The Editor of the Wesleyan Christian Advocate.

Regarding our social calling I remind my fellow United Methodists that the question of the homosexual in our society breaks down into this: either he (or she) is merely a quirk of nature, like left handed people (a suggestion of a Mr. McCord, I think it was, and a writer to this page of some years ago), or else (I say) he is sick with either a birth defect or an environmental injury and in need of treatment. Science suggests to me very strongly that he is a quirk of nature, although some scientists may disagree. From a social concerns basis we should insist that any disagreement among scientists should be resolved in favor of human dignity as in the case with left handed people. Therefore since most scientists call homosexuals a quirk and only a few not, and since disagreement anyway agues for the presumption of health and wellness, we have no choice but to welcome homosexuals to the family of mankind as full members.

Regarding our theology, I suggest that we proclaim in faith that the New Testament speaks rightly to the depravity of the same-sex sex of its day, for these will have been straight people playing the gentile kings' game of lording it over each other. This condemnation remains forever valid. And now beyond that we declare in faith that since that time God, by virtue of his sovereign power and his goodness, has evidently created the homosexual in anticipation of the day when the humans would want a natural, non-forced check on population growth, which is now. The homosexual is such a nature that he would be guilty of Paul’s condemnation if he were to turn to women in an effort to lord it over someone. Perhaps the left handed person is a precursor for this later "quirk" of homosexuality.

The acceptance of this should not be difficult for us of faith, and is advisable in order to preserve unity among the churches by a complete and universal acceptance of scripture at the same time that we praise God for his great and many and varied and unexpected gifts. For now the homosexual not merely a quirk of nature, but a gift of God and something to be thankful for. All it takes is a respect for scripture and its acclaim of miracles by a sovereign and all loving God.

It is worth noting that this logic not only argues for the acceptance of homosexuals into lawful society, but also for the legal standing of fetuses, for in case of confusion and uncertainty regarding the soul, the legal presumption must be be for human dignity.