Why are there so many homosexuals?

[Dolphin]

Diversity is part of humanity

 

[blackforest]

I think you answered your own question successfully.

These days, they preferred to be called gay or lesbian. It’s not just an empty PC thing, but some believe that “homosexual” sounds too clinical and impersonal, kind of like saying “homo sapiens” instead of people.

It may be somewhat comparable to alcoholism.

Difference: Alcoholism can end.

In ancient Greece it is estimated that roughly 50% of the population practiced same-sex acts.

I do think that being and practicing are different things. We don’t know what level of coercion or social pressure may have been involved. The most liberal (“liberal” as in broad, not political) statistic I’ve heard is that 10-12% of people have same-sex attraction.

It could also be a ‘fad’. I recall hearing (from somewhere) that ‘children’ of homosexual parents are 70% more likely to identify as ‘gay’. Whether they are or aren’t we wouldn’t know for sure.

Maybe not so much of a “fad” as just confusion and curiosity about their identity . . . It has to feel odd, to say the least, to end up a different sexual orientation than the parents who raised you.

 

[Peeps]

But anyone can easily be greedy or angry or lazy. How easy would you find it to be gay?

Depends on where you live and what your profession is.

In my daughter’s profession (entertainment), almost every man she knows is gay. No one thinks anything of it as long as the man is qualified to do his job well and is a friendly, trustworthy person.

In certain areas, the percentage of individuals who are gay is huge; e.g., Boystown in Chicago. No one stands out, and no one has to worried about being accepted.

But in other areas and professions, a gay person is definitely in the minority and meets up with those who are not welcoming or worse.

I think that as difficult as it is, a gay person would be wise to live and work away from areas that are predominantly gay. When we live and work around people who are “just like us,” (e.g., my husband and I are tee-totallers and our whole family, for the most part, also abstains from alcohol), we tend to be lulled into thinking that lots of people are just like us and we get upset or angry when someone challenges us.

It’s such a shock when we realize that no, most people are NOT just like us!

We somehow have to learn to get along with others and treat them with love and respect, even when we disagree with their personal choices (e.g., drinking alcohol) or even when we feel that they are doing something sinful (e.g., indulging in same-sex sexual activitiy). We need to be aware that they probably feel the same way about our lives and choices (e.g., being Catholic!).

 

[Polak]

I think you answered your own question successfully.

Not really. I said there may well have been a lot of gays about in the past, as there are now, but we just didn’t know about them because they were very quiet about it. I never said why there were or are so many, although some people are providing interesting theories.

These days, they preferred to be called gay or lesbian.

Really? I actually thought gay men might not like being called ‘gays’. Shows how much I know on the subject.

 

[c4csp]

It is no different than masturbation. Are there not a lot of folks who have an attraction and inclination to masturbate? The attraction is not wrong, it is how you act on it. You process the attraction and urge and exercise self-control. A man can be attracted to men and never act on it and there is no sin. Just as a man can feel the urge to masturbate, then process it and exercise self-control and go on with their day. It is false to think having sex or sexual release is absolutely necessary. It is not. Acting out sexually whether in homosexual acts, fornication, masturbation, outside of marriage are disordered acts. Self-control is a virtue. Virtues give us freedom. No person who fornicates outside of marriage, engages in homosexual acts, masturbates, feels good about themselves. They feel they are helpless and have to have this release. That is vice and is from Satan.

 

[Neithan]

Why are we attracted to sinful things? Original sin, our fallen human nature. Why did God let this happen? Free will. It all goes back to that. Different people have all different kinds of penchants and appetites that are not healthy or somehow contradict the functions of our bodies. There is now a widespread problem of obesity, for example. We have disordered desires and it is within our power to act in a healthy and virtuous way or not.

The absolute last thing we should do is become proud of our vices. Pride is the main problem.

 

[Irishmom2]

It’s almost like God has burdened certain people with this same sex attraction that they now have to spend their life fighting, knowing that they can never act on it.

Gay people are not the only people that cannot act on it. Single heterosexuals cannot. People that have serious illness sometimes cannot. Clergy and nuns cannot. Widows and widowers cannot.

So, they are not alone.

why would God create so many people with same sex attraction or at least, inclinations to it?

Do you also ask “why” for everyone else it affects in the world?

 

[Irishmom2]

Difference: Alcoholism can end.

Well, some would say no. People can stop drinking but the potential is always there.

People can be gay, and abstain for sexual relationships. They are still gay.

So it actually is a good comparison.

 

[c4csp]

Pride is definitely the problem here. For example… I may have strong urges to masturbate. I can say that the urges are so strong that I accept that it is not that bad because the urges tell me it is ok. This is pride and I would end up masturbating a lot more with this thinking. Or I can accept the urges and accept that masturbation is wrong and fight it. Now I may fall to it sometime, but I don’t accept it as being ok. I would then go to confession. God wants us to strive. So falling to the sin when we don’t want to is part of human nature. But accepting the sin as ok because of strong urges is pride and that is the real problem.

 

[ReaderT]

Many people have attractions to people of the same sex. Why is that the case? That’s my question.

We don’t know why people end up with attractions which are out of the norm. There’s some evidence of genetics, and there’s some evidence of environment.

In the case of men, it may be because they don’t develop an inner sense of masculinity during adolescence. We see this in the way that a lot of gay men talk and act: using more feminine gestures and speech than straight counterparts.

Now as to why they don’t develop this sense, there are many possibilities, some of which are:

• Not being accepted by other men / boys
• Not developing strong male friendships and connections
• Being abused

 

[Katie777]

Because a well known exorcist says satan is alive more then ever. As per fatima.

 

[ReaderT]

It’s almost like God has burdened certain people with this same sex attraction that they now have to spend their life fighting, knowing that they can never act on it

It is certainly a “cross” - but it is not unchangeable or unconquerable. One probably-Saint in the Orthodox Church had several boyfriends but later became a monk and lived a life of continence, Fr. Seraphim Rose:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[JimR-OCDS]

This is an article about transgenderism, but although homosexual orientation is probably something people are born with, the popularity in attention people are now getting, is drawing some toward it and transgenderism.

Read for yourself;

How 'peer contagion' plays into the rise of teens transitioning

 

[meltzerboy2]

Maybe G-d isn’t so hung up about homosexual attraction and behavior as we are. Maybe we have interpreted the Bible all wrong with regard to homosexuality. There is indeed a Jewish interpretation in favor of homosexuality, or at least not opposed. Or maybe the Bible got it wrong altogether because of the prejudiced attitudes of the time and culture, probably even more prejudiced than today.

From the film “Inherit the Wind”: “The Bible is a book, it’s a good book, but it’s not the only book.”

 

[LilyM]

Well that’s the point I’m making. Why would you choose to be attracted to someone? That’s why I basically asked why God has created so many people with same sex attractions?

Why has God created so many people who lie? Who steal? Who break their marriage vows?

Or, on the other hand, who.end up addicted to alcohol or drugs?

Or suffer from mental illnesses such as schizophrenia - or physical.diaabilities?

We live in a fallen, broken world. It has been thus since Adam and Eve. God did not break it.

And we all have our different crosses. All hard to bear.

 

[signit]

In the case of men, it may be because they don’t develop an inner sense of masculinity during adolescence. We see this in the way that a lot of gay men talk and act: using more feminine gestures and speech than straight counterparts.

My understanding is that this “way that a lot of gay men talk and act” is partly learned behavior from other gay men rather than something from adolescence.

Now as to why they don’t develop this sense, there are many possibilities, some of which are:

• Not being accepted by other men / boys
• Not developing strong male friendships and connections
• Being abused

And it could be just the opposite; those “possibilities” could be the result of somebody being gay (i.e., that other men/boys don’t accept them for that reason) rather than why they “turned gay.”

 

[Polak]

Gay people are not the only people that cannot act on it. Single heterosexuals cannot. People that have serious illness sometimes cannot. Clergy and nuns cannot. Widows and widowers cannot.

So, they are not alone.

Well heterosexuals can, if they get married. Being a member of clergy is a choice. The others I will give you.

 

[commenter]

I think the teen years have always been a time when some teens considered all potential aspects of sexuality, including same sex.

What’s different now is a teen who drops in on a discussion group has his name and phone number taken.
This may reinforce with him an identity which he might or might not have chosen, based on what may have been a passing curiosity.

 

[FiveLinden]

I’m an unbeliever and as such this question is even more interesting to me.

First of all, ‘homosexual’ behaviour is observed in many species. But long-term exclusive homosexual behaviour is rare outside humans, as is homosexual pair-bonding.

Evolutionary biologists have come up with a number of interesting hypotheses which help explain the human phenomena of both homosexual behaviour and long-term celibacy among some humans.

Humans have evolved partly through ‘neoteny’, preserving infant characteristics longer, and into adulthood. That’s why adult humans look a lot like baby chimps. This probably resulted from selection for longer childhoods and greater ‘intellect’ as a result. Long childhoods meant long periods of vulnerability. Adults unburdened by having their own children were available to help care for, educate and protect the children of others. Having some homosexuals in the population therefore increased the overall prospects of group survival. Homosexuals this achieved the passing on of their genes through their siblings. So did celibates. Societies without homosexuals were less successful and were eventually eliminated or absorbed into societies with homosexuals.

That’s why, in this hypothesis, to answer the OP, there are lots of homosexuals.

 

[Irishmom2]

That doesn’t change the fact that singles cannot. Some people never find anyone. They never marry. Just to say “well they can” doesn’t make it happen.