Homosexuality and Christianity have enjoyed a long relationship together. As long as there have been Christians, there have been Christians denouncing homosexuality as evil. It doesn't matter that scientific evidence has consistently shown this is a common and natural occurrence, most likely based in genetics. The church will have you believe that homosexuality, not unlike Satan, can be driven from you, either through prayer, or shock therapy. The article ``Cleaning Out the Closet'' by Dr. Karl Soper is a perfect example of church idiocy at it's finest.

In Soper's article, he says that the national push to legalize gay marriage causes impressionable children and adults to want to become gay. Billboard ads featuring Calvin Klein models entice heterosexual people to become homosexual, and that Calvin Klein actually wants to create gay people, to sell more clothing. He goes on to say that psychologists and neurologists are wrong in every aspect of scientific study, and that the only true ``science'' is the Bible. Fasting for days at a time will reduce homosexual urges, as will electro-convulsive therapy. Soper does concede that a few of the cases in which the electro-convulsive therapy was used, it led to paralysis and complete sexual dysfunction, but no medical doctor will help them iron out this particular kink. He ends his article with the claim that because none of the 36 clients have returned for therapy, it is 100% successful.

It is extremely scary that this view is held by MUCH of the population. There is absolutely no scientific evidence to support this theory. The closest thing they have to science is misquoting a 100-year-old theory put forth by Sigmund Freud. According to Michael Shermer, author of Why People Believe Weird Things, the testing of a hypothesis is the best way to advance science. If the testing holds up, it becomes a theory, and if it does not hold up, the person must re-do the hypothesis.

The theory that homosexuality is caused by genetics more than environment or choice has stood up to scientific study time and time again. Soper's hypothesis is based solely on the Bible, and since the church cannot even fathom questioning the Bible, all scientific possibilities are thrown out in favor of nonsensical spiritual pseudoscience.

Soper is pushing an agenda that has no basis in science. The church's utter lack of respect for science shows they have a deeper fear of being exposed for the totalitarians they are. Homosexuality, whether genetic, (as science is proving to the chagrin of the church), or environmental, does not need persecution and treatment, but understanding. It appears however that understanding is something the church will never have.