The average life span of an American male is 75, while for gay males it's 43. Question: How is it compassionate to support gay lifestyles?
In response, I received the following comment from a friend named Phil:
I have found several places online clarifying myths produced by the "anti-gay" population trying to steer people towards a lifestyle that they think other people should live. The post you posted is one of the myths indicated. I find this narrow minded and take offense to your post. Have a good day.
He has made His wonders to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and compassionate. PSALM 111:4
I decided to temporarily take my tweet comment down while I researched the information and prayed about an appropriate response to Phil's comment, which he posted on Facebook. The following was my response to his comment:
Phil,
Sorry I haven’t responded to your comments sooner, but I wanted to pray about my response and do some more research about this subject before answering you.
First of all, I am sincerely sorry that this posting offended you; it was certainly not meant to do that, I assure you. Let me ask you a couple of questions: In all the years we have known and interacted with each other, have you ever known me to purposely dishonor, disrespect, belittle or insult you or yours in any way? Have I or mine ever tried to steer you or anyone you are associated with to live a life-stye we think you should live? Can you think of even one time when I’ve discriminated against you or anyone you know? My posting (tweet) was prompted by my reaction to hearing the startling statistical information in a recent sermon I heard concerning honoring the temple of the Holy Spirit, our bodies (for those who are born again). My question was genuine; my immediate thought was of the scripture in Hosea 4:6 where God says “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge”, and frankly, it angered and saddened me to think that 1)I was not aware of this statistic and its implications, and 2)We have public service announcements (PSA’s) that vigorously warn the population of how smoking cigarettes and taking drugs and drinking alcohol shorten our life spans by 5 to 10 years, but then say nothing of a behavior whose average effect on shortening one’s life expectancy is almost more than double that.
After your chastisement, I asked the Holy Spirit to help me look into the information that I heard and posted in order to get to the truth of the matter for myself, rather than depending on pro/con groups to spin whatever statistics and information was derived according to their agenda; I’m reminded that Jesus once said “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(Jn8:32) I won’t attempt to share with you all that I learned in my research, because if you were really interested in what the truth is about this subject, you would have researched the studies and findings out there yourself and countered my statistics with information which supports your position. But since you declared the information I posted to be a “myth”, produced by the “anti-gay population” rather than challenging me with information, I WILL share with you a major piece of information I discovered which directly contradicts your declaration. One of the largest, most comprehensive and complete studies to provide support to the statistics I posted was a study done in a major population center in North America (Vancouver, BC) whose results were published in 1997 in the International Journal of Epidemiology (Vol. 26, 657-61: http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/3/657). The study was titled “Modelling the impact of HIV disease on mortality in gay and bisexual men.” Here is a summary of the findings of that well documented, crosschecked and footnoted study:
“CONCLUSION: In a major Canadian urban center, life expectancy at age 20 years for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 21 years less than for all men. If the same pattern of mortality were to continue, we estimate that nearly half of gay and bisexual men currently aged 20 years will not reach their 65th birthday. Under even the most liberal assumptions, gay and bisexual men in this urban centre are now experiencing a life expectancy similar to that experienced by all men in Canada in the year 1871.” (It should be noted here that the results and conclusions of similar, more recent studies I examined that were done in the US and Canada in recent years closely mirrored the results and conclusion of this comprehensive study.)
But here’s something important you need to know about that study: IT WAS CONDUCTED BY A TEAM OF PRO-GAY RESEARCHERS who were trying to bring attention to the impact of of HIV and AIDS infection on the gay and bisexual community, presumably to obtain more funding and care to deal with the problem. AND HERE’S THE KICKER: Several years later, after this pro-gay research group received a lot of grief from the gay community because pro-heterosexual and pro-family groups were using the results and conclusion of this study as confirmation for their warnings about the risks of the homosexual lifestyle, they issued a statement trying to minimize this unintended after-effect. Essentially, they tried to modify the findings and conclusions of their original study without conducting any new or followup or additional studies to support their position, stating that the life expectancy of gay and bisexual had greatly improved because deaths from HIV infection (they didn’t say anything about AIDS infection) had “declined dramatically” in their initial study group. Meanwhile, the actual data from more recent studies on this subject indicate that although the life span expectancy for both homosexual/bisexual and heterosexual males has increased, the relative difference in length between the two remains pretty much the same...about 8-20 years. So it would appear that your sources are are more the myth producers, not mine. I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but believe that those numbers are being sustained by the pro-gay groups who marginalize, demonize and cover up this proven information so that those who are considering engaging in the gay lifestyle are not aware of, and therefore not taking extra precautions against, the possible adverse (one might say, life threatening) effects of their decision...a sort of Catch 22. In addition, research efforts to develop HIV/AIDS vaccines and treatments have been stymied because information and studies concerning the need for these products are being quashed by groups representing the very folks who need them; after all, what self-respecting pro-gay research group wants to subject themselves to gay community vitriol when the results of their studies don’t come out like they want? I’m sorry, but I find this kind of hypocrisy to be intellectually dishonest, morally reprehensible and just plain irresponsible.
You see, I take offense at, and have no compassion for, the selfish efforts of self interest groups who foster ignorance, despite proven facts, in order to preserve their cause at all costs, because they are robbing someone I may know and care about of the right to make informed decisions about behaviors which may adversely impact his entire life. Here’s an example of what I mean: As pilots, you and I are considered a much higher risk for accidental death or disability than the general population; as a result, you, I and all pilots are excluded from the coverage of a standard life insurance policy during the performance of our duties as either pilot or crew of an aircraft, even though the safety record for the aviation industry has been vastly improved in recent years. As pilots we must be, and are, advised of this and other exclusions any time we purchase life insurance. Therefore, if we wish to have life insurance coverage to protect and provide for our families if an accident occurs during the performance of our flight duties, either we or our companies must pay an additional premium to purchase a rider that specifically covers our aviation activity. Essentially, we are advised of the risks and remedies of our aviation activities and are given the opportunity to decide which and how much risk to accept in the pursuit of our vocation. As we have both seen among family and acquaintances, sometimes those decisions result in tragic consequences for both the pilot and his family, especially when the risks were either unknown or the safe-guards and precautions were ignored.
But, in spite of all of the above, let me just say this: As long as it’s legal and doesn’t interfere with my rights as an American citizen, I could care less what consenting adults do among each other, especially in the privacy of their relationships; unlike LGBT, Gay Pride and other gay rights activist groups, I have no desire to force my life style beliefs on anyone. As a Christian Believer, I believe that a person’s sex, like his/her race, is a sacred gift from God to each of us as individuals; therefore, we as individuals are responsible to Almighty God for how we choose to use this gift (I think the famous scholar and and apologist, Ravi Zacharias, says it best in this video: http://youtu.be/CIw6ngIqaD0). I do not judge you or any other individual for the legal behaviors you choose to engage in...the Lord knows I have my own proclivities and behaviors to control and deal with without trying to assume responsibility for yours - or anyone else’s. As an American citizen, I served in the Armed Forces of this Country, to protect and preserve the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which guarantees yours and my right to live our lives as we wish and to speak as we wish, according to the laws of this country.
As for your comment about being narrow minded, I guess I should take that as a compliment, because here’s what Jesus had to say about the word “narrow”:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”(NIV Mt 7:13-14)
Sounds to me like we all need to be thinking on the “narrow” side. And I’m pretty sure many people consider Jesus to be narrow minded for saying things like “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”(Jn 14:6) and “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”(Jn 3:3)
You see, my friend, the question is not “What are your lifestyle preferences?”; the question is, “What have you done with Jesus and what He said?”. Because until we answer that question, nothing else matters in the eternal scheme of things; but when we answer by becoming born again and making Him Lord of our life, then He will reveal the truth about God’s purpose and plan for our life in this world...and the next.
Peace and blessings on you, Captain Phil...and please, fly safe!
Phil,
Sorry I haven’t responded to your comments sooner, but I wanted to pray about my response and do some more research about this subject before answering you.
First of all, I am sincerely sorry that this posting offended you; it was certainly not meant to do that, I assure you. Let me ask you a couple of questions: In all the years we have known and interacted with each other, have you ever known me to purposely dishonor, disrespect, belittle or insult you or yours in any way? Have I or mine ever tried to steer you or anyone you are associated with to live a life-stye we think you should live? Can you think of even one time when I’ve discriminated against you or anyone you know? My posting (tweet) was prompted by my reaction to hearing the startling statistical information in a recent sermon I heard concerning honoring the temple of the Holy Spirit, our bodies (for those who are born again). My question was genuine; my immediate thought was of the scripture in Hosea 4:6 where God says “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge”, and frankly, it angered and saddened me to think that 1)I was not aware of this statistic and its implications, and 2)We have public service announcements (PSA’s) that vigorously warn the population of how smoking cigarettes and taking drugs and drinking alcohol shorten our life spans by 5 to 10 years, but then say nothing of a behavior whose average effect on shortening one’s life expectancy is almost more than double that.
After your chastisement, I asked the Holy Spirit to help me look into the information that I heard and posted in order to get to the truth of the matter for myself, rather than depending on pro/con groups to spin whatever statistics and information was derived according to their agenda; I’m reminded that Jesus once said “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(Jn8:32) I won’t attempt to share with you all that I learned in my research, because if you were really interested in what the truth is about this subject, you would have researched the studies and findings out there yourself and countered my statistics with information which supports your position. But since you declared the information I posted to be a “myth”, produced by the “anti-gay population” rather than challenging me with information, I WILL share with you a major piece of information I discovered which directly contradicts your declaration. One of the largest, most comprehensive and complete studies to provide support to the statistics I posted was a study done in a major population center in North America (Vancouver, BC) whose results were published in 1997 in the International Journal of Epidemiology (Vol. 26, 657-61: http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/3/657). The study was titled “Modelling the impact of HIV disease on mortality in gay and bisexual men.” Here is a summary of the findings of that well documented, crosschecked and footnoted study:
“CONCLUSION: In a major Canadian urban center, life expectancy at age 20 years for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 21 years less than for all men. If the same pattern of mortality were to continue, we estimate that nearly half of gay and bisexual men currently aged 20 years will not reach their 65th birthday. Under even the most liberal assumptions, gay and bisexual men in this urban centre are now experiencing a life expectancy similar to that experienced by all men in Canada in the year 1871.” (It should be noted here that the results and conclusions of similar, more recent studies I examined that were done in the US and Canada in recent years closely mirrored the results and conclusion of this comprehensive study.)
But here’s something important you need to know about that study: IT WAS CONDUCTED BY A TEAM OF PRO-GAY RESEARCHERS who were trying to bring attention to the impact of of HIV and AIDS infection on the gay and bisexual community, presumably to obtain more funding and care to deal with the problem. AND HERE’S THE KICKER: Several years later, after this pro-gay research group received a lot of grief from the gay community because pro-heterosexual and pro-family groups were using the results and conclusion of this study as confirmation for their warnings about the risks of the homosexual lifestyle, they issued a statement trying to minimize this unintended after-effect. Essentially, they tried to modify the findings and conclusions of their original study without conducting any new or followup or additional studies to support their position, stating that the life expectancy of gay and bisexual had greatly improved because deaths from HIV infection (they didn’t say anything about AIDS infection) had “declined dramatically” in their initial study group. Meanwhile, the actual data from more recent studies on this subject indicate that although the life span expectancy for both homosexual/bisexual and heterosexual males has increased, the relative difference in length between the two remains pretty much the same...about 8-20 years. So it would appear that your sources are are more the myth producers, not mine. I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but believe that those numbers are being sustained by the pro-gay groups who marginalize, demonize and cover up this proven information so that those who are considering engaging in the gay lifestyle are not aware of, and therefore not taking extra precautions against, the possible adverse (one might say, life threatening) effects of their decision...a sort of Catch 22. In addition, research efforts to develop HIV/AIDS vaccines and treatments have been stymied because information and studies concerning the need for these products are being quashed by groups representing the very folks who need them; after all, what self-respecting pro-gay research group wants to subject themselves to gay community vitriol when the results of their studies don’t come out like they want? I’m sorry, but I find this kind of hypocrisy to be intellectually dishonest, morally reprehensible and just plain irresponsible.
You see, I take offense at, and have no compassion for, the selfish efforts of self interest groups who foster ignorance, despite proven facts, in order to preserve their cause at all costs, because they are robbing someone I may know and care about of the right to make informed decisions about behaviors which may adversely impact his entire life. Here’s an example of what I mean: As pilots, you and I are considered a much higher risk for accidental death or disability than the general population; as a result, you, I and all pilots are excluded from the coverage of a standard life insurance policy during the performance of our duties as either pilot or crew of an aircraft, even though the safety record for the aviation industry has been vastly improved in recent years. As pilots we must be, and are, advised of this and other exclusions any time we purchase life insurance. Therefore, if we wish to have life insurance coverage to protect and provide for our families if an accident occurs during the performance of our flight duties, either we or our companies must pay an additional premium to purchase a rider that specifically covers our aviation activity. Essentially, we are advised of the risks and remedies of our aviation activities and are given the opportunity to decide which and how much risk to accept in the pursuit of our vocation. As we have both seen among family and acquaintances, sometimes those decisions result in tragic consequences for both the pilot and his family, especially when the risks were either unknown or the safe-guards and precautions were ignored.
But, in spite of all of the above, let me just say this: As long as it’s legal and doesn’t interfere with my rights as an American citizen, I could care less what consenting adults do among each other, especially in the privacy of their relationships; unlike LGBT, Gay Pride and other gay rights activist groups, I have no desire to force my life style beliefs on anyone. As a Christian Believer, I believe that a person’s sex, like his/her race, is a sacred gift from God to each of us as individuals; therefore, we as individuals are responsible to Almighty God for how we choose to use this gift (I think the famous scholar and and apologist, Ravi Zacharias, says it best in this video: http://youtu.be/CIw6ngIqaD0). I do not judge you or any other individual for the legal behaviors you choose to engage in...the Lord knows I have my own proclivities and behaviors to control and deal with without trying to assume responsibility for yours - or anyone else’s. As an American citizen, I served in the Armed Forces of this Country, to protect and preserve the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which guarantees yours and my right to live our lives as we wish and to speak as we wish, according to the laws of this country.
As for your comment about being narrow minded, I guess I should take that as a compliment, because here’s what Jesus had to say about the word “narrow”:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”(NIV Mt 7:13-14)
Sounds to me like we all need to be thinking on the “narrow” side. And I’m pretty sure many people consider Jesus to be narrow minded for saying things like “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”(Jn 14:6) and “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”(Jn 3:3)
You see, my friend, the question is not “What are your lifestyle preferences?”; the question is, “What have you done with Jesus and what He said?”. Because until we answer that question, nothing else matters in the eternal scheme of things; but when we answer by becoming born again and making Him Lord of our life, then He will reveal the truth about God’s purpose and plan for our life in this world...and the next.
Peace and blessings on you, Captain Phil...and please, fly safe!
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