality

This is yet another entry about the creeping in of fundamentalism into who knows…maybe a church that you go to; it is most definitely creeping into mainstream Christian media.

Last night, my small group got onto the topic of homosexuality. They feel the need for confrontation within the church. According to them and their church, gay patrons shouldn’t be allowed to become members until they repent (i.e. turn away from sin, or rather, from being gay).

But, lately, we’ve been finding out that homosexuality is within the genes. That is to say, if you so choose to invoke deity, God made us to be gay or straight.

But fundamentalism doesn’t allow for this. There within lies a paradox. God made these people to have that specific sexual orientation, but the fundamentalist belief structure wants them to change, to repent. But, God made them that way didn’t He? And who are we to try to change God’s plan?

And if you believe in free will, let me direct you to Scott Adams, who might change your mind on that topic. Also, let me ask you how you even believe in a deity and reconcile that with free-will.

And I put forth that thought experiment to the small group. I asked them that if we found out prior to someone’s birth that they would be homosexual, would they choose to change the sexual orientation of people (while in the womb). You could not believe the immediate responses of, “no’s.” That is to say, the responses seem to say that we need to “teach” heterosexuality, and that anything else is a sin. In terms of sin, and repentance, then it requires a conscious decision to change sexual orientation, which I again wonder if it would be even possible.

Here’s the thing, as a heterosexual, I can’t imagine my sexual orientation ever being changed. So, how am I to expect that from the vice-versa situation?

Nevertheless, it all goes back to fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is right, and anything else is simply wrong. No questions. No pondering.

Also, it’s fundamentalism that gives incentive for churches to convert homosexuals. That is to say, if a fundamentalist church were to allow homosexuals to attend services without confrontation, that church would see their allowance of gay attendance as permission of homosexuality. After that, the fundamentalist church fears that it would lose grips on other “sins.” So, if the church has all these clear-cut sins laid out, it can’t allow for margin or doubt in any one area.