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I was checking out Drudge for something for 'Gay Pride' month and came across a science report considering another 'genetic' aspect in defense of homosexuality. This is interesting because it concerns the fetal development in the womb. Does that mean that science acknowledges the foetus as a viable human being? Read the following:
Womb environment 'makes men gay'
A man's sexual orientation may be determined by conditions in the womb, according to a study.
Previous research had revealed the more older brothers a boy has, the more likely he is to be gay, but the reason for this phenomenon was unknown.
But a Canadian study has shown that the effect is most likely down to biological rather than social factors.
The research is published in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Professor Anthony Bogaert from Brock University in Ontario, Canada, studied 944 heterosexual and homosexual men with either "biological" brothers, in this case those who share the same mother, or "non-biological" brothers, that is, adopted, step or half siblings. "These results support a prenatal origin to sexual orientation development in men" - Professor Anthony Bogaert. He found the link between the number of older brothers and homosexuality only existed when the siblings shared the same mother. The amount of time the individual spent being raised with older brothers did not affect their sexual orientation.
'Maternal memory'
Writing in the journal, Professor Bogaert said: "If rearing or social factors associated with older male siblings underlies the fraternal birth-order effect [the link between the number of older brothers and male homosexuality], then the number of non-biological older brothers should predict men's sexual orientation, but they do not. "These results support a prenatal origin to sexual orientation development in men." He suggests the effect is probably the result of a "maternal memory" in the womb for male births. A woman's body may see a male foetus as "foreign", he says, prompting an immune reaction which may grow progressively stronger with each male child. The antibodies created may affect the developing male brain.
In an accompanying article, scientists from Michigan State University said: "These data strengthen the notion that the common denominator between biological brothers, the mother, provides a prenatal environment that fosters homosexuality in her younger sons."
"But the question of mechanism remains."
Andy Forrest, a spokesman for gay rights group Stonewall, said: "Increasingly, credible evidence appears to indicate that being gay is genetically determined rather than being a so-called lifestyle choice.
"It adds further weight to the argument that lesbian and gay people should be treated equally in society and not discriminated against for something that's just as inherent as skin colour."
Story from BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5120004.stm: 2006/06/27 09:44:27 GMT© BBC MMVI
Maybe,but I doubt it. However this could explain why some boys or girls demonstrate an apparent predisposition towards effeminate or masculine behavior, nevertheless it does not mean it is genetic - wouldn't the womb enviroment still come under the umbrella of 'nurture'? If chemicals or antibodies excreted by the mother influence the development of the foetus, isn't that similar to the effects of alcohol upon a developing child in the womb? There are persons born with down syndrome, or mental retardation, any number of disorders, some affected by enviroment - namely chemical imbalance in the womb.
At work today we were discussing this subject - how some boys appear more feminine even in early childhood. I still think it has some basis in nurture; enviromental, socio-psychological, and more deeply, spiritual and affective components that cause a person choosing to be gay - albeit the choice is not always made in perfect freedom. It can be a compromise, a coping mechanism, but there is an element of choice, even if it is relatively unconscious - at some point it is a choice. And in the more depraved, it is often chosen as a result of hedonism.
What is so askew in our culture is the notion that homosexuality is not inherrently and potentially a moral disorder. The politicization of the subject, the media exposure of it, and most recently the medical establishment (after the psychiatric establishment was coerced to take it off the books as a disorder) is now researching the subject to find some sort of genetic affirmation for it's viability as an equal to heterosexual relations.
This proves to me that every gay man or woman has searched their soul to discover why they have this unfortunate affliction. But they stop at intellectualizations and unsubstantiated studies, they stop at the emotional level. They simply cannot accept the call of the Gospel, "Reform your lives and believe in the Gospel!" Jesus calls those caught in sin, not to change His teachings but to accept them as well as conform to them, and He offers the necessary grace to do so. To believe and trust in His healing power of love, to accept the freedom of the sons of God, and to carry our cross in His footsteps. It is the individual who must change - in and through His grace and mercy - not the laws of nature or the teaching of the Church or the Gospel for that matter. Everyone, gay or straight, is called to conversion. (In many cases there may be persons so seemingly confirmed in the lifestyle they are not able to change, but at least they are able to stop acting out homosexually. Through grace they can live a chaste life in obedience and communion with the Church. This cross in their lives can be the means of their sanctification.)
What if John Lovitz said "Repent!" not "Eat Fresh!" Yeah, that's pretty dumb. But we are all - straight or gay - called to repentance, not excuses.
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