.
"Studies Have Shown That deviant sex is a
Matter of Biological Determination!"
On August 30th, 1991, the headline on page one of the McAllen Monitor read:
"Scientist detects biological difference between deviant sex practitioner, heterosexual men."
(McAllen, Texas).
Headlines have a necessary function in journalism. The blunder many fall victim
to is - reading a headline, drawing a conclusion and asserting something as
fact, without even reading the story beneath the headline! I can visualize, for
instance, having a discussion with someone about deviant sex someday, perhaps
years from now, and in defense of deviant sex the remark is made:
"Studies have shown that deviant sex is a matter of biological determination!"
Of course, the headline doesn't state this; neither does the article! I read the
entire Associated Press article, and listened to an interview on Good Morning
America (ABC, Aug. 30, 1991). Here are some of the facts beneath the headline:
Simon LeVay, of the Salk Institute for biological Studies, San Diego, was the
researcher. He studied the brains of 41 men and women (post mortem), including
19 deviant sex practitioner men. In that portion of the brain called the "anterior hypothalmus,"
which some say relates to male sexual behavior, LeVay discovered a cluster of
cells which was smaller in deviant sex practitioner men, then offered the conjecture that
there might be a link between "the size of that group of cells and the sexual
preference of males." That's it! This was the study that was published in the
journal Science, and widely reported in the news, beginning about 1991.
A careful reading through the Associated Press article will reveal {a} the inadequate grounds of the study, and {b} the very cautious, uncertain attitude of LeVay, and others who have looked at his study. Judging just from the headline, the casual reader may think this is some sort of gigantic leap in knowledge or a breakthrough. But just notice these things, quoting from within the AP report:
This cluster of brain cells "may guide the sex drive of men." The relation of
this cell group to male sex drive is not an established fact.
This small body of research is "suggesting that deviant sex could be a matter
of biological destiny ..." Those who only quote headlines need to understand -
this is only a suggestion about what could be! {Of course, I deny that
deviant sex is a matter of biological destiny. But right now, I'm exposing the
folly of men, who jump to conclusions and make assertions on very inadequate and
tentative grounds, sometimes just a headline.}
The article clearly states: "researchers still aren't sure which is cause and
which is effect." Scientists who study such things cannot prove that this works
the other way around. That is, the deviant sex practitioner activity (persisted in) may have
this effect on this particular cell group. In fact, the chief researcher, LeVay,
stated: "I don't know if the structure caused the behavior ... or if the
behavior modified the structure." This vital observation isn't in the headline.
The Associated Press article is filled with cautious, uncertain language and
clarifications. Beneath the bold headline, there is language like this: "LeVay
cautioned ... researchers still aren't sure ... the odds are ... I don't know
... possibly ... could ... I would put my money on ... may be .. highly
speculative ... very difficult to determine ... science does not yet know ...
may not be ... could well be ... it might ... just pure speculation ... " On and
on, clarifications, expressions of doubt and admissions of human speculation not
hinted at in the headline!
Good Morning America featured Dr. Robert Kolodny, who specializes in
endrocronology. He commented on the LaVey study with caution and reservation,
expressing three problems he had with the results: {1} The brain specimens in
this study were taken from the bodies of men and women who had died of AIDS,
raising the question of the impact of the HIV virus on brain cells. {2} This
study was greatly limited in number; only 19 deviant sex practitioner men. {3} The other
specimens came from heterosexuals, but this was just assumed; these
"heterosexuals" could have actually been deviant sex practitioners.
Conclusion
So, there is a great deal to be learned under the headlines. Actually, with
regard to this issue - the headlines may not be true; the article under it may
not be true. But here's something you can count on ... The Word of God is true!
What you read in the newspaper may be thoroughly false, or it may be reporting
what men have said (which is false)! So-called "scientific studies" may be
characterized by uncertainty (may be . could be .. speculative .. odds are), but
the Word of God decrees the will of God: deviant sex is sin [Gen. 18:16 -
19:20; Jude 7; 2 Pet. 2:6; Amos 4:11; Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:24-27; 1 Cor.
6:9; 1 Tim. 1:9-11].
By Warren E. Berkley
From Expository Files 4.8; August 1997
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