Sexual Diversity and Divine Creation: A Tightrope Walk Between Christianity and Science

Abstract

Although modern societies have come to recognize diversity in human sexuality as simply part of nature, many Christian communities and thinkers still have considerable difficulties with related developments in politics, legislation, and science. In fact, homosexuality is a recurrent topic in the transdisciplinary encounter between Christianity and the sciences, an encounter that is otherwise rather "asexual." I propose that the recent emergence of "Christianity and Science" as an academic field in its own right is an important part of the larger context of the difficulties related to attempts to reconcile Christianity and a recognition of diversity in human sexuality as a norm. Through a critical discussion of arguments which are upheld most disturbingly on a global scale by the Roman Catholic Church and supported with much sophistry by important stakeholders of an influential stream in analytic philosophy of religion, this paper aims to contextualize and defend the legitimacy of the question why God would create homosexuals as such if it is true that every homosexual act is prohibited by God. While recently advanced nonheterosexist scientific models of sexuality in nature inform the discussion, I reject the simplistic view that religions suppress and the sciences liberate in matters sexual.

Some Ways Emerging Adults Are Shaping the Future of Religion and Science

“…One that arose unexpectedly in my qualitative interviews is that emerging adults believe that LBGTQ issues are clearly part of science and religion. To be clear, I am not asserting that there has not been excellent work done in journals, which are able to integrate developing topics more quickly (e.g., Fehige ), but that themes related to sexuality and gender, and their relationship to science and religion, have not made it into standard‐length treatments of core issues in standard textbooks, which move more gradually (e.g., Richardson and Wildman ; Barbour ; Rolston ; Clayton , ; McGrath ; Southgate ). In addition—and in agreement with recent comments by Willem Drees, technology is increasingly central to the science and religion dialogue: “The practice of science is culturally and technologically embodied…” (Drees , 6).…”