The Chemistry Between Us

I bought this book, The Chemistry Between Us, by Larry Young and Brian Alexander, because I've always felt that there is a kind of chemistry between most people. Sometimes it can be good chemistry, and sometimes it can be awful chemistry -- but chemistry nonetheless. Some people you meet don't move you one way or the other, but for the most part there usually is an attraction (or anti-attraction) factor to the people you meet, regardless if you've spoken to them or had any interaction at all.

I found it difficult to follow along with all the medical terms and chemistry jargon, but despite that, I absolutely loved the book and thought it was a great read.

I suppose everyone can take something different away from whatever is read, but to me the highlight of the book was the tantalizing scientific evidence that homosexuality and transgenderism is genetically-based. This seems to be such a fundamental religious issue, and it's hard for me to understand why. God supposedly loves us all -- whether we have blond hair, are short, have green eyes, or are gay. Religion would have us believe that God never intended for anything but a sexual relationship between man and woman, and that a homosexual relationship is against God and will put you on the fast-track to Hell. At the end of the day, why would God care about our sexual preference? Isn't what's in our heart the most important factor for salvation?

I've met just as many kind, generous, Christian homosexuals as I've met evil, mean, Christian heterosexuals. Are you really telling me your sexual orientation is more important than being a good person and simply accepting Christ into your heart?

One argument against a so-called scientific basis for homosexuality is that science is always revising its prior convictions, so that what is true today is not necessarily true tomorrow. Scientific evidence that homosexuality is based on our genes may be disputed in further tests, in other words. It's certainly true that one day we hear sugar/caffeine/sunlight/fiber will kill us and the next day we hear it will prolong our lives. A scientific "fact" is only fact until it's disproven. That being said, the evidence appears overwhelming.

At the beginning of time -- before the age of the petri dish and sperm banks -- I can see where homosexuality would potentially threaten the continuation of the human race and that it was wise to "preach" against its practice since survival depended on our proliferation. But in this modern era, this threat is certainly no longer an issue.

Furthermore, I have a fundamental problem with people who believe homosexuality and transgenderism is a choice. Let's play a game: I want all heterosexual men to imagine for a minute that the Bible instructs us to only have homosexual relationships in order to follow God's law and to be saved. If a man thinks about having sex with a woman, or imagines a woman naked, or takes any sexual pleasure at all from heterosexuality, he is doomed to Hell. Could you change your sexual orientation then -- right now -- by choice? It is no different for someone who's homosexual. They have no more choice in their sexuality than you or I do, and yet Christians continue to place that burden on them.

We've all heard stories about kids in school who are bullied and made fun of just because of their sexual orientation. Do you honestly think these children would choose to go through this type of treatment? It doesn't get any easier as you get older -- they will face criticism for the rest of their lives. No one would choose to be treated like that.

A common response to this is that God expects homosexuals (if they refuse to choose heterosexuality) to "pick up their cross" and follow God's law by denying themselves. Can you choose not to breathe? Not to eat? Not to drink? As far as I'm concerned, sex is a basic need like any other. You cannot deny it any more than you can stop breathing. Could you deny yourself sex? Why would homosexuals be held to a higher standard than you are?

There are many other enlightening things in the book besides the discussion on homosexuality and transgenderism, of course. Another interesting finding is that some people are predisposed to infidelity. And another is that we suffer horrible psychological consequences if we are neglected during infancy. These are just a couple of examples of the scientific evidence found regarding how we interact with each other, or how we need to interact with each other.

All-in-all, a fascinating and important read.