Homosexuality unhealthy
Mar 11, 2003
YOUR PLATFORM:<br>Dr. Sylvia Tamale has recently made headlines by suggesting that opposition to homosexuality is based on primitive myths, which enlightened folk should get beyond!
YOUR PLATFORM:
Dr. Sylvia Tamale has recently made headlines by suggesting that opposition to homosexuality is based on primitive myths, which enlightened folk should get beyond!
In fact, Tamale, whose ‘research’ does not seem to go far beyond the propaganda of the Western gay rights lobby, generates some myths of her own about this subject. These include:
The myth of ‘the gay Gene; That homosexuality is genetic as Dr. Tamale asserts, is far from being scientifically proven and is based on one study by Dean Hamer in USA in 1993.
Studies have contradicted Hamer’s attempt to correlate homosexuality with genetics, and Hamer himself later admitted that the gene in question (Xq28) did not cause one’s sexual orientation. There is no study that has proven the existence of such a gene.
The myth of healthy homosexuality
Tamale speaks of homosexuality as if it were a mere variation in taste, like preferring millet to matooke. But this is far from the case. Studies have found that children who end up gay often come from dysfunctional families; especially where a son’s relationship with his father impairs the son’s development into a self-assured man. This may be due to the pampering or harshness of the mother, or lack of a strong model of leadership of the father.
Dr. Mario Bergner, a former gay who found healing and is now married with three children, reflects on his experience and concludes that “the homosexual does not love another of the same sex to give of himself. Rather.to take for himself...†Clearly any definition of love centred on taking must of necessity empty someone. This is no different from sexual licence –– someone has to pay in all so-called ‘free sex’; free sex, free consequences. Eviden-ce shows great harm homosexuality can do, such as:
A 25 to 35-year decrease in life expectancy.
Chronic, potentially fatal, liver disease.
Multiple bowel and other infectious diseases, including rectal cancer.
A much higher than usual incidence of suicide.
Spread of HIV/AIDS.
The myth of homosexu-ality as a human right
Dr. Tamale’s arguments would suggest that our laws are a violation of human rights. But again, her evidence is insubstantial. The UN Human Rights Declaration (Article 2) does not specify homosexuality as a human right. Rights are based on human nature, which is rooted in biological nature, where one can easily see that opposite sexes are natural complements. it takes a man and woman to make a family, and thus the Declaration goes on to claim that “the family is the fundamental unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the Stateâ€
Religion and the truth
It appears Tamale wishes to start her own religion, without considering the possibility that the Christian religion is the foundation of truth. Too bad, because many Christian scholars can confirm that wherever objective arts and sciences interact with Christianity, no Christian has reason to fear that Christianity will not be vindicated. “Nobody breaks God’s Law; god’s law breaks those who attempt to break it.â€
Dr. Tamale rightly admires Jesus Christ who embraced all outcasts. And homosexuals are broken people. But that does not change the fact that when Jesus embraced sinners, he went on to say: “Go and sin no more!†Jesus was very clear that “from the beginning God created the human race male and female†(Mathew 19:4).
I believe he would have said the same to homosexuals today. We do a disservice to Him when we cast out a sinner but a greater injury when we accept the sin as right.
The Rev. Dr. John Senyonyi, the writer is the Chaplain of Uganda Christian University, Mukono
Dr. Sylvia Tamale has recently made headlines by suggesting that opposition to homosexuality is based on primitive myths, which enlightened folk should get beyond!
In fact, Tamale, whose ‘research’ does not seem to go far beyond the propaganda of the Western gay rights lobby, generates some myths of her own about this subject. These include:
The myth of ‘the gay Gene; That homosexuality is genetic as Dr. Tamale asserts, is far from being scientifically proven and is based on one study by Dean Hamer in USA in 1993.
Studies have contradicted Hamer’s attempt to correlate homosexuality with genetics, and Hamer himself later admitted that the gene in question (Xq28) did not cause one’s sexual orientation. There is no study that has proven the existence of such a gene.
The myth of healthy homosexuality
Tamale speaks of homosexuality as if it were a mere variation in taste, like preferring millet to matooke. But this is far from the case. Studies have found that children who end up gay often come from dysfunctional families; especially where a son’s relationship with his father impairs the son’s development into a self-assured man. This may be due to the pampering or harshness of the mother, or lack of a strong model of leadership of the father.
Dr. Mario Bergner, a former gay who found healing and is now married with three children, reflects on his experience and concludes that “the homosexual does not love another of the same sex to give of himself. Rather.to take for himself...†Clearly any definition of love centred on taking must of necessity empty someone. This is no different from sexual licence –– someone has to pay in all so-called ‘free sex’; free sex, free consequences. Eviden-ce shows great harm homosexuality can do, such as:
The myth of homosexu-ality as a human right
Dr. Tamale’s arguments would suggest that our laws are a violation of human rights. But again, her evidence is insubstantial. The UN Human Rights Declaration (Article 2) does not specify homosexuality as a human right. Rights are based on human nature, which is rooted in biological nature, where one can easily see that opposite sexes are natural complements. it takes a man and woman to make a family, and thus the Declaration goes on to claim that “the family is the fundamental unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the Stateâ€
Religion and the truth
It appears Tamale wishes to start her own religion, without considering the possibility that the Christian religion is the foundation of truth. Too bad, because many Christian scholars can confirm that wherever objective arts and sciences interact with Christianity, no Christian has reason to fear that Christianity will not be vindicated. “Nobody breaks God’s Law; god’s law breaks those who attempt to break it.â€
Dr. Tamale rightly admires Jesus Christ who embraced all outcasts. And homosexuals are broken people. But that does not change the fact that when Jesus embraced sinners, he went on to say: “Go and sin no more!†Jesus was very clear that “from the beginning God created the human race male and female†(Mathew 19:4).
I believe he would have said the same to homosexuals today. We do a disservice to Him when we cast out a sinner but a greater injury when we accept the sin as right.
The Rev. Dr. John Senyonyi, the writer is the Chaplain of Uganda Christian University, Mukono