I agree that the situations are dissimilar. As you mentioned, the homosexual drive is itself a skewed drive. I don't want to give the impression that it isn't.TheEditor wrote:I generally concur with what has been written, but I would add this: I think we need to be a bit wary when dealing with those struggling with this issue and not (no matter how well meaning) use analogies regarding normative sexual impulses. The fact is, if we are single and have strong temptations, we do have a Scripturally allowable means of relieving it; it's called marriage. Homosexuals do not have this, at least not Scripturally. A sex drive is a natural thing. With gays, it's a skewed drive, but the desire for sexual expression itself is natural. So there's the conundrum.
However, I think it's true that non-married people (and some married people) are in fact all in the same boat regarding sexual temptation. Single people can't or don't just up and get married in 5 minutes or even 5 years.
I also agree with mattrose that the idea of sex and sexual attraction is over-rated in our culture. These things presumably didn't exist before God created the universe and apparently won't exist in the resurrection. The fact that I'll likely never have sex means about as much to me as the fact that I'll likely never travel to China. It's not like hunger, a drive that must be satisfied or it gets stronger. Just do something else and you forget all about it. How's that for advice?