Homosexuality: Born this way?

I went to Harvest Bible Chapel Miami last Sunday and was thinking about my new diet when a young man named Eddie began giving his testimony of faith. He mentioned that his parents escaped communist Cuba, and I elbowed my teenager. I’m trying to teach her about communism, socialism and capitalism. This Eddie told how he was a New York actor, so my ears perked up. He said his father was verbally abusive and Eddie related more to his mother and sisters. He invited Jesus into his heart as a teenager – and he began to lead a homosexual lifestyle in his 20s. I was really listening now. He pointed out his bride of three years in the third row. She was beautiful and beaming with love. They met at an Exodus International meeting, fell in love, married and now head up a ministry called Disciples of Purity. I was so impressed with their story I invited them to be guests on the first episode of my new radio show.

Here are the four parts of that interview:

The burning question was: “Were you born this way or is it a choice?” Eddie answered the question interestingly. He said, “Neither. Scientifically, there is no discovery of a ‘gay gene,’ but it’s not a choice either. I certainly didn’t choose to have same-sex attraction. Nobody really chooses that, especially when they’re young. … But I do believe we choose to act on our attractions, orientation, whatever you want to call it.” Jessica said, “I was not born gay. I was born heterosexual and fell into homosexual sin.”

Actually, we are all born sinners, so I guess we are all, in a sense, “born this way.”

Eddie explained that it’s all about “identity.” He said, “Our identity is no longer ‘gay’ or ‘ex-gay’ or ‘actor’ for that matter. My identity is Christ. It’s easy to put a label on ourselves, like ‘gay Christian’ or whatever. Some people think it is OK to be gay plus Christian, a gay Christian, but then their identity is orientation, not Christ. It’s Jesus plus nothing. Our identity is in Christ.” Jessica added that some people put “American” before “Christian” and that’s just as wrong.

“God is not the author of confusion but of peace. …” (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).

I remember doing a bit on the Update Desk at “Saturday Night Live” back around 1987. I was showing videos of my baby Scarlet playing in the park and pretending I was searching for “terrorists” in the park for my “journalism” job. Dennis said, “C’mon Vic.” I replied, “Dennis, I am number one, a mother, number two, a journalist, number three a Christian …” something to that effect. I listed my five identities, and I remember writing the bit and thinking I should list Christian first, but it wouldn’t fit the joke. I had to say mother first to make the joke work.

What is my identity?

Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”