To the best of my knowledge, homosexuality is not an acquired feature via genetics.
So we can basically break this down to an "I don't know." For my part, I am also in this as I am not any sort of scientist who would be dealing with it. Though I wouldn't be surprised if there is ultimately a biochemical structure behind it. For me though, this is for the greater part, immaterial.
This struggle with sin is akin to the struggle with other sins: drinking, gluttony, hatred (ie racism and classism), sloth, and the whole gamut which is all common to humans.
Putting aside that I don't believe in sin for a moment. Beyond liking someone of the same sex instead of the opposite, comparing homosexuality to all those things is asinine. Simply being homosexual doesn't=intentionally damaging your liver and other organs, damaging your body with overeating, dictates a definite social stance, make you procrastinate. In short, your comparison is a horrible one. Particularly since you can quite well be a drunk,greedy,hateful or lazy gay person. That speaks to a person being drunk, greedy, hateful or lazy. Not their sexual orientation. Please lets at least try to come up with comparisons that make sense.
I am not demeaning this struggle, or trivializing it.
Struggle is a rather general and flippant term in this case. It sounds dangerous close to creating a straw man. To say someone struggles with bad behavior is one thing. To say someone struggles being something which is not inherently evil or harmful of either themselves or another because OTHER people create a negative situation over their sexual orientation and as a result treats them unfairly and socially ostracizes them is quite another.
People rightfully struggle with that in the world today. But that's not an indication of their own faults. it's an indication that OTHER people are in the wrong.
Within my own personal life and family, sexual orientation has been a struggle. Succumbing to homosexuality is a choice
Again. Your choice of words leads me to believe this is just an elaborate straw man. I see struggle is repeated. And I see you use the term 'succumbing." Both seem to imply attempting to deal with a negative addiction or temptation.
Again I'd say the reality tends to be a person coming to terms with the desire to not keep hiding who they are simply for the sake of conformity to a family, group of friends,etc they feel would harm them emotionally or even perhaps physically if they reveal who they are.
Again I would say this is a condemnation of those who would act so selfishly and harmfully to another. Not a condemnation of some one who is homosexual.
. And "love" is not a justification for this type of human interaction. "Love," as the world defines it, leads to a slippery slope of justification for many types of sinful interactions.
Why is it that when certain people, and I hate to say it, but usually it's Christians. Used the term "the world" they use it both so flippantly and vaguely. As if the entire world BUT Christians are homogeneous in some sort of selfish, carefree behavior, as to use the word love simply as a synonym of lust or to justify anything else that is in the end selfish behavior. It is honestly so difficult for such people who use the term to acknowledge the reality that there really is no "the world." Because it's quite easy to find people who are not of your creed who disagree quite a bit with using the word love so badly?
In the interests of intellectual honesty, I ask that you do that. Instead of throwing out generalities that just spit on people for no reason that I can ascertain.
Agape love allows for love amongst many different types of people. Friendship defines a respectful and caring relationship between two people.
Ok agreeing in general so far.
Married love is specifically defined by God, in the bible, as between a man and a woman.
Marriage existed as a cultural phenomenon before Christianity and before the bible. Christianity does not own any patent on marriage or what marriage represents, or what is a proper marriage ceremony or tradition. Nor shall it ever.
This relationship is even defined outside the Judeo-Christian realm. The Lord God did not create sin, sinful behavior, or coerce us into choosing sinful behavior. Being tempted and struggling with sin is a reality of our lives. To be in a "lifestyle" which promotes sin damages the human soul, even though while in that 'lifestyle' one may feel/think that no wrong is being committed.
If I was Christian I would agree....when you proved it was a sin that damages the human soul.