You can control your emotions in that you can prevent them from coming out (like holding back your anger or joy or something), and you can control your emotions in that you can place yourself in specific situations where you will experience certain emotions. What you seem to be implying is with self-control, one can not experience certain emotions. That is false. Past what I said earlier, you cannot control what emotions you feel. Whether or not you act on them is another matter. Similarly, you cannot choose who you fall in love with, although you can influence it by staying with certain people.

But feel free to prove me wrong. You claim to be heterosexual? Make yourself attracted to the same gender. Surely if it is a simple matter of "self-control," this will not be too difficult.

"You claim to be heterosexual? Make yourself attracted to the same gender"

See, what I'm saying though is that I don't want to make myself attracted to the same gender because I'm choosing to be straight.

sexual attraction is not a choice. You don't look at someone you think is pretty and choose to think they are pretty....

sexual actions are choices.

I don't believe it's a choice.
I don't remember randomly deciding one day to be attracted to both males and females.

If it's a choice, when did you choose to be straight?
It it's a choice, go out and be gay or a lesbian for a day.
If it's a choice, why would people choose to be something that could end up with them being harassed on a nearly daily basis, kicked out of their home by their own parents, discriminated against, assaulted, or even murdered because of who you were attracted to?

Some have a greater susceptibility to things than others. It doesn't mean that choice is impossible, just improbable. Even so, why is a bisexual attracted to both? Is it because they don't know their orientation, or are they choosing to like both?

In any case they are on the fence, and can change their orientation towards one or the other at some point if they choose to. Same goes for everyone else, though I believe if something feels good enough you're going to do it no matter the cost.

"Same goes for everyone else, though I believe if something feels good enough you're going to do it no matter the cost."

This is so incorrect. People won't do something that feels good no matter the cost. Addicts choose to stop using because they want to get clean and fix their lives even though doing drugs will make them feel good and stopping makes them feel bad.

Other people choose to wait until they are married to have sex.... what you said there simply isn't true.

It's true for some and not true for others. It depends on your susceptibility, and I wasn't comparing homosexuality to anything. Drugs and virginity are separate subjects.

You can claim it is a matter of choice all you like, but there is no credible evidence to back such claims up. Organisations like the APA with peer-reviewed literature stating clearly that sexual orientation is not something that can be changed is more convincing.

But you avoided my challenge. If this is all a matter of choice, try to change your sexual orientation, if only for a short perdiod. Yes, I get that you "chose" to be straight, but if it is all just a matter of choice, this shouldn't be too hard.

Once in a while I would check this thread and see what else is new. I don't feel like getting into this topic because it can drag very far.

Anyways, wouldn't the many personal testimonies of those who changed from gay to straight be an objection to that APA article's claim that sexual orientation cannot really change?

Also, I think there is a reason why tRIUNE (and myself) would not choose to be gay, but that is a separate issue, which would stray away from this topic.

Traduweise : "others" means those other than myself.... I don't have a susceptibility to homosexuality. You haven't answered my question about bisexuality..... why are they on the fence if they can't choose?

I'm sure you could always find some random person who went through a rigorous church-sponsored project and claimed to have "changed" and become heterosexual. These things are unverifiable due to poor methodology and records, as well as the intrinsic bias included. Peer-reviewed studies have drastically different results. http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_changing.html

As for bisexuality, that has been known for over half a century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinsey_scale

I haven't read anywhere in this thread about religious testimonies of changed orientation. play4fun only said 'testimonies', and I have have said 'those other, meaning myself don't have a susceptibility to homosexuality. Now what about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinsey_scale says that bisexuals aren't choosing to like both?

I don't think homosexuality is a choice because I've tried really hard to love this one gay guy with this completely compatible personality, but I was unable to find them physically attractive in the SLIGHTEST. It could have worked out if being gay was a choice, but alas, at least for me, it wasn't.

Heterosexuals might not choose to be gay, homosexuals might not choose to be straight, though bisexuals are choosing to be gay while still attracted to the opposite gender. Choice is not impossible, just improbable.

For us it is not a choice because some of us are born like that. My point is that we can't change what happens naturally in some people, they have to stick with it.

It's not something that ur born with, u choose to be homosexual or not. (like u wood choose if u liked a girl at school) But some people cannot change that no matter how hard they try.

The Kinsey scale has nothing to do with what causes homosexuality; it simply measures sexual orientation. There is no reliable evidence supporting the claim that orientation is a choice; these programs and organisations that try to "cure" it are all religiously backed and never use proper recreatable methods.

Simply put, you can say you think homosexuality is a choice all you like; you have nothing to support it.

Traduweise : There was nothing about methodologies or a certain program from what I mentioned. There are people who just "changed" from homosexual to heterosexual. This is not something to be skeptical or needed to verify. It happens. It does not have to be a religious organization that does that, but just plain caring and love from other people and the personal struggles or personal experiences that they have about this issue, they do that without other people forcing them to do so.

And from all these posts, I'm noticing people are writing that this is something that you "can't change" and that we are "born that way."

I did not want to express this on here, since this is wayy off topic and might cause more conversations on this thread that is not related into the thread.

Most likely Christians would be saying that homosexuality is a choice, but this must be understood under the worldview of what Christians think. This is how it goes, Christians believe that homosexuality is a sin, no greater than any other sins, like lying, stealing, murder, etc, but also no less serious to God like the rest of the sins. Christians tend to agree that we are "born that way," because everyone is born with a sinful human nature, no matter if the sin is homosexuality or greed or stealing, everyone has that sinful nature which includes those sinful urges, including homosexual urges, some people having less of those urges than others, but everyone is still corrupted by sin, that is why there are those homosexual urges. Some Christians have struggles in this area as well. It is because knowing that this is sinful and when God does a work in their lives, they are "choosing" to be straight, because they choose to not sin against God. However, some who have those urges, "choose" to let those urges influence their lives and they want to do it. Homosexuality is no different than lying, stealing, lusting, murderer, idolatry and all the other sins. At least, from this, you would understand where Christians are coming from. The real issue, in my opinion, lies on whether homosexuality is a sin, or "wrong", in the eyes of God. That is the deeper issue.

Again, I'm just expressing the point of view.

play4fun : "The real issue, in my opinion, lies on whether homosexuality is a sin, or "wrong", in the eyes of God."

That's only an issue to people who believe in God.

I'm sure there are plenty of people (gay or not) that don't care at all what you think God thinks about homosexuals. Your personal belief system should have absolutely no bearing on homosexuals and their rights.

geeogree : I know that those who don't believe in God would not find this an issue. But I am stating why Christians would have this view of "homosexuality as a choice" and that this is framed from their worldview. This thread is talking about whether homosexuality is a choice and it is not about their rights.

I am stating this just so that people would just say that they understand where we are coming from, whether they agree or disagree on it, and not say, "oh you guys are soo ignorant about this issue"

So it is just agree or disagree with what I just said. Either way, fair answer.