Campolo:
I am convinced that at least for males—my research among females is too limited—men do not choose this orientation. They generally find themselves struggling with sexual identity in their early teens. They’re not sure why they are the way they are, and initially they try to change. But they can’t.
Now I believe God can do anything, but for the overwhelming majority of gay men, they may determine to abandon a particular lifestyle because it’s not in harmony with Scripture, but the changing of orientation is unlikely.
Busbee:
Perhaps. But I look at 1 Corinthians 6, where Paul lists a number of immoral behaviors, including greed, deception, and homosexual practices, and he says, “And such were some of you.”
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He indicates the immoral behavior had ended. Yes, in that passage, it’s an issue of activity, not identity. It’s a form of bondage to redefine activity into identity, and say, This is your identity. You can’t escape it, when in reality it has to do with activity. I stopped using terms like he came out of the gay lifestyle. What is “the gay lifestyle”?
Campolo:
I agree, there is no such thing. There are a variety of lifestyles among homosexuals.
Busbee:
The scriptural command is about sex between individuals of the same gender, not about a lifestyle. We need new language. In Paul indicates that people were doing this; now they’re not. At one time they were disqualified for the kingdom; now they are qualified.
The Bible calls for a change in behavior. But does it also call for a change in orientation?
Campolo:
Paul does call for a change in behavior. I don’t know that he calls for a change in orientation.
I’ve talked to a number of gay people who in their commitment to Christ have abandoned “same gender eroticism.” I’ve talked to others who claim to have not only changed their behavior but have actually become heterosexual in their orientation.
As a social scientist, I asked eleven men who made that claim, “When you fantasize, or when you have sexual dreams, are they heterosexual or homosexual dreams?” All eleven answered, “Homosexual.”
I wondered, If they really changed their orientation, wouldn’t their fantasies also be changed?
Busbee:
I would argue that any time we cross behavioral boundaries, it does shift our internal orientation. If I never stole before and I start stealing, I establish a new behavioral reality inside of me. There’s a good chance I will be tempted to steal for the rest of my life. Is that a biological/genetic orientation? Or is it a psychological orientation I developed from practicing stealing?
Campolo:
Yes, behavior does affect mindset. But if behavior changes mindset, then for those who change from homosexual erotic behavior to heterosexual, why don’t their dreams change? At least one Protestant denomination has gone on record saying that every gay who comes to us for counseling and prayer can change. I won’t buy that. We need to be more honest than that.
Busbee:
The first gay man with AIDS who I baptized asked me, “I’ve come to Christ, but am I going to have these struggles, these thoughts for the rest of my life?”
I told him that most likely yes, he would. I know my own predisposition to certain sins, and I’d be lying to him to say that he’s not going to continue to struggle with this sin. In fact, I used the illustration from Martin Luther, “You can’t prevent the bird from flying overhead, but you can keep it from making a nest in your hair.”
A few months later he dropped by and said, “You know, I’ve got a lot of birds landing on my head.” He’s still struggling. He may struggle with this the rest of his life.
But from a behavior standpoint, he’s committed. He hasn’t moved to a “heterosexual lifestyle,” if there is such a thing. I’m not asking him to. I don’t think that that’s the trophy. But he has come to Christ and in so doing has adopted the Bible’s teachings as his standard of sexual behavior.
Despite ongoing temptations, there’s hope for those who want to experience transformation.
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