Can Homosexuality be Cured?

[dthoxsasiPhilanethrope]

Hi,

I'm curious to know what the Orthodox position is on Homosexuality?

No doubt it sees homosexuality as a sin. But does it offer a cure to those who see themselves as "gay" from birth?

There are cases of induced homosexuality, where the person was heterosexual and then became homosexual, or engaged in homosexuality simply due to a sinful environment. No doubt this type of perversion can be cured.

But what is the cure for those who see themselves as gay - from birth? If the Church starts to say "they can be cured" - then is it putting them in a dangerous psychological position where the person is now faced with re-building their entire psycho-neurlogical behavior? Is this something that should be done?

I have met someone who sees himself as "gay". He does not consider being gay as a disorder that needs to be treated, but wants to be Orthodox. He understands that he can NEVER have any homosexual relations, but doesn't see that the fact that he finds men attractive as a disorder.

What should be said to such people? What is the response of the Church concerning such conditions?

[George_Mina]

I've never heard of the church having a response to it, but all the homosexual Christians I know of tend to see it as their own struggle that they have to fight against.

[markmarcos]

Pope shenouda wrote a book about it.

[dthoxsasiPhilanethrope]

Pope shenouda wrote a book about it.

No. The pope's books was on the rights of homosexuals in the Church - and for the Clergy.

There's no talk on how we should answer cases where someone is born gay.

I admit, deep down in my heart, the question that seems to arise EVERYTIME, when I look at gays who say they were born gay is :" Is this really a choice?" - "have these people decided to remain gay, are they looking for justification of their condition, or are they sincerely looking coming with a bonified neurological problem/condition that just simply makes them find the opposite sex attractive".

See, I believe (or am beginning to believe) that its a neurological problem. Why? Because Gay Copts don't necessarily have homosexual relations. But neurologicaly, they are attracted to the same sex.

What do I mean?

I am a guy (normal, straight male). I find women attractive. Not just sexually. But the attractiveness I find is in their voice, their hair, the way they walk, the way they talk. I even find hearing the footsteps of a woman walking attractive.

Now, as a gay, they have the SAME problem as me (LOL!) but they have this with someone of the same sex.

I have NO desire to manifest this attraction with females I meet in ANY sexual way. THat is even repulsive for me.

The same with gays (or with those who are Coptic and Gay).

What's more is that we all have the desire to express love. To express it, and receive love. We want to bond and share ourselves with someone. For me, this would result in marriage with a woman. I didn't have to think about it. I knew that a woman, if she's above 5'10'', and has a nice figure, would be someone I'd like to build a long term relationship with.

Gays are stuck. They cannot do this (in the Church). What is the answer for them?

I do not suffer from this gayness issue. I'm too macho and too "I love women too much" person to even begin to understand anything of what goes in a gay man's mind. But what is the answer for them?

[Andrew]

I think the answer is similar to the one given to those who claim to have a gene that predisposes them to be alcoholics, psychopaths, serial killers, etc.

How would you answer any of the people falling into the above category? Apply the same thing to homosexuals.

[Joshuaa]

   I would ask your friend what his/her thoughts are about what is Holy. Then I would talk about what the churches views are on that.

  I don't agree with psychology as well as it says you can't change people. When christians evangelise and bring someone to Christ, we close the seperation that was formally between them and God that was held by their sin. If they don't feel they are sinning then the seperation is still there and they can't even use their conscience to close the gap.
 
  Sin is slavery, so there is a different veiw of love. Christ's love frees us from the slavery while homosexuals love is in fact slavery as it is a sin.

[Father Peter]

His Holiness' lecture on homosexuality can be found here..

http://www.cccnet.ca/menu/Books/HH_Homosexulality_OrdinationOfWomen.pdf

[+iloveJesus]

I'm curious to know what the Orthodox position is on Homosexuality?

Coptic Orthodox Church Formally Condemns Homosexuality, Ordination of Homosexuals and Same-Sex Marriages:
http://suscopts.org/resources/literature/266/coptic-orthodox-church-formally-condemns-homosexua/

Holy Synod Response:
http://suscopts.org/resources/literature/239/holy-synod-response/

No doubt it sees homosexuality as a sin. But does it offer a cure to those who see themselves as "gay" from birth?

There are cases of induced homosexuality, where the person was heterosexual and then became homosexual, or engaged in homosexuality simply due to a sinful environment. No doubt this type of perversion can be cured.

But what is the cure for those who see themselves as gay - from birth? If the Church starts to say "they can be cured" - then is it putting them in a dangerous psychological position where the person is now faced with re-building their entire psycho-neurlogical behavior? Is this something that should be done?

I have met someone who sees himself as "gay". He does not consider being gay as a disorder that needs to be treated, but wants to be Orthodox. He understands that he can NEVER have any homosexual relations, but doesn't see that the fact that he finds men attractive as a disorder.

What should be said to such people? What is the response of the Church concerning such conditions?

Homosexuality:
http://suscopts.org/resources/literature/238/homosexuality/

Contemporary Ambivalent Attitudes...Homosexuality:
http://suscopts.org/resources/literature/269/contemporary-ambivalent-attitudeshomosexuality/


"Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, will inherit the kingdom of God." - 1 Cor. 6:9

[ThyWillBeDone]

You have misunderstood the consept. One is not born homosexual, it is all psycological. Think of it, if God says being homosexual is a sin, why would he create a child born like that? If that were the case, God would not be perfect. It is written that nothing evil comes from God; being homosexual is a sin (evil), therefore, one is not created homosexual, rather it is psycological.

[Father Peter]

Facing temptation of all kinds is not sin.

Being disordered in many ways is not sin, we are all broken people in different ways.

But giving in to temptation is sin, and accepting disorder as being natural is sin.

[Joshuaa]

 The whole world is under the sway of sin ThyWillbdone. If you make it psychological then you take away the salvationand redeption of Jesus Christ. If I was to make a psycological comment on homosexuals then it would be that they make there femine side grandiose with traits of narsisism, in seeking their own image. If this was cured it would not bring them to Christ but they would still be living for this world. no we are to fight against the sin. Frued and Jung used other Gods and deities and modeled our behavior on they them. We don't follow those modals.

[ThyWillBeDone]

Being disordered in many ways is not sin, we are all broken people in different ways.

But giving in to temptation is sin, and accepting disorder as being natural is sin.

Scientists themselves tried to prove that people are born homosexuals, therefore making it a disorder, but failed. There is no homosexual hormone in the body either. Homosexualitiy is not qualified as a disroder, even though attempted to.

Being disordered in many ways is not sin, we are all broken people in different ways.

I agree with you when you said being disordered is not a sin, but being homosexual is not qualified accordingly. And if it were to be, why would God create someone with a sinful disorder?

Forgive me if I understood you, if so please explain 

Pray for me

[Father Peter]

Homosexual passion is a disorder of the spirit and mind. I am not very interested in what scientists say. You misunderstand my use of the word disorder.

To be disordered is to act out of character. It is not human to be driven by passion. It is a disordered state. It lacks order. It is not as a human should be. But often this is caused by the influence of others, or by circumstamce. We cannot always help where we start from. We are all broken in many ways.

But we can all decide to set off back to out Father's house.

[ThyWillBeDone]

Forgive me if I understood you, if so please explain 

Pray for me

**Misunderstood

[ThyWillBeDone]

Forgive me for misunderstanding 

Thank you for explaing Father Peter

Alot of people say, "It isnt their fault that they are homosexuals..." You said it is caused by the influence of others, so would it be the influence's fault, or the homosexual him/herself?