Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Fri, 18 Dec 1992 12:17:15 -0500
From:         "N. L. Tinkham" <nlt@GBORO.GLASSBORO.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Two questions

Claude Garner writes:

>    My second question is about civil rights for gays. Are we doing
> these people a favor by granting special accomodations for a self-
> destructive life style? I don't think that there can be any arguing
> against the fact that on the average gays have a considerably shorter
> life expectancy than heterosexuals.

I have only netnews as a source of the life expectancy statistics, and
I'm going by memory at that.  As I recall, the claim is that gay men
(and lesbians also?) have shorter lives on average than their heterosexual
counterparts.  Let us grant, for the sake of argument, that the statistics
are correct.

If homosexuals have shorter life expectancies than heterosexuals, that
does not tell us that it is the homosexuality in itself that causes the
shorter life expectancy.  There are other possibilities; for example:

        + Rejection by friends and family may lead to rejection of self
          and ultimately to suicide.

        + Rejection by friends and family may cause a high level of
          stress, resulting in a higher level of heart attack and other
          stress-related health problems.

        + Without the option of marriage to one's partner (with all the
          encouragement toward fidelity that goes along with marriage),
          homosexuals may be more likely to have multiple partners and
          thus be more at risk for sexually-transmitted diseases.

        + Homosexuals may be killed because of their sexual orientation
          more often than heterosexuals are.

If studies show that factors like these contribute to the shorter life
expectancy, then our responsibility changes.  In particular, if it turns
out that homosexuals die younger because heterosexuals reject them, then
our continued rejection will probably continue to make their lives shorter
and less happy.

As a Christian, I am torn on this issue between the obligation to follow
St. Paul's laws and the obligation to follow Jesus' command to love my
neighbor as myself.  There are statements from Paul which, while ambiguous,
do seem to condemn homosexual behavior and which must be taken into account.
(I have no idea whether the Apostle of Grace really intended his letters
to be turned into another Law.)  However, there is also the command from
Jesus, and I don't think that I am acting lovingly toward a gay or lesbian
couple when I condemn their emotional and physical intimacy and when I
refuse to encourage them in a lifelong commitment to each other.


To return to the specific question:  I think it is likely that the brevity
of life reflected in the statistics is caused in part by the denial of civil
rights and of basic acceptance and friendship.  If I am correct, then the
granting of civil rights should make the situation better, not worse.

_____________________________________________________________________________

                                              Nancy Tinkham
                                              nlt@gboro.glassboro.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU