[by Sandy McIntosh] The actress Susan Sarandon recently stated that she is open to dating any gender, “if there’s a person, I would leave open the age, the color, the gender even. I’m open. It increases your chances, doesn’t it?”

This has been received with support and enthusiasm by members of the gay community. For example: “The fact that she will say she’s open to dating any gender like it’s no big deal is good for visibility, and that benefits everyone.”

In another story, Scott Lyons once attended Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey. He is now in his thirties and openly gay. His brother informed him that a teacher at his former high school, Patricia Jannuzzi, had posted a message on her personal Facebook page with her own belief that homosexuality is learned behavior. Immaculata is a Catholic school.

Scott was appalled and rallied against the comments, with many supporters. He takes the view that sexual orientation is determined, and not something we control.

Ms Jannuzzi was put on administrative leave and ordered to take down her Facebook page. Her employer stated; the contents are “completely inconsistent with our policy and position as a Catholic Christian community.”

Scott has at least one celebrity supporter who is also highly offended at the teaching that his sexual orientation was learned. And who is this famous person who has openly declared her outrage? His movie star aunt, Susan Sarandon; the person who is willing to change her sexual orientation when it suits her.

So, I can go to him, but he cannot come to me.

Beyond Ms Sarandon is a wider community that ended a teacher’s career based on private comments about learning an orientation. The same community will welcome Susan Sarandon if she decides to learn a new orientation.

But glaring inconsistencies correct themselves. The real concern is not sexual orientation, or gender identity, or any other modern cause.

The danger is the popular idea of surrendering to passivity, which erodes the ability to manage our own lives. In self-help advice; we decide, we act, we learn, we become. Decisions determine destiny. Stephen Covey spoke for us all “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”

As a Christian, I agree, and I include God who honors my decisions. That is faith. I believe I can change, starting with a decision. Apparently Susan Sarandon has similar ideas, for herself.

The Bible is clear that a good life starts with a faith decision:

Supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful (2 Peter 2:5 to 8).

 

Read more:

• Susan Sarandon is open to dating “any gender”: After Ellen
• Susan Sarandon Blasts Anti-Gay Comments Made by Her Nephew’s Former Teacher: people.com