The Homosexual Lifestyle is Inconsistent with Raising Children

Inevitably, the question of homosexual adoption is reduced to whether or not a child is better off being a ward of the state or with same-sex "parents." And given the current state of the orphan, a compelling argument can be made to justify this practice that would be difficult to rebut relying solely on religious beliefs.

But there's more than just religious belief -- there's data about the homosexual lifestyle that should give anyone pause for promoting the placement of a child in that environment.

In Family Research Council's white paper "Homosexual Parenting: Placing Children at Risk," they tackle the issue by exposing flawed methodology researchers and homosexual activists use to support their agenda and by highlighting characteristics of the homosexual lifestyle that are inconsistent with raising children. The characteristics include:

Homosexual Promiscuity -- Studies indicate that the average male homosexual has hundreds of sex partners in his lifetime, a lifestyle that is difficult for even "committed" homosexuals to break free of and which is not conducive to a healthy and wholesome atmosphere for the raising of children.
Promiscuity among Homosexual Couples -- Even in those homosexual relationships in which the partners consider themselves to be in a committed relationship, the meaning of "committed" typically means something radically different than in heterosexual marriage.
Rate of Intimate Partner Violence -- A little-reported fact is that homosexual and lesbian relationships are far more violent than are traditional married households.
Sexual Identity Confusion -- The claim that homosexual households do not "recruit" children into the homosexual lifestyle is refuted by the growing evidence that children raised in such households are more likely to engage in sexual experimentation and in homosexual behavior.

The list literally goes on and on, and is a must-read. However, even with this startling data, the fact remains that there are still hundreds of thousands of children languishing in the foster care system who need homes, Christian homes. One social service agent estimates that only about a third of foster care families are self-described Christians.

So where does that leave us? Can we legitimately argue against homosexual adoptions? We can, but the truth is, it wouldn't even be an issue if Christians in America were serious about the biblical mandate (James 1:27) to care for the orphan.

Comments

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1. JB said the following at 2:04 PM on May 12:

Anyone with a passing knowledge of the gay community will tell you that the experience of being gay in 1985 is very different from being gay in 1995 is very different from being gay in 2005. This should be obvious from the simple observation that the stigma associated with homosexuality has dramatically decreased with time. So it is very likely that the sexual behaviors of gay people have shifted over time as it has become more and more possible to integrate same-sex relationships into the mainstream social fabric. The studies in the white paper, nearly all of which are from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, are therefore nearly useless for describing how gay and lesbian couples live in 2007.

2. Isaac McPheeters said the following at 1:52 PM on May 13:

That's awfully nice to hear JB, but I'd like some evidence. In fact, one reason I am very, very unlikely to believe that without inquiring further is because I find it strange that homosexuals should suddenly grow more monogamous over the last thirty to forty years, while heterosexuals seem to be going in the opposite direction.

3. Danielle said the following at 9:49 PM on May 13:

Well, Isaac, some evidence would be to look at the "bear community," which is the rising "voice" of gay men since HIV/AIDS and Stonewall. Not sure what's up with the gals, but the bears are seen as a sign that there's a shift occurring in what it means to be a gay man - moving towards settling down, more monogamy and family life, etc.

I am *not* saying gay coupling is right, or that I agree with this shift - from my studies on this, it's a sexual temptation/orientation for which celibacy +/or monasticism seem the only choices. I can find no other choice based on Scripture and the Church Fathers. However, it's helpful to be informed, especially as you'd be surprised at the numbers that silently struggle with this in the Church - either as the person with these temptations, or as a parent or straight spouse coping with someone who struggles.

I am involved in this whole issue on so many levels - adoption, sexuality, and even feeling "inconsistent with raising children." I sit here now, likely a decade or more older than many of you but finding encouragement from the discussions on these lists. As a now-single parent of 5 kids thru adoption, I am *not,* nor was I ever, some amazing person - trust me! I'm sinful and spend a lot of time asking forgiveness, as I try my best or slog it out day to day like everyone else. The only difference is I said "yes" when asked to consider and then commit to parenting this way (and then did all i could to educate myself and prepare for it!)

Today, I spent Mother's Day at Church and home with my kids, as we continue to recover from their dad/my husband "coming out" and walking away from his vows and his life with us. One of the epistles says a woman is saved by/through her children. There are a lot of interpretations of what that means. All I know is I was saved by mine, and am saved every day as I continually learn to lay down my life for them - the job of any parent, not just those of adoptive children. My kids tried to make my day special, knowing what a rough year it's been. But without that man in our lives, the one who asked me to consider adopting years ago, I would not have had such a lovely day, nor even a reason to celebrate.

We are called to love our neighbor - on my "street" that means the homeless, gays, those with HIV or who sleep around, those without parents, or simply the one who needs their grass mowed or a child watched for a bit. It's not about "ministry" or "evangelism" to me, it's just life and needing each other; it's about trying to love. It's about the love I've received and paying it forward.

Ultimately, I agree with Motte - "if Christians in America were serious," yeah, "it wouldn't even be an issue." And I say that in all love for the folks here, not wishing to invoke guilt or shame -

4. Shannon said the following at 1:31 PM on May 24:

I would just like to say that the author of that article really needs to do some more research on this topic before they pass judgment on this topic. I do not understand how this was even published, did it go before a IRB, because I would really like to see the numbers that match with those accusations about homosexual relationships being worse then heterosexual relationships. Was this a study because I really would like to see this study and the calculation of error being p<.05 to back up. I know plenty of homosexuals, (myself NOT included), and they are the same as a heterosexual couple.

5. Nikki said the following at 6:47 AM on Sep 23:

Most homosexuals should be able to raise a child together, but only in the right situations.

6. Rose said the following at 11:08 AM on Sep 23:

What situations are those?