Look to life sciences for sexual-orientation clues

In a recent blog post, Fresno Pacific University’s president, Richard Kriegbaum, lamented the inability to get American mores and laws to “align with historic understandings of biblical guidance.” Perhaps the resulting mismatch is not all bad.

Advances in the life sciences point to sexual orientation being determined biochemically; it is certainly not something one can choose for oneself.

Given our current understanding, I suggest that if we wish to criticize homosexual desire or behavior, then we need to provide a rationale above and beyond noting that it is forbidden by our holy books. After all, today we regularly criminalize conduct which the Bible allows (slavery, unequal treatment of women, stoning of adulterers) and we permit other conduct which the Bible condemns (no-fault divorce, eating pork and shellfish, charging interest on loans).

Is it not conceivable that marriage for loving and committed same-gender couples is another of those norms which we can now embrace, but which were prohibited or not even foreseen in ancient times?

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 7:21 AM with the headline "Look to life sciences for sexual-orientation clues."