“Our biology shapes our propensities for a wide variety of behaviors”

I’m trying to figure out why genetics is the trump card in conversations about homosexuality, but not for other topics.

In discussions on the biblical view of homosexuality, some have claimed that it doesn’t make sense to call on people to resist same-sex attractions if they’re “born that way.” But we don’t use that argument when discussing other behaviors.

I was thinking of this after reading Jeffrey Kluger’s report for Time magazine on a recent study claiming that certain people have a stronger genetic tendency to infidelity than others.

Justin Garcia, a doctoral fellow in evolutionary biology and health at Binghamton University in New York, said, "What we found was that individuals with a certain variant of the DRD4 gene were more likely to have a history of uncommitted sex, including one-night stands and infidelity."

But, Garcia said, “the study doesn't let transgressors off the hook. These relationships are associative, which means not everyone with this genotype will have one-night stands or commit infidelity. [The] genes do not give anyone an excuse, but they do provide a window into how our biology shapes our propensities for a wide variety of behaviors.”

Exactly.

Propensity for a behavior doesn’t grant permission for the behavior.

Old timers used to refer to the Christian life as a struggle against “the world, the flesh, and the devil.” Certainly part of “the flesh” we struggle against is our biological propensities. Prayer, sensitivity, and loving guidance is what we need from each other as we bring ourselves in line with God’s expectations.