Homosexuality, Nature or Nurture? Essays -- Homo Gay Lesbian

Homosexuality, Nature or Nurture? Homosexuality has become a large issue in our lives today. Gay Rights activists have been making their voices heard; this has attracted the attention of the population making them take notice of their cause. The church has not been able to get away from the powerful political and social pressure of homosexuality. Some churches have accepted homosexuality but many still do not accept homosexuals, saying it is unnatural and not what 'god' intended of man. The church claims that what ever decision has been made, it has been done so on the basis of Christian moral principles. The Old Testament clearly forbids homosexual practices and in Leviticus 20:13 it reads: "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death." (Pyne, 1992, http://www.probe.org/docs/homosex1.html) To address the issue of whether homosexuality derives from biological determinism (nature) or from the influences experienced from the environment around them (nurture), in 1973 the APA (American psychiatric Association) through much pressure from the Gay Rights Activists, classified homosexuality under the heading of sexual orientation disturbance. Sexual orientation refers to an individual's sexual attraction towards persons of a particular gender. Heterosexuals show this attraction to members of the opposite sex, homosexuals show it to members who are the same sex. According to Gross, McIlveen, Coolican, Clamp and Russell, 2000, three to four percent of men are exclusively homosexual compared to around one percent of women. Acc... ...new introduction: Hodder & Stoughton Pyne, 1992, http://www.probe.org/docs/homosex1.html, 04/2002 Saunders and Pickering, 1997, http://www.cmf,org,uk/pubs/nucleus/nucoct97/cause.htm : 04/2002 Bibliography Bailey, 1991, http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scotts/bulgarians/nature-nurture/bailey-pil.html :04/2002 Blum, 1997, http://www.worldpolicy.org/americas/sexorient/twins.html : 04/2002 Bourne, Russo, 1998,Psychology: behaviour in context: Norton. Cameron, http://www.familyresearchinst.org/FRI_EduPamphlet5.html :04/2002 McIlveen, Coolican, Clamp and Russell, 2000, Psychology, a new introduction: Hodder & Stoughton Pyne, 1992, http://www.probe.org/docs/homosex1.html, 04/2002 Saunders and Pickering, 1997, http://www.cmf,org,uk/pubs/nucleus/nucoct97/cause.htm : 04/2002