Albert Mohler Issues Clarification

To my fellow evangelical Christians:

1. Let’s get this straight -- God’s condemnation of sin is not determined by
science, but by God’s Word. The Bible could not be more clear -- all forms
of homosexual behavior are expressly condemned as sin. In so doing, the
Bible uses its strongest vocabulary and places this condemnation in the
larger context of the Creator’s rightful expectation of our stewardship of
the sexual gift. All manifestations of homosexuality are thus
representations of human sinfulness and rebellion against God’s express
will. Nothing can alter this fact, and no discovery in science or any other
human endeavor can change God’s verdict.

2. There is no conclusive research that indicates any biological basis for
sexual orientation. But -- and this is a big “if” here -- if science were
ever to discover a correlation or causation with biological factors,
Christians should not be surprised. We believe in the catastrophic and
comprehensive effects of the Fall and God’s judgment upon sin.

3. Such a discovery, if it were to be accepted, would not change God’s
condemnation of all forms of homosexual behavior, nor would it mean that
this represents the inviolable “identity” of any individual. As I argued
previously, moral responsibility does not require absolute moral choice. A
soldier in battle may not have chosen to be in a situation of moral anguish,
but he is still absolutely responsible for his decisions and actions. Those
who commit homosexual acts, whoever they are and whatever their biological
profile, are absolutely responsible for their sin. Regardless of any actual
or hypothetical orientation, those who commit same-sex acts are responsible
for the choice to commit the sinful act. Those who claim that they did not
choose their sexual attraction are nevertheless fully responsible for
choosing to perform sexual acts the Bible condemns as sin -- period.

4. Some Christians seem absolutely convinced that there is no such thing as
sexual orientation. There is a point to be made here. No “orientation” can
alter the sinful status of sinful acts. Some have written me to say that
there is no such reality as a homosexual, only those who perform homosexual
acts. This flies in the face of the Bible, however, which speaks of those
who commit such sins by their sin -- murderers, liars, adulterers, gossips,
etc. It does not help to deny this. But, even though no “orientation” can
alter the moral status of actions, the fact remains that some persons are
sexually attracted to persons of the same sex while the majority are
sexually attracted to persons of the opposite sex. There are other terms to
use here, ranging from “sexual attraction pattern” to “sexual arousal
profile,” but sexual orientation seems a bit less explicit and is generally
understood within the culture.

5. Research into the human genome and the possibility of germ-line therapies
raises all kinds of moral concerns, ranging from the creation of designer
babies to the redefinition of humanity. In one article, I was said to
advocate genetic therapies. I never said that, and I resolutely oppose such
proposals. I would not advocate the use of genetic therapies to create
heterosexual babies -- or any other therapy of this type.