By STEVEN W. CORNELL, Matters of Faith
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Americans ages 18-29 are the focus of sociologist Christian Smith's new book, "Souls in Transition: The Religious & Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults" (Oxford University Press). It follows his extensive work, "Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers" (Oxford, 2005).
Because my ministry has been in a university town for the last 25 years, a primary focus has been on the life phase of emerging adulthood or adultolescence. Consistent with Smith's research, I've observed some clear changes in the way young people think — especially about moral or religious viewpoints.
This came to my attention recently when I spoke to a large group of university students about a Christian view of sexuality. I wanted to know how many of them have embraced the cultural indoctrination equating homosexuality with race and gender. From the confused but inquisitive looks on their faces, I couldn't read their responses accurately. I went on to expose the false comparison of the fight for racial equality with battles promoting homosexual lifestyles. I believe they understood the difference, but they didn't seem too deeply moved one way or the other.
Last December, I spoke to a group of students as a member of a panel hosted by the philosophy department at Franklin & Marshall College. The theme was God, government and gays. The panel was clearly weighted with professors favoring gay marriage. In fact, I was the only member explicitly opposed to its legalization.
I opened with two points:
"First, I speak to you as a pastor. My work offers me a front-row seat to the real heartaches and challenges of life. I am responsible to do my best to help people overcome the things that are neither pleasing to God nor good for them. This means, among other things, that I must be as truthful as possible about matters of right and wrong and sometimes the truth is hard to receive. I take no pleasure in the thought that what I say might offend some people or hurt their feelings. ...
"Secondly, I speak to you as a sinner who needs the grace and forgiveness of God. Life is a battle and I am just one more person trying to live for God. I need a redeemer and Jesus Christ is the one I trust as my savior. ... I believe that 'God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us' (Romans 5:8). We have all been sexual deviants — if only in our thoughts. We are all capable of being tempted toward deviant sexual behavior."
During questioning, the most respectful members of the audience were the students. They expressed sincere interest in knowing why I follow the Christian Scriptures and why I cannot endorse homosexual relationships. Once again, I was able to expose the misleading comparison of racial and gender discrimination and opposition to sexual lifestyles. I suggested that discrimination (in actual civil-rights cases) injures people for what they are by nature, not for chosen lifestyles. The students remained unmoved.
One student was confused about whether homosexuality was a choice. I assured him that there is no conclusive scientific evidence supporting the idea of a gay gene. This does not mean that one cannot be born with inclinations toward homosexual attraction, but inclinations cannot determine morality. Genes can determine some behaviors (reflexes), but they cannot determine intentional behavior.
Genes can sometimes determine desires, but what we do with desire is under our control. That's why we do not and cannot declare pedophilia morally neutral just because people can be born with sexual desires toward children.
When I discuss this, I am often asked if I chose my heterosexuality. I answer that even if I were genetically preconditioned to heterosexual attraction, it wouldn't in itself legitimize the attraction. If an adulterous woman complains that her adultery — wrongful heterosexual behavior — was because of her distant and uncaring husband, one might be sympathetic, but I could not endorse her behavior. For someone tempted by homosexual desire, the answer is not: "You must become heterosexual." The answer is the same for all sexual temptation: Resist it and obey God's moral will.
A disturbing part of the overall student response was the notable degree of ambivalence toward moral assessment. When some of the adult participants became emotionally charged and angry, students rolled their eyes. When I asked these adults to calm down so that we could engage informed discussion, the students shook their heads in agreement. Yet these young people didn't seem too exercised about either point of view.
In his research on youth, author Smith, of the University of Notre Dame, found that they use one word to respond to strongly held religious and moral opinions: "whatever." Perhaps through years of public education, they have learned that civility is better served by remaining neutral. Politically, many of these young people prefer being independents because of their aversion to ugly partisanship between the reigning parties. Although I was grateful for their respectful and inquisitive responses, I hope that they will take matters seriously enough to shape the moral direction of our nation in the years ahead.
Steven W. Cornell is senior pastor at Millersville Bible Church. E-mail him at s.cornell@millersvillebiblechurch.org.
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