Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"

Lady Gaga has taken a bold stride into the “nature-nurture” debate with her new hit single, “Born This Way.” The song debuted at the Grammys last month where she was carried on stage in a giant egg and then hatched herself to make a statement: born this way.

The song’s agenda isn't subtle: “No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered … don't be a drag, just be a queen.” After all, “God makes no mistakes, I’m on the right track baby, I was born this way.” Elton John has declared that the song may be “the new gay anthem” (ew.com).

And yet, a few questions come to mind. First, what are the boundaries of the “born this way” rationale? If you go down the road that says, “This is just the way I am,” where else might it take you? What kinds of views or actions might Lady Gaga herself consider unacceptable even if her best friend insisted, “I was born this way”? “But Gaga, my dear, I was born with a natural, ‘God-given’ desire to swindle you out of millions! Surely you can support me in this—that’s what friends are for!”

Secondly, it seems she’s dodging a couple key issues. One is the interplay of nature and nurture in the complex story of our development. For Lady Gaga, it’s nature—end of discussion. But human civilization hasn’t been debating this delicate distinction since time immemorial for no reason. Is it likely that all the intricate theological, sociological and psychological reflections of centuries were suddenly resolved at the 2011 Grammys?

Another evaded point is this: even if from birth we’re prone to act or think or feel in certain ways, that doesn’t necessarily mean those ways are good for us or others. Frankly, mature adulthood (for the Christian or anyone else) involves restraining various natural impulses: cruel words held back for the sake of friendship; sloth denied in order to keep earning a living; saying no to impulse buying; and so on.

As for God’s guidance on the subject of sexual activity, here are a few key points (of course, I realize that these claims only carry weight for those who respect the authority of Scripture, so I don’t expect Lady Gaga or Elton John to be won over—apart from the heart-changing intervention of the Lord, toward which we should pray!):

• Romans 1:26-27 indicates that homo­sexual activity is contrary to God’s will. Other biblical texts could be noted as well, both Old and New Testament (e.g., 1 Corinthians 6:9). It’s not a topic on which the Bible is silent.
• “One flesh” intimacy is reserved for husband and wife in marriage (Mark 10:6-9). Outside of marriage, God’s good will for people is sexual abstinence. Embracing singleness in Christ is a beautiful expression of trust in his wisdom and love (1 Corinthians 7:7, 32-35).
• Gay neighbors are like all our other neighbors in this sense: they need Christ, and they need to see the love of Christ in our kind and truthful way of relating to them.
• Check out ChristopherYuan.com for the story of a changed heart and deliverance from the gay lifestyle.
• Dr. Robert Gagnon (Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Seminary) provides extensive, serious engagement with these issues from a biblical foundation (robgagnon.net).

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