同性戀者的教牧關顧

Pastoral Care for the Homosexuals

Benjamin WAT

Although Christian churches do not accept homosexual behavior from the standpoint of biblical moral standard, churches affirm the responsibility to care for and minister to homosexuals. In this paper there is a brief discussion of the causation of homosexual sexual preference. There is no clear scientific evidence to show that homosexual behavior is genetically caused. Currently, most researchers focus on the influence of childhood traumatic experiences and dysfunctional family experiences as causes of homosexual behaviors. Care and counseling steps, from assessment to follow-up care, are introduced with consideration to the pastors’ limited counseling training. The main emphasis is on pastors building a stable and intimate relationship with homosexuals, which is believed to bring healing power to the subjects’ developmental wounds. These homosexuals are then encouraged to make new behavioral choices in life that will hopefully achieve life transformation.