What makes homosexuality condemnable in the eyes of society?

Answer 1

This is a difficult question to answer, because there are two very different and very polarized views of homosexuality today. One view is traditional and religious, and it definitely does condemn homosexuality. This view is based on the interpretation of certain Bible verses (both in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament) which forbid homosexual behavior; religious people who use The Bible as their guide believe that homosexuality is a serious sin, and they also believe it is a choice; therefore, anyone who chooses such a lifestyle is going against God's law. Some cultures believe homosexual behavior is such a grave sin that it should be punishable by death.

But this is not the only view. Western society has become more secular and not everyone goes strictly by the Bible; rather, many people today get their information from a variety of sources, including from science. The scientific community has been providing compelling evidence that homosexuality is genetic (one is born that way and does not choose it). Thus, the other way of looking at homosexuality is that it is not a sin at all. In this interpretation, homosexuals are not seen as guilty of committing evil actions; rather, they are seen as people who deserve the same rights as heterosexual people.

It should be noted, however, that society today is still very conflicted about this issue. In the United States, there are some religious denominations that do condemn homosexuality, but unlike 100 years ago, these groups are no longer dominant, although they are still very much a factor in certain conservative parts of the country. On the other hand, a few states (mostly in the north and the east) have become so accepting of gay men and lesbians that there is now marriage equality, which gives equal marriage rights to both homosexual and heterosexual people. And a few other states which do not allow gay marriage allow a legal arrangement called civil union. So to sum up, for some traditional and religious people, homosexuality is seen as a sin and a choice and deserves to be condemned. For the more secular people, homosexuality is genetic and is not seen as inherently evil or sinful-- it is just seen as different.