"To Thine Own Self Be True"
- Shakespeare, "Hamlet"

Tim Rollins Photo courtesy of Beth Rollins

There has been a lot in the news about homosexuality as of late. First and foremost, we have the ongoing battle across the country with Boy Scouts and the Supremes having sided with them on the issue of homosexuals serving as leaders in the organization – they ruled 5-4 that the Scouts had the right to say no. Despite this ruling, many organizations across the country are retaliating against the Scouts by denying them use permits for public property and other forms of harassment, intimidation and other assorted forms of low-class bullying.

In addition to the Scouts, we have the active courting of the gay vote by both major parties in the National Conventions that they had in Los Angeles and Philadelphia this past summer. Do not get me wrong; I believe that gays have as much of a right to cast a ballot as anyone else. What I have a problem with is when they use intimidation or guilt trips to force another person to accept their sincere but errant opinions about the gay lifestyle.

What I am about to say here may get me a lot of negative feedback, but the fact is that I believe it and as a matter of principle, I must stand by it. That fact is simply this: NO ONE IS BORN GAY. There, I said it. Now before some of you who are either sympathetic to gays and their cause or who may describe yourselves as gay flame me with hate e-mail, I say this: I have seen people who had once considered themselves gay or lesbian undergo changes in their lives of monumental proportions. As they sever the ties that bind them to that community and lifestyle, they find a broader view of the world they had never before realized. I have seen people come to the conclusion that while men and women are different in many respects, they are equal in the sight of God, whomever or whatever you may perceive Him to be.

Each of the canons of scripture – The Bible, the Talmud and the Koran – condemns homosexuality and anything like unto it in the strongest terms possible. While it may have a redneck sound to some, there is validity to the quote, "The Garden of Eden was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." The equality of men and women before God is important as they are both necessary to bring about His purposes, and that is the Immortality and Eternal Life of Man (and Woman).

What many entrenched in the homosexual lifestyle may not want those struggling with same-sex attraction to know is that there is help for those who are struggling with their orientation. There are a number of organizations devoted to helping people with these issues in their lives. One of the better-known groups is Evergreen International, which provides education, guidance and support to those involved in the transition from homosexuality. This group is based out of Salt Lake City and follows principles and guidelines consistent with the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is NOT officially affiliated with the Church, although the Church encourages the efforts of the group. Two of the Church’s Emeritus General Authorities serve on its 12-member board of trustees.

One of those who have made the transition to heterosexuality is psychotherapist Richard Cohen. He is now happily married and has three children. He says that it is mythology that people are born that way and that all homosexual behavior is driven by psychological pain and he has authored a new book titled "Coming Out Straight." In it, he outlines the causes and healing of the behavior, which he labels as: "SSAD," same-sex attraction disorder.

Over the last fifteen to twenty years I have worked in various capacities as a church officer in a lay capacity. I have also been described by those who know me as more observant than most other people. Some of those observations have allowed me to see up close some of the people involved with same-sex attraction struggle with this issue. Not all of them have been successful, but some have. I have even seen it within my own family, so I know the toll it can take on the life of the one struggling as well as the other members of the family who have to deal with it in their own way as well. After all, it is a tug-of-war between the gay community and those who want to stay straight, and the fact of the matter is that the gay community does not play fair. Look no farther than their many attempts to claim actor Tom Cruise as one of their own and the ongoing denials Cruise has had to make over the years.

It was William Shakespeare who said it best – "To thine own self be true; and it must follow as day must follow night. But thou canst be false to no man."

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• With files from the Deseret News (http://www.desnews.com)
• Evergreen International’s Web Site is at (http://www.evergreen-intl.org)

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Copyright © 2000 by Timothy Rollins.
All Rights Reserved.

-Published with permission