Recently I had a heated discussion about homosexuality with some good liberal friends. They contend that since homosexuality is seen among animals and since “God made people homosexual” that it is natural, normal and must be accepted. The discussion was heated though friendly. I thought I would respond and I share the response with you.

My letter begins:

Dear Friends:

We enjoyed your company and friendship this weekend. We were glad that we could host the birthday party. You are all welcome here anytime. In line with our discussion, I did some research on homosexuality, especially homosexuality among animals and the genetic propensity to homosexuality.

The challenge was made that since there are “homosexual animals” it “proves” homosexuality is natural. But, given that a few animals seem to demonstrate what might be referred to as homosexual behavior, that in itself, certainly provides no conclusive or foundational basis for the acceptance of homosexual behavior in the human population.

It does not establish homosexual behavior as normal, healthy, desirable or even morally right. Animals can be born with two heads (my friend hatched such a snake a few years ago) and people can be born as Siamese twins, but such aberrations don’t make the condition normal, healthy, or desirable. In fact, both are considered as odd, things to be gawked at or corrected.

If one replies, as you did, that homosexuality is natural because it is found among animals, then we should notice that there are all sorts of activities practiced by animals that we as humans reject as repulsive. There is extreme cruelty among animals: mothers eating their young, mates eating their partners after mating (e.g., the Black Widow spider), animals eating their own feces and vomit (dogs and cats), or urinating on themselves (goats), etc.

Some animals have mates for a lifetime while others have sex with multiple partners indiscriminately. I could go on and on. What can we draw from these facts? That it is OK for people to practice such things because animals do? Heavens no! Just because animals do things that animals do does not make them our model of morality and accepted behavior.

We are in sad shape if we look to the creatures to search for our origins or to find a model for our behavior. Even worse, if we begin to use animals as our model, we as humans can then justify any deviant behavior since many forms of aberrant and repulsive behavior can be found among the animals that share our planet. St. Paul was no fool 2,000 years ago when he wrote . . .

To read the rest of the letter, click here.

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