this just in...

[littlebillie]

 

Gay Sheep May Help Explain Biology of

Homosexuals ABCNEWS

 

 

 

 

Nov. 4

 

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Gay sheep that mate only with other rams have different brain structures from "straight" sheep, a finding that may shed light on human sexuality, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

 

The differences are similar to those seen in some

homosexual humans, but probably only go a small way to explaining the causes of different sexual preferences, the team at Oregon Health & Science University said.

 

"We are not trying to explain human sexuality by this study," Charles Roselli, a professor of physiology and pharmacology who led the study, said in a telephone interview. "Whether this is a big component of what contributes in humans, that's still debatable."

 

Working with a team at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho, Roselli's team studied 27 sheep -- 10 ewes, nine rams that mated only with other rams and eight rams that mated only with females.

 

The "gay" sheep are strongly homosexual, Roselli said.

 

"They don't pair-bond," he said. "But they are exclusive. They don't court or mate with

females. They only court and mate with males."

 

First the scientists watched the sheep to be sure of their behavior -- something that cannot be done with humans. Then they took apart their brains.

 

"There had been reports in humans that a certain area of the hypothalamus, the preoptic area ... was usually larger in males than females," Roselli said. This area was also found to be larger in heterosexual humans than in homosexual men.

 

But the researchers had used the brains of men who had died of AIDS in their study, which meant the disease or drugs used to treat it could have had an effect on the brain.

 

"With an animal model you can be more selective and do more controlled studies," Roselli said.

 

The sheep had similar differences in their brains, the researchers told a meeting in Orlando, Florida, of the Society for Neuroscience.

 

"In a sense we confirmed what been found in humans," Roselli said.

 

The brain cells in this area also made greater amounts of an enzyme called aromatase in the heterosexual rams. Aromatase is involved in the action of testosterone, the so-called male hormone.

 

This does not mean the gay rams had less testosterone in their brains, Roselli stressed. "It is not necessarily the activational effect of the hormone," he said. Other types of neurons are probably active -- they just have not found them yet.

 

No differences in testosterone relating to sexuality have been found either in the sheep or in humans, he said.

 

"It's not that gay men have lower levels of testosterone," he said. "And it's not the case

with these sheep."

 

Roselli believes that exposure to hormones while still in the mother's womb may affect the brain and cause differences in sexual preference, and more experiments will aim to show whether this is true.

 

[eisely]

What may or may not be true of sheep, does not automatically apply to humans. Homosexual behavior has been observed in various higher order animals, but it doesn't really prove anything one way or another. Interesting observations, but still not relevant to the debate regarding sexual orientation among humans.

 

The advocates of gay rights maintain that homosexuality is not a choice, but somehow determined. The scientific evidence to support this view is very poor.

 

For example there was a study involving sexual orientation among identical twins. The study found about 50% "concordance" with homosexuality. That is, if one of the twins was homosexual, there was a 50% chance the other was also homosexual. This, among other studies, was touted as proof that homosexuality was genetically determined. But wait a minute. Notwithstanding all the other flaws in this particular study, if homosexuality were genetically determined shouldn't the concordance among identical twins be 100%? This particular study result refutes the idea of genetic determination.

[NJCubScouter]

Actually, eisely, most advocates of "gay rights" (meaning non-discrimination against gays), including me, believe it is irrelevant whether homosexuality is caused genetically, or is a choice. They should not be discriminated against, regardless. I suppose that if it were proven to be genetic, those who favor discrimination would find it even more difficult to support their position, because among other things, it would then be clear that God made a certain percentage of the population gay. But the discrimination is still wrong, and incidentally, contrary to the principles of Scouting, either way.

[acco40]

What I really want to know is if the sheep (homosexual Rams that is) professed a belief in God?

[dan]

Those are some BAAAAAAAAAAD sheep!

 

[eisely]

Ewe said it.

[slontwovvy]

I wonder if they would be willing to say the Pledge of Allegiance for us....

[evmori]

IMHO, homosexuality is a lifestyle. And the BSA saying that homosexuals can't be members is saying the BSA doesn't approve of this lifestyle. Is that discrimination? It could be viewd as that.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[littlebillie]

"but still not relevant to the debate regarding

sexual orientation among humans"

might more apprpriately be worded "but not yet shown relevant to the debate regarding sexual orientation among humans."

 

that notwithstanding, why would God make animals homosexual? are they choosing evil? or...?

[rlculver415]

God does not make anyone homosexual! That is like saying God kills people in natural disasters, or that God makes people sin. While these are often commonly held ideas, they are lies from the pit of Hell. God made people and all creation perfect, and people fouled things up by choosing to sin. And yes, sin is a choice - we humans choose to do things our way instead of God's way, putting ourselves above God in our own consideration. This is the essence of sin. When sin became humanity's choice, the earth and all creation within it was skewed. Death and decay became reality, sinfulness became a lifestyle, odd things like homosexual animals now exist.

[littlebillie]

rlculver415,

 

I asked about animals. assuming you noticed that, are you saying that animals sin, and choose to do so? I was really under the assumption that animals were without sin, never having eaten of the apple...

 

if that is your real intent - that animals willfully choose to sin, and can sin at all - please confirm?

[acco40]

Hmmm ... God does not make anyone homosexual. Does God make anyone heterosexual? If not, that pretty much says that God does not make anyone. Therefore, if God does not make anyone, maybe that "evolution thing" has a grain of truth to it. Wait, Rooster and others have told me that it doesn't. Hmmm...

 

Now if God doesn't kill anyone in natural disasters, can I sue the insurance companies for labeling such acts as an "act of God"? Hmmm ...

 

Now since to sin is a choice, was it made by me or by Adam and Eve. Hmmm ... The concept of "original sin", let's see, Catholics like to baptize as soon after birth as possible to "cleanse" a newborn of original sin. But wait, Baptists (shouldn't they be the experts on baptism, hence the name?) like to wait until the person has the "sense" to make a decision to join the church (more of an initiation). Hmmm ... You would think with a God owners manual (Bible) this would all be so much less confusing.

 

I'm so glad there are people like Rooster and rlculver and Ed Mori who have all the answers.

 

[Rooster7]

Animals were not created in God's image...And they do not have free will. Per my understanding of God's Word, they cannot sin. However, nor are they suitable for salvation. They were created to serve man. They do not worship or glorify God (except as a testament to His creativity, power, and foresight). They simply exist. As for their odd behavior, I am certain that man directly or indirectly influenced it.

[NJCubScouter]

rlculver says:

 

God does not make anyone homosexual!

 

How do you know that? You may believe that, but I don't see how you can know that.

 

I also think that the creationists around here ought to have a meeting and get their stories straight, because I know that at least one person has said that God creates each one of us individually. If that is the case, you have to take the people whose behavior you don't approve of along with everybody else. God created them too, right?

 

I have previously suggested, with tongue in cheek, that perhaps God made some people gay as a test for the rest of us, to see how we treat the more "unusual" aspects of his creation. As a society, I would say that historically we have failed the test, though in early 21st century America we have probably pulled our collective grade up to a "D."

[Rooster7]

acco40,

 

You're capable of finding the answers yourself. I'm not sure what to believe about the theory of evolution. I just know that the evidence is not all that compelling. Furthermore, I don't believe it testifies to God's power (as some have stated). Because of my belief in God, I place no limits on what God is capable of doing. The Bible's account of the Earth's beginnings is perfectly reasonable to me. As to whether or not the Bible is clear, perhaps you are not praying when you're reading God's Word. Why don't you try it out one day (if you haven't already)...You may be surprised as to just how clear God's Word can be.