HETEROSEXISM, HOMOSEXUAL HEALTH, AND THE CHURCH
A response to A Call to Study and Dialogue in the ELCA

Charles R. Peterson, M.D. and Douglas A. Hedlund, M.D.

COMPLETE VERSION

    INTRODUCTION

    DEFINITIONS

1. ELCA RESTRICTIVE "SCIENCE" OF HOMOSEXUALITY
   1. "Nature" (biology) as a component of homosexuality
      1. The inherent pathology of homosexuality
      2. The problem of pedophilia
      3. Sexual promiscuity
         1. Promiscuity vs. committed unions
         2. Committed unions vs. antigay commitment doctrine
      4. Serious health problems associated with homosexuality
   2. "Nurture" (environment) as a component of homosexuality
      1. Social factors vs. genetic factors
      2. Reparation therapy
         1. Studies of reparation therapy by convenience sampling
         2. Rare success of change in sexual orientation
         3. The burden of proof for reorientation therapy
      3. Opposite-sex marriage, celibacy, or same-sex unions?
      
      
2. ELCA RESTRICTIVE THEOLOGY OF HOMOSEXUALITY
   1. Genesis 1-3: the creation accounts
   2. Genesis 19 and Judges 19: Sodom and Gilbeah
   3. Leviticus: the prohibition texts
   4. Romans 1: the "exchange" of the "natural"
   5. 1 Corinthians 6 and 7: adulterers and arsenokoitai-malokoi
      1. Paul's silence on committed same-sex union
      2. Adulterers and arsenokoitoi-malokoi
   6. Jesus, the gospels, and Acts: the "silence" texts
      1. Jesus' reference to Sodom
      2. Sexual "law" in the "gospel"
   7. The relevance of biblical texts to science and same-sex relationships
      1. The Bible's disinterest in homosexual orientation
      2. Implications of the Bible's disinterest in variations in sexual desire
      3. The restrictive theological arguments for biblical relevance
         1. Paul's knowledge vs. weak science
         2. Subverting science
         3. Credible criticism
         
         
3. DISCUSSION
   1. Some matters of intellectual integrity: biblical literalism and fundamentalism
   2. The "easy way out"
   3. Christian "no fault" morality vs. ethics of science
   4. A compassionate Christianity
      1. Compassionate denunciation of homosexuality
      2. Compassion-enhanced promiscuity
      3. Compassionate self-deception
      4. "Compassionate" exclusion of homosexual persons from the church
   5. The health related "fault line" in a divided church
      


4. CONCLUSIONS


5. END NOTES