Born This Way

Not long ago, Lady Gaga released a song entitled "Born this Way." When I heard the title, I immediately thought that it was a song permitting homosexuality, among other things. After listening to--and reading through--the lyrics, I was right.

The song opens up with the line, "It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M," which is an obvious reference to God.  As the song continues, Gaga says that God created people in certain ways, and that we should all accept one another for how God made us.  The line reads, "There's nothin wrong with lovin who you are, cause he (God) made you perfect, babe."  Moreover, she says that we should not "hide [ourselves] in regret, just love yourself and you're set."  When you do this, Gaga says, you are on "the right track, baby."

The homosexual agenda comes in at least three forms throughout the song.  First, she says, "Don't be a drag, just be a queen," an obvious reference to transexuality.  Second, she says, "a different lover is not a sin, believe capital H-I-M."  This is a reference to the notion that it is okay to romantically love someone of your same sex, and that God is okay with it.  The last one is the most obvious, as Gaga sings in her bridge, "No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life...I'm on the right track baby I was born to survive."

The underlying argument is that it is okay to indulge in homosexuality because God made you that way, and therefore, God must think that it is okay.  We must "believe H-I-M," Gaga sings.  There is, however, a problem with this claim--God doesn't think that it is okay.  In fact, He vehemently says that it's not okay.  1 Corinthians 6:9 says,

"Do not be deceived...homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God."  

So, if there isn't a place for homosexuals in the kingdom of God, then how do we make sense of the thought that some of us are "born this way?"  Moreover, how do we argue against individuals such as Lady Gaga who preach that they have been homosexual their entire life?

Many Christians have responded to this query suggesting that we aren't necessarily "born this way," but instead are born with tendencies toward "this" way.  I am not so sure that that is the best answer to this question, however.  The Bible doesn't suggest that we have natural tendencies toward sin, necessarily; It instead says that we are actually born in sin, or in other words, born as sinners.  Psalm 51:5 says,

"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me."  

Paul furthermore wrote in Romans 5:12,

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned."

To suggest that, at birth, we only have tendencies toward sin instead of having original sin is to ignore the blatant truth that we are indeed born in "this" way.

So, in a way, we are "born this way," but just because you happen to be born in sin doesn't mean that it is the way God "made" you, or moreover, how He intended you to remain.  To suggest this would mean that along with condoning homosexuality, we should also condone the child molester, the rapist, and the serial killer because they too were "born this way." Instead, the message of Scripture is that this is sin, and that this sin has separated us from God.  Now, God desires to put us on the legitimate "right track," which is not sin.

This includes all sin, not just the sin of homosexuality.

The fact of the matter is that we are all "born this way," meaning, born in sin.  We all struggle with sin, be it homosexuality, drunkedness, idolatry, covetousness, or thievery, to name a few.  Being "born this way," however, doesn't mean that we should remain this way, or that it is alright.  God's ultimate plan is to restore and redeem His creation, which includes people.  One day, Jesus will return to earth and when He does, He will judge the world.  There will be two destinations for the human race--Heaven or Hell, or more literally, eternal life or eternal death.

For those who remain "born this way," sadly, the destination will be eternal death.  To enter eternal life, the message from "capital H-I-M" is to identify yourself with Christ which involves abstaining from sin; "Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.  But immorality...must not even be named among you" (Eph 5:1-3).  Jesus moreover said that in order to obtain eternal life, we must be "born again" (John 3), which means that we must die to our old self.  I want to be born in this way...not the other.

This is a far different message than what Gaga preaches--we should be moving as far away from the way we were born instead of embracing it as perfection.