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During Regeneration's twentieth anniversary year we will be looking at where ministries like Regeneration stand with respect to today's social, intellectual and religious environment, and we will be looking ahead to what we foresee for the future. This is the first of a series.

In 1988 and 1989 Regeneration News ran a series of articles called "Homosexuality and the Truth," in which we tried to counter what were then already common misconceptions about homosexuality. Because we were bringing data together in a way that few others had, our articles were widely distributed and copied. The thrust of the articles was to challenge three foundational beliefs on which the public's increasing acceptance of homosexuality was based. Those three were:

• Homosexuality is inborn.
• Homosexuality is unchangeable.
• Homosexuality is benign.

Gays and their allies had done a tremendously effective job in convincing the general public that these statements were true, and this had a powerful and widespread impact-even apart from the political realm.

Young people were more apt to accept the belief that they were homosexual when they experienced some same-sex attractions or struggled with gender confusion, people were less likely to seek change, and ministries like Regeneration were relegated to the fringe of contemporary culture.

These three statements are still foundational for the gay agenda, but belief in them is starting to erode. It may be too early to say for certain that the tide is starting to turn, but most of the signs today are positive. Let's look at each statement today:

1. Homosexuality is inborn:

   For a while it seemed that every year or so another study came out which led the media to proclaim that a genetic cause for homosexuality had been found. We had Simon LeVay's hypothalamus study, the twin study by Bailey and Pillard and Dean Hamer's gay chromosome, among others. Well, something has happened. For the past six years no such studies, either confirming the results of earlier studies or offering new evidence, have been reported in the popular media. In fact, in one study that did reach the media, a Canadian group tried to replicate Dean Hamer's work, and came up with results that contradicted his results.

   Recently the Boston Globe (February 7, 1999) in an article entitled "The Fading Gay Gene" chronicled how science is backing off from claiming that there is a genetic cause for homosexuality. The writer, Matthew Brelis, cites the work of Dr. Richard Pillard (of the twin study) as "showing that sexuality is greatly influenced by the environment, and that the role of genetics is, in the end, limited." Further, the writer quotes Hamer as saying, with respect to a genetic cause, "Clearly, there is a lot more than genes going on here." Although, Hamer says he still holds to his belief in a gay gene for men, some time ago he announced that lesbianism is environmentally caused.

   The Boston Globe article quotes Ruth Hubbard, author of Exploding the Gene Myth and a board member of The Council for Responsible Genetics, stating that searching for a gay gene is not a worthwhile pursuit. "Let me be very clear," she says, "I don't think there is any single gene that governs any complex human behavior. There are genetic components in everything we do, and it is foolish to say genes are not involved, but I don't think they are decisive."

   Further evidence that the genetic view may be eroding, comes from what we are hearing more and more frequently from gay advocates, "It really doesn't matter anyway."

2. Homsexuality is unchangeable:

   Several factors are working against the myth that homosexual people can't change. First, the unchangeability of homosexuality rests largely on the belief that the condition is inborn. Although logic doesn't require that you make the connection -- it could be environmental, but still unchangeable -- the average person does, and seems to believe, "Well, if they are born that way, of course they can't change." As the belief in a genetic cause for homosexuality declines, almost certainly, belief in the possibility of change will increase.

   Clearly, those members of the psychological and psychiatric professions who regularly declare in effect, "It is a well known fact among professionals that homosexuals can't change." will eventually have to put up or shut up. In fact, no study has ever proven that homosexual people cannot change. Furthermore, it is theoretically impossible to ever come up with such proof so long as thousands of us claim that we were changed.

   In fact, there is the contrary evidence in the results of the actual studies that have taken place. Every study of the therapies and programs that are designed to help people overcome homosexuality has indicated that significant level of change is achieved.

3. Homosexuality is benign:

   At least with respect to men, anyone informed person who denies the homosexuality is destructive is either lying or is consciously choosing to remain ignorant. By almost any criterion that would indicate that a behavior is pathological -- alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual promiscuity, suicide, disease and early death -- statistics clearly show the terrible risks inherent in pursuing a homosexual life. Even in a time such as ours in which the media and the political and intellectual establishments seek to muffle the expression of certain truths, this lie cannot go on much longer.

   Add to all of this the fact that millions of people have now heard about programs for change from homosexuality as a result of national ads run last year by conservative Christian groups, and we may be seeing the beginning of a huge shift in the way the public views homosexuality. If the general belief that homosexual people can change, and that the lifestyle gives powerful evidence that change is a desirable course to follow, many lives are going to be saved, and our opportunities to minister may grow as never before.