From: ricko@ee.uts.edu.au (Rick Jelliffe)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Homosexuality and the so-called "Christian biblical stance."
Date: 28 Jul 92 06:24:24 GMT
Organization: University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

In soc.religion.christian you write:

>Sexuality has been studied closely though, (Kinsey surveys of sexual
>behaviour in the human male and human female - 1950s). The most reputable
>studies, (ie the Kinsey reports), show that sexuality is not a black and
>white issue, but follows a distribution curve.

>[Sidenote: The Kinsey studies were extremely carefully done, in total
>around 8000 people were surveyed, from all walks of life, from all social
>classes, from all areas. Due to the startling nature of the results, (most
>of us are basically bisexual), they had to be sure that the results could
>not simply be thrown away as worthless due to some technicality. The
>results have been repeated in many other reputable surveys. ]

The Kinsey results were not taken with a random sample. In fact, as
the book "Kinsey & Sex" clearly shows, it is very suspect as science,
and its results have not been repeated. If that book is correct, the
Kinsey Male Report is a non-random survey of white volunteers, of which
up to 25%  were in prison (some for sex offenses), up to 4% were
male prostitues, and the majority were unmarried. And this in 1948!
The definitions of homosexuality were so loose that a person could be
raped in prison and classify as a Homosexual. The book also claims that, 
even using the same bad data, such claims as "100% of the population is
heterosexual", and "only 2% of non-teenagers males are homosexual" can
also be made.

If you deny that homosexuality is determined genetically, but rather a result 
of imprinting or learning, then any attempt to draw universal & culture- 
independant conclusions about gayness in any country in any time is ridiculous,
yet this is the use to which the Kinsey report is continually put.

The other thing it did was confuse the Christian distinction of 
temptation and practise. We are all differently tempted in many different ways
during our lives; if we give in we can habituate ourselves, then having
and both the immediate temptations and the habits to cast off. 

If you are a Christian, that is the only demographic you are concerned with:
you are neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female (at least
not as your primary self-image). The gay movement of the Gay Pride variety, 
tends to promote homosexuality as an attribute which, if you possess it,
should be your primary self-image. 

I think it is useful to reject that, and think "I am a person in Christ who has
such-and-such temptations, and such-and-such failings". This is a calmer,
more reasonable approach than "I think he's cute, so I must be a (gasp)
Homosexual" or even "I've fallen many times, I may as well give up". 
It neither puts you into a secular intellectual-straightjacket (is that 
the right word?), nor hides from very real and strong forces. (In fact, 
I never even use the words gay or homosexual as nouns now, to avoid the fixity 
and part-for-whole-ness nounal use lends.)


For Catholics with homosexual interests, let me recommend frequent
confession and avoidance of habituating activity. And St Joseph is
a good prayer friend for anyone who wants chastity.

-ricko