From: Terry M. Gray (grayt@lamar.colostate.edu)
Date: Tue Jan 21 2003 - 01:16:26 EST
At 9:25 PM -0700 1/20/03, Jim Armstrong wrote:
>I think I'm with Burgy on this one. We should proceed with great and
>tempered caution - the human genome findings have every potential to
>present the Christian community (of which I am a part) with one of
>the greatest challenges of this new millenium, should it identify a
>genetic link to homosexuality.
Why? Does the existence of a genetic or physical-chemical basis for
some sinful behavior excuse it?
If our fallenness extends to our genomes then there's really nothing
surprising about finding a genetic or physical-chemical basis for
homosexual tendencies or any other tendencies that might be deemed
sinful. If someone has a particular disposition toward some sin for
whatever reason--genetic, upbringing, hormonal imbalances, abusive
past, etc.--they simply must take greater care in resisting that
particular sin.
Some of us, for whatever reason (possibly any or all of the above)
have short tempers. Those who do must take special care to guard
against that particular sin, perhaps in ways that others don't have
to worry about. We all have temptations created by internal and
external factors that must be resisted. It is true, of course, that
some temptations are more culturally acceptable than others and that
succumbing to them is seen as being more heinous.
I think it's a big mistake to define "normal" as "whatever is in the
genome". For the Christian, normal is what scripture, rightly
interpreted, says. (Yes, I know, that doesn't necessarily answer all
the hard questions.)
TG
-- _________________ Terry M. Gray, Ph.D., Computer Support Scientist Chemistry Department, Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 grayt@lamar.colostate.edu http://www.chm.colostate.edu/~grayt/ phone: 970-491-7003 fax: 970-491-1801
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