The Faux Pas in ‘The Arrogance of Power’

Iread Dr. Patrick Dele Cole’s article titled “Arrogance of Power” published in THISDAY, November 13, 2014. I find his article interesting. This rejoinder, however, is not concerned about the postulations he made in his article but rather on aspects that dealt with human sexuality. Let’s refer to this aspect in his article for a refresh: “If, as it is being suggested now, that homosexuality is not a choice but a genetic reality – how does this help the Catholic homosexual priest? It is not their fault; that is how they were born. Then why should they be blamed …?” The probable conclusion (especially by those who may not be informed) one may draw from this potentially deceptive statement, is that homosexuality is natural because it is genetic. It would therefore be appropriate to make some factual clarifications:

First, it was widely reported in the 1990s that one Dr. Simon LeVay, a researcher, found a difference between homosexual and heterosexual brains, thereby concluding that homosexuality is genetic. But the same researcher stated a disclaimer thus: “It’s important to stress what I didn’t find. I did not prove that homosexuality is genetic, or find a genetic cause for being gay. I didn’t show that gay men are born that way, the most common mistake people make in interpreting my work. Nor did I locate a gay center in the brain. … My work doesn’t address whether (sexual orientation is) established before birth”. (Nimmons D. (1994 March). Sex and brain. Discover, 15(3), 64. Please check LeVay’s website: www.simon levay.com.

Second, about the same time with LeVay, Dr. Dean Hammer, another researcher, stated that he has found a “gay gene” that causes homosexuality. His study, which has greatly been flawed by scientific reviewers, showed that a significant number of homosexuals taking part in his study had not inherited his so called “gay gene”. Interestingly, Dr. Hammer was charged with research improprieties by the National Institutes of Health (US) for deliberately excluding pairs of brothers whose genetic makeup contradicted his findings. Hammer eventually admitted that his study did not support a genetic cause for homosexuality!

Despite Doctors LeVay and Hammers’ public disclaimers and admission, their studies have been widely misused by homosexual activists to promote the idea that homosexuality is innate, and much of the public and the media, stakeholder interests, still erroneously believe is genetic till date! It is therefore, important to state that, there is no conclusive evidence that homosexuality is genetic. None! For some reasons, perhaps not fully understood, some people may appear to be more susceptible to developing that orientation just like some people are more predisposed or susceptible to alcohol, drug addiction and other sexual addictions. A predisposition or susceptibility is not the same as being genetically determined. If homosexuality were genetically predetermined, people who have such genetic inheritance cannot change. The very fact that many people have changed from homosexual orientation to a heterosexual orientation proves that homosexuality is not genetically determined.

Third, our human experience, and environmental factors have been shown to influence the development of this orientation. From research, there is a high percentage of children abused by a person of the same sex who end up having homosexual tendencies when they grow older. Question is: if homosexuality is genetic and not learned, how can this be explained? It is not likely that the perpetrators just happen to choose children who were genetically homosexual. Again, some people may be sexually attracted to children or animals, or have other sexual fetishes. Are their sexual attractions also genetically determined? If not, then why would same sex orientation be genetically determined and not other sexual attractions?

Finally, it is safe to conclude that this orientation is unnatural and not in accordance with the original order created by God on human sexuality. This does not mean that we should condemn, or punish our brothers and sisters, who may through no fault of theirs, be struggling with same sex attraction. Public interests and engagement on this issue should be on the ways to correct and reverse these wrongful acts and not condemnation of persons.

We should strive to care for them and if their disposition and therapeutic goal is indicative of help, they should be helped as has frequently been the case in the US, where a significant reorientation for same sex oriented persons to opposite orientation has been achieved. But there cannot, by any stretch of human imagination, intellect, or rights agitation be a redefinition of the original natural marriage or the family and its fundamental values to be anything else other than what it has always been and should be (i.e.) between man and woman, which from nature is complimentary. Anything else, as is currently, bullishly and relentlessly being agitated in the international arena will be turning civilization upside down.