Homosexuality: Wrong or Right?

[Lizbeth]

People stick their tongues in each other's mouths. It's nasty, I know, but they do. Is that where their tongues should be stuck? Is it sin since each tongue was made for its own mouth? I would appreciate it if no one ever stuck their tongue in my mouth, but if other folks want to do that consensually, what does that have to do with me? I make no judgment on that nastiness so long as they keep it to themselves. No harm, no foul.

Oh but very much harm I'm afraid. Conjugal relations between same sexes is against God's laws and has consequences, like all sins....it opens the door for demons to enter and harm the person in soul and/or body, for one thing....God judges sin....people often don't see the connection between different problems in their life and sins they have done. Unless the Lord reveals it. And that's just on an individual level, there are consequences on a societal level as well, as we see with Sodom and Gomorrah in the bible for example. A society that embraces sin is walking out from under the umbrella of God's blessing into the hands of the devil who is nobody's friend, but only comes to steal, kill and destroy. God's laws and commands are for our good, that we might be blessed in the keeping of them and not cursed.

Rom 1:27

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

(Whereas French kissing is not sinful in itself that I know of unless of course someone is doing it with someone other than their own spouse.)

 

[amigo de christo]

Oh but very much harm I'm afraid. Conjugal relations between same sexes is against God's laws and has consequences, like all sins....it opens the door for demons to enter and harm the person in soul and/or body, for one thing....God judges sin....people often don't see the connection between different problems in their life and sins they have done. Unless the Lord reveals it. And that's just on an individual level, there are consequences on a societal level as well, as we see with Sodom and Gomorrah in the bible for example. A society that embraces sin is walking out from under the umbrella of God's blessing into the hands of the devil who is nobody's friend, but only comes to steal, kill and destroy. God's laws and commands are for our good, that we might be blessed in the keeping of them and not cursed.

Rom 1:27

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

(Whereas French kissing is not sinful in itself that I know of unless of course someone is doing it with someone other than their own spouse.)

Lets examine something . notice it says UNSEEMINGLY .
I would like us to turn to chapter thirteen in corinthians now .
KNOWN as the CHARITY chapter . Now notice it says we could have given all our goods to the poor
even our body to be BURNT in the flame . OUCH . AND YET IF WE HAVE NOT CHARITY IT PROFITS US NOTHING .
No charity , ONE DONT KNOW GOD .
Now lets see what it also says about charity . OH yeah it dont rejoice in iniquity , it dont behave itself UNSEEMINGLY
OUCH , that just exposed same sex as not being LOVE BIG TIME . CHARITY DONT , repeat DONT behave itself
UNSEEMINGLY . SO those who do so DONT HAVE CHARITY . BINGO . CHARITY REJOICES IN ONE THING
THE TRUTH .

 

[CadyandZoe]

I'd like that very much.

.

Biblical exegesis aims to uncover the intended and original meaning of the author's words. However, this can be difficult as we are separated from the author by distance, time, culture, and language. Despite these challenges, discovering the author's meaning is not impossible because the main theme of the Bible, which is the nature of man and the will of God, remains constant. Despite the separation, we share a common humanity with the author which makes it possible for us to understand the author's intended meaning.

After spending extensive hours studying the Bible, I have come to the conclusion that it is a reliable and accurate account of both the present condition of humanity and the will of God. Applying the skill of exegesis, which can also be used on other types of texts such as philosophical, literary or legal texts, we ask four essential questions: What does it say? What does it mean? What is the significance? And, is it true? The last question is crucial as it distinguishes the approach of an atheist from that of a believer. As believers, we never question the truth of the Bible since we have decided to follow Jesus, our master, and trust in him.

In the past, I used to engage in debates with atheists about the concept of inerrancy, particularly with regards to "apparent contradictions." These contradictions were referred to as "apparent" because a preliminary reading of a Biblical passage often seemed to conflict with another Biblical passage. The process of resolving these contradictions typically involved spending a significant amount of time trying to understand the author's intent and determining the objective meaning of both texts. Once the objective meaning was identified, it became clear that the supposed contradiction was not actually a contradiction at all.

I have investigated most of the apparent contradictions myself and have found a resolution to them all. There is only one apparent contradiction that I was unable to resolve myself. But, having put so much work into my investigations, and having found a resolution to them all except one, I am confident that a resolution can be found if more background material could be discovered.

What I am saying is this. To fully understand the true meaning of a text, it is imperative to invest time and effort to attain the intended message of the author. Failure to do so could result in a misinterpretation of the text, leading to an "apparent" contradiction. While exegesis can be challenging, encountering an apparent contradiction is not a valid reason to abandon the process altogether. A skeptic may argue that the Bible contains errors and use a Bible search program to find similar wording or phraseology to back up their claim. However, if one believes that the Bible is true in all it says, it becomes necessary to put in the time and effort to find a resolution to any apparent contradictions.

_______________________________________________
*Exegesis is the process of critically explaining or interpreting a text, especially a religious text such as the Bible. Exegesis can involve studying the historical and cultural context of the text, the literary genre and style of the text, the grammatical and syntactical features of the text, and the meaning and implications of the text for its readers. Exegesis is often contrasted with eisegesis, which is the practice of reading one’s own subjective ideas into the text, rather than drawing out the objective meaning of the text. Exegesis is an important skill for scholars, theologians, and anyone who wants to understand a text more deeply.

 

[CadyandZoe]

Oh but very much harm I'm afraid. Conjugal relations between same sexes is against God's laws and has consequences, like all sins....it opens the door for demons to enter and harm the person in soul and/or body, for one thing....God judges sin....people often don't see the connection between different problems in their life and sins they have done. Unless the Lord reveals it. And that's just on an individual level, there are consequences on a societal level as well, as we see with Sodom and Gomorrah in the bible for example. A society that embraces sin is walking out from under the umbrella of God's blessing into the hands of the devil who is nobody's friend, but only comes to steal, kill and destroy. God's laws and commands are for our good, that we might be blessed in the keeping of them and not cursed.

Rom 1:27

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

(Whereas French kissing is not sinful in itself that I know of unless of course someone is doing it with someone other than their own spouse.)

I was reluctant to speak about the demon aspect, but now that you have raised it, I must agree. I once knew a man who had a prison ministry, bringing the good news of the Gospel to the prisoners and praying with them. One day a man spoke about his homosexuality and that he was being oppressed by a demon because of it. Since then I have learned that the worship of Baal Peor involved orgies and homosexual practice. Someone told me that the name "Peor" means "any hole."

That's all I know about it, which is very little I understand. But given the current cultural climate, I can't help wondering.

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

Yet you dont see me calling you a troll do ya

Yep, when you put up points they can't explain away... they start calling you a "troll"

 

[BarneyFife]

@amigo de christo,

Sincerest apologies to you for my outbursts.

I make this apology publicly because my offense was public.

.

 

[amigo de christo]

@amigo de christo,

Sincerest apologies to you for my outbursts.

I make this apology publicly because my offense was public.

.

You are loved my friend .
Let us take heed to yoursecond sentence . Now let us ponder on this .
You stated you make this apology publicly before all because your offense was public .
Yes indeed my friend .
I want to use this good example you gave to show us all something . Or rather i should say to REMIND us
of something we might all know but might have let slip or forgot .
You ever wonder why paul wrote and said those who SIN , REBUKE BEFORE ALL , that others may fear .
They sinned in the presence of the church and thus it had to be rebuked in the presence of the church
SO as the church itself would also know , OH YEAH that IS SIN and we ought not dare to do it .
So i hope my dear friend and all who do or might read this will allow me some parting words .
IF those who claim to KNOW CHRIST are in the church and YET they walk in SIN , and its known SIN
REBUKE BEFORE ALL that others may also fear .
Always remember that . Cause i see a rainbow indeeed and gay married folks sitting in churches
AND NOT A SOUL SAYS A THING . Last time i checked GOD dont accept man with man or woman with woman
LET ALONE them being married claiming to KNOW HIM too . DO you ever get the feeling SEEKER FRIENDLY
might have actually been of the dragon and NOT OF GOD . I DO . and its more than a feeling .
PS that aint some ol song that just popped into my head , MORE THAN A FEELING
ITS actually the truth .

 

[amigo de christo]

Oh but very much harm I'm afraid. Conjugal relations between same sexes is against God's laws and has consequences, like all sins....it opens the door for demons to enter and harm the person in soul and/or body, for one thing....God judges sin....people often don't see the connection between different problems in their life and sins they have done. Unless the Lord reveals it. And that's just on an individual level, there are consequences on a societal level as well, as we see with Sodom and Gomorrah in the bible for example. A society that embraces sin is walking out from under the umbrella of God's blessing into the hands of the devil who is nobody's friend, but only comes to steal, kill and destroy. God's laws and commands are for our good, that we might be blessed in the keeping of them and not cursed.

Rom 1:27

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

(Whereas French kissing is not sinful in itself that I know of unless of course someone is doing it with someone other than their own spouse.)

To the trenches sister . the lambs make our STAND NOW and shall contend for the truth no matter the cost .

 

[TinMan]

Not fake. It is real science. You just don’t like the reality of science based conclusions.

Show that this is science based. Explain how obituary clippings are representee of the gay population as a whole? It isn't.
Explain how a handful of obituary clippings tells us anything about the life expectancy of millions of gays and lesbians alive in 1994.
Show us how obituaries are used to determine anyone else's life expectancy.

But pretend for just a moment that the man who lost his job and his professional license because he fabricated research data is somehow right and homosexuals do have a shortened life expectancy. What does that say about gays and lesbians?

 

[CadyandZoe]

Fake data made form newspaper obituary clippings by a disgraced former professor is not science

What science has shown is that depression and substance abuse issues in LGBT people are tied directly to discrimination and harassment and rejection and being the target of so many lies form people so desperate to justify their own prejudices that they are willing to like about things like life expectancy.

Being born is fatal

some interpert it that way

That's not true. Depression is the outcome of unresolved guilt. And substance abuse is part of the hedonistic lifestyle.

 

[Wrangler]

Show that this is science based

I already did - multiple times.

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

What science has shown is that depression and substance abuse issues in LGBT people are tied directly to discrimination and harassment and rejection and being the target of so many lies form people so desperate to justify their own prejudices that they are willing to like about things like life expectancy.

What a fresh, piping hot, stinky load of horse hockey that is!

 

[TinMan]

That's not true. Depression is the outcome of unresolved guilt. And substance abuse is part of the hedonistic lifestyle.

Sorry the association is very well documented.


Charles P. Hoy-Ellis (2023) Minority Stress and Mental Health: A Review of the Literature, Journal of Homosexuality

Ventriglio, A., Castaldelli-Maia, J., Torales, J., De Berardis, D., & Bhugra, D. (2021). Homophobia and mental health: A scourge of modern era. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences

Mendoza-Perez, J. C., & Ortiz-Hernandez, L. (2021). Association Between Overt and Subtle Experiences of Discrimination and Violence and Mental Health in Homosexual and Bisexual Men Journal of Interpersonal Violence

Götz Mundle, Lieselotte Mahler & Dinesh Bhugra (2015) Homosexuality and Mental Health, International Review of Psychiatry,

M.J. Rotherman-Borus Suicidal Behavior and Gay-Related Stress among Gay and Bisexual Male Adolescents Journal of adolescent research 2013

V. P. Poteat and D. L. Espelage Predicting Psychosocial Consequences of Homophobic Victimization in Middle School Students Journal of Adolescence 2009

Meyer, I. H . Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. Psychological Bulletin, Sep 2003

V.M. Mays & S.D. Cochran “Mental health correlates of perceived discrimination among lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in the United States 2001

J. Ramirez-Valles, L. M. Kuhns, R. T. Campbell, and R. M. Diaz Social Integration and Health: Community Involvement, Stigmatized Identities, and Sexual Risk in Latino Sexual Minorities journal of health and societal behavior.2010

L. E. Ross, C. Dobinson, and A. Eady Perceived Determinants of Mental Health for Bisexual People: A Qualitative Examination American Journal of Public Health 2009

S. K. Dane and G. MacDonald Heterosexuals' acceptance predicts the well-being of same-sex attracted young adults beyond ingroup support Journal of social and personal relationships 2007

D. M. Huebner, G. M. Rebchook, and S. M. Kegeles. Experiences of Harassment, Discrimination, and Physical Violence Among Young Gay and Bisexual Men American Journal of public heath 2005

Mays, V.M. and Cochran, S.D. Mental Health Correlates of Perceived Discrimination Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in the United States. American Journal of Public Health Nov 2001

M.L. Hatzenbuehler The Social Environment and Suicide Attempts in Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Youth. Pediatrics 2011

Cochran, S.D. Sulivan, J.G. and Mays V.M. Prevalence of mental disorders, psychological distress, and mental services use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Feb 2003

Sanfort, T.G.M., deGraaf, R. and Schnabel, P. Same-Sex Sexual Behavior and Psychiatric Disorders: : Findings From the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001

Meyer, I. H. Minority Stress and Mental Health in Gay Men Journal of health and social behavior 2010

Fredrikson, K.I et al Successful Aging Among LGBT Older Adults: Physical and Mental Health-Related Quality of Life by Age Group. The Gerontologist Sept 2014

Kattari, S.K. and Hasche, L. Differences Across Age Groups in Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People's Experiences of Health Care Discrimination, Harassment, and Victimization. J of Aging June 2015

Peel, E. and Nodin, N. Risk and Resilience Explored for Sexual Minorities in England: Qualitative Findings. Applied Qualitative Research in Psychology, Aug 2014

Burns M.N. et al Mental Health Disorders in Young Urban Sexual Minority Men. J of Adolescent Health Jan 2015

Holloway, I. W. Padilla, M. B. and WIllner, L. Effects of Minority stress processes on the mental health of Latino men who have sex with men. Arch of sexual behavior Sept 2014

Charles K. et al Sexual minority status and trauma symptom severity. J of behavioral medicine Jan 2011

Marshal, P.M. and Dermody S.S. Depressive symptoms and suicidality among heterosexual and sexual minority youth J of youth and adolescence april 2013

Pachankis J. E. and COcran, S.D. The mental health of sexual minority adults in and out of the closet: A population-based study. J of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Oct 2015

Bostwick W.B. et al. Discrimination and mental health among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States. Am J of Orthopshcyiatry Jan 2014

D. M. Huebner, G. M. Rebchook, and S. M. Kegeles. Experiences of Harassment, Discrimination, and Physical Violence Among Young Gay and Bisexual Men American Journal of public heath 2005

Hershberger, S.L. N.W. Pilkington and A.R. D’Augelli. Predictors of Suicide Attempts Among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth. J of Adolescent research. 1997

Poteat, V.P. and D.L Espelage. Predicting Psychosocial Consequences of Homophobic Victimization in Middle School Students J of Adolescent research. 2007

Meyer, I. H . Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. Psychological Bulletin, Sep 2003

S. K. Dane and G. MacDonald Heterosexuals' acceptance predicts the well-being of same-sex attracted young adults beyond ingroup support Journal of social and personal relationships 2007

Kyung-Hee Choi, Paul J. Experiences of Discrimination and Their Impact on the Mental Health among African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men. Am J Public Health. 2013

Savin-Williams, Ritch C. Verbal and physical abuse as stressors in the lives of lesbian, gay male, and bisexual youths: Associations with school problems, running away, substance abuse, prostitution, and suicide. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2014

Graham L.F. Et al Factors Influencing Depression and Anxiety among Black Sexual Minority Men. J of depression research and treatment 2011

Amanda L. Peterson, Ansley M. Bender, Benjamin Sullivan & Marc S. Karver 2021 Ambient Discrimination, Victimization, and Suicidality in a Non-Probability U.S. Sample of LGBTQ Adults Archives of Sexual Behavior

Clark KA, Cochran SD, Maiolatesi AJ, Pachankis JE (2020) Prevalence of bullying among youth classified as LGBTQ who died by suicide as reported in the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2003–2017. JAMA Pediatr.

Ream GL (2019) What’s unique about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth and young adult suicides? Findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System. J Adolesc Health

dickey, l. m., & Budge, S. L. (2020). Suicide and the transgender experience: A public health crisis. American Psychologist

Johns MM, Lowry R, Andrzejewski J, Barrios LC, Demissie Z, McManus T, Underwood MJ (2019) Transgender identity and experiences of violence victimization, substance use, suicide risk, and sexual risk behaviors among high school students–19 states and large urban school districts, 2017. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep

Clements-Nolle, K., Marx, R., & Katz, M. (2006). Attempted suicide among transgender persons: The influence of gender-based discrimination and victimization. Journal of Homosexuality

John R. Blosnich, George R. Brown, Sybil Wojcio, Kenneth T. Jones, and Robert M. Bossarte.LGBT Health.Dec 2014.

V. P. Poteat and D. L. Espelage Predicting Psychosocial Consequences of Homophobic Victimization in Middle School Students Journal of Adolescence 2009

Nastasja M. de Graaf et al (2022) Suicidality in clinic-referred transgender adolescents Child and Ado psych

Dhejne C, Van Vlerken R, Heylens G, Arcelus J (2016) Mental health and gender dysphoria: a review of the literature. Int Rev Psychiatry

Nobili A, Glazebrook C, Arcelus J (2018) Quality of life of treatment-seeking transgender adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Rev Endocr Metab Disord

Valentine SE, Shipherd JC (2018) A systematic review of social stress and mental health among transgender and gender non-conforming people in the United States. Clin Psychol Rev

Zucker KJ, Lawrence AA, Kreukels BPC (2016) Gender dysphoria in adults. Ann Rev Clin Psychol

J. Ramirez-Valles, L. M. Kuhns, R. T. Campbell, and R. M. Diaz Social Integration and Health: Community Involvement, Stigmatized Identities, and Sexual Risk in Latino Sexual Minorities journal of health and societal behavior.2010

Meyer, I. H. Minority Stress and Mental Health in Gay Men Journal of health and social behavior 2010
Connolly MD, Zervos MJ, Barone CJ, Johnson CC, Joseph CLM (2016) The mental health of transgender youth: advances in understanding. J Adolesc Health

Russell ST, Fish JN (2016) Mental health in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Ann Rev Clin Psychol

Zucker KJ, Bradley SJ (1995) Gender identity disorder and psychosexual problems in children and adolescents.

Giacomo E, Krausz M, Colmegna F, Aspesi F, Clerici M (2018) Estimating the risk of attempted suicide among sexual minority youths: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr

Haas AP, Eliason M, Mays VM, Mathy RM, Cochran SD, D’Augelli AR, Clayton PJ (2011) Suicide and suicide risk in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations: review and recommendations. J Homosex

Marshall MP, Dietz LJ, Friedman MS, Stall R, Smith HA, McGinley J, Brent DA (2011) Suicidality and depression disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual youth: a meta-analytic review. J Adolesc Health

Baams, L., Grossman, A. H., & Russell, S. T. (2015). Minority stress and mechanisms of risk for depression and suicidal ideation among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. Developmental Psychology

Bränström, R., van der Star, A., & Pachankis, J. E. (2020). Untethered lives: Barriers to societal integration as predictors of the sexual orientation disparity in suicidality. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology,

 

[TinMan]

I already did - multiple times.

No, you just insisted that something published by a vanity press company by a disgraced college professor is totally scientific and beyond reproach.


There is no way to pretend that a pile of gay community newspaper obituary clippings is representative of any population.
Assuming that the deceased person wasn't famous, an obituary appears in a gay community newspaper only if (1) the publisher knew the deceased personally. or (2) a loved one or friend notifies the an obscure newspaper that that probably had no idea even existed about the death and convince them to write and publish an obituary.

Such obituaries would only cover a fraction of 1% of homosexuals

left out of gay newspapers' obituaries Cameron's "studies"
gay men and lesbians who were not involved in the gay community
gay men and lesbians who were in the closet
gay men and lesbians whose loved ones or family didn't want their homosexuality to be known
gay men and lesbians whose loved ones or family didn't send an obituary to a gay community newspaper
gay men and lesbians who didn't live in an urban area


Any estimation estimate of the life span of gay men and lesbians would have to count such people.

 

[Lizbeth]

I was reluctant to speak about the demon aspect, but now that you have raised it, I must agree. I once knew a man who had a prison ministry, bringing the good news of the Gospel to the prisoners and praying with them. One day a man spoke about his homosexuality and that he was being oppressed by a demon because of it. Since then I have learned that the worship of Baal Peor involved orgies and homosexual practice. Someone told me that the name "Peor" means "any hole."

That's all I know about it, which is very little I understand. But given the current cultural climate, I can't help wondering.

Amen. I have heard testimonies of homosexuals being set free from homosexuality when a demon was cast out of them. The church needs to do more of that. I suspect many problems, including many mental health issues are caused by demons that can be cast out. It is a form of ministry that is so badly needed in my opinion, and all the more these days.

 

[CadyandZoe]

I already did - multiple times.

Some people misunderstand science. They don't realize that science has two parts: 1) data collection, and 2) data interpretation (conclusion.) In this case, scientists have collected enough data to see that homosexuals have a much higher rate of substance abuse than the general population. The numbers are indisputable but the scientific conclusions are opinions, which can be debated. Below, I will offer three of the four reasons found on the internet for why homosexuals have a high rate of substance abuse disorder.

1. They may face social stigma, discrimination, violence, and harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This can cause minority stress, which is a type of chronic stress that can lead to various mental and physical problems.
2. They may use substances to cope with negative emotions, such as shame, guilt, fear, or loneliness.
3. They may also use substances to enhance their sexual experiences or to fit in with their peers who use substances.

I can think of another reason that seems more plausible to me -- one that Paul the Apostle suggested.


Romans 1:24-27

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.​

​

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.​

Paul believes that homosexuality is a passion that degrades one of the partners involved, causing them to feel disrespected, humiliated, and contemptuous. Such degradation often leads to low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, anger, or hopelessness, which can cause a lot of stress and pain. Consequently, some individuals may resort to substances to cope or escape from such negative emotions.

 

[CadyandZoe]

Amen. I have heard testimonies of homosexuals being set free from homosexuality when a demon was cast out of them. The church needs to do more of that. I suspect many problems, including many mental health issues are caused by demons that can be cast out. It is a form of ministry that is so badly needed in my opinion, and all the more these days.

Prayer is needed. Maybe God will hear and have mercy.

 

[CadyandZoe]

Sorry the association is very well documented.

Okay, you found some article titles. Did you read any of the articles?

We already discussed that homosexuals have a higher risk of substance abuse, which impairs judgment and can lead to suicide. I argued that the most common and obvious reason why a gay man might commit suicide is that his "partner" continually degrades him, abuses him, humiliates him, and holds him in contempt. Homosexuality is a degrading passion, which is why it leads to an increase and substance abuse and suicide.

 

[Lizbeth]

Some people misunderstand science. They don't realize that science has two parts: 1) data collection, and 2) data interpretation (conclusion.) In this case, scientists have collected enough data to see that homosexuals have a much higher rate of substance abuse than the general population. The numbers are indisputable but the scientific conclusions are opinions, which can be debated. Below, I will offer three of the four reasons found on the internet for why homosexuals have a high rate of substance abuse disorder.

1. They may face social stigma, discrimination, violence, and harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This can cause minority stress, which is a type of chronic stress that can lead to various mental and physical problems.
2. They may use substances to cope with negative emotions, such as shame, guilt, fear, or loneliness.
3. They may also use substances to enhance their sexual experiences or to fit in with their peers who use substances.

I can think of another reason that seems more plausible to me -- one that Paul the Apostle suggested.


Romans 1:24-27

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.​

​

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.​

Paul believes that homosexuality is a passion that degrades one of the partners involved, causing them to feel disrespected, humiliated, and contemptuous. Such degradation often leads to low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, anger, or hopelessness, which can cause a lot of stress and pain. Consequently, some individuals may resort to substances to cope or escape from such negative emotions.

I'm sure many homosexual people must feel conflicted/confused on some level, which would be tormenting in itself. And not to mention that many of them have suffered abuse or neglect or rejection etc when they were young. They need understanding and to be ministered the love of God, but at the same time when it comes to those who have come to faith, they need the uncompromising word of God to help them overcome in that area of sin. "Go and sin no more" applies to all of us regarding any type of sin, God does not discriminate. And the fear of the Lord is everybody's best friend when under temptation of any kind.

 

[Lizbeth]

Sorry the association is very well documented.


Charles P. Hoy-Ellis (2023) Minority Stress and Mental Health: A Review of the Literature, Journal of Homosexuality

Ventriglio, A., Castaldelli-Maia, J., Torales, J., De Berardis, D., & Bhugra, D. (2021). Homophobia and mental health: A scourge of modern era. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences

Mendoza-Perez, J. C., & Ortiz-Hernandez, L. (2021). Association Between Overt and Subtle Experiences of Discrimination and Violence and Mental Health in Homosexual and Bisexual Men Journal of Interpersonal Violence

Götz Mundle, Lieselotte Mahler & Dinesh Bhugra (2015) Homosexuality and Mental Health, International Review of Psychiatry,

M.J. Rotherman-Borus Suicidal Behavior and Gay-Related Stress among Gay and Bisexual Male Adolescents Journal of adolescent research 2013

V. P. Poteat and D. L. Espelage Predicting Psychosocial Consequences of Homophobic Victimization in Middle School Students Journal of Adolescence 2009

Meyer, I. H . Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. Psychological Bulletin, Sep 2003

V.M. Mays & S.D. Cochran “Mental health correlates of perceived discrimination among lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in the United States 2001

J. Ramirez-Valles, L. M. Kuhns, R. T. Campbell, and R. M. Diaz Social Integration and Health: Community Involvement, Stigmatized Identities, and Sexual Risk in Latino Sexual Minorities journal of health and societal behavior.2010

L. E. Ross, C. Dobinson, and A. Eady Perceived Determinants of Mental Health for Bisexual People: A Qualitative Examination American Journal of Public Health 2009

S. K. Dane and G. MacDonald Heterosexuals' acceptance predicts the well-being of same-sex attracted young adults beyond ingroup support Journal of social and personal relationships 2007

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I'm sure there are can be many reasons for depression. Homosexuals are between a rock and hard place in some ways, they don't have it easy, just like people with all sorts of other problems don't......but the way out of such predicaments is only through Christ Jesus, through love of the truth, through denying self and following Him. It isn't in embracing sin but in taking God's side against it and taking up His cause and fighting the good fight of faith with His help. Sin can seem so good but is deceptive.... Satan baits his traps, it can feel so right.....but actually leads to hell and death. We all need to be guided by the Spirit and the Word, not by feelings, if we want eternal life.