Are homosexual feelings sinful? Is homosexual / same-sex attraction a sin?

from the old testament

• In the beginning, God created all things perfectly without any error. He created man and then created woman as a helper fit for man (Genesis 2:18-22). God’s good design was to make male and female compatible for one another—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—so that together they would reflect His image, live in unity, and fulfill His purpose for creation in a relationship of mutual support and complementarity.
• The entrance of sin into the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience (Genesis 3) distorted God’s good design for human relationships, including sexuality. As a result, all human desires—including sexual ones—became prone to disorder and deviation from God’s intent. The Bible teaches that same-sex attraction, like all desires outside God’s design, is a reflection of the brokenness caused by the Fall (see Romans 8:20-23), not part of His original creation (Genesis 1:27, 31).
• Every single mention of homosexuality in the Bible is presented in a negative context (Genesis 19:1-11; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13). As such, homosexuality is a sin to pursue, indulge in, or consider homosexual attraction acceptable. If it’s a sin to do it, it’s a sin to be attracted to it.
• The Bible teaches that all humans are born with a sinful nature that leads us to desires opposed to God's will (Psalm 51:5). This includes all types of desires—sexual, selfish, or otherwise—that rebel against God's design.

from the new testament

• The Bible teaches that homosexuality is outside the bounds of what God designed and is against His will. No matter how strong the attraction or the feelings of "love," homosexuality is always sinful; in fact, it is the result of people rejecting God and receiving the punishment for doing so in their own bodies (Romans 1:21-27).
• Jesus taught that sin is not just in outward actions but comes from inward desires (Matthew 5:27-28). For example, lust is a form of adultery in the heart, showing that sinful attraction itself needs to be addressed. Likewise, homosexual attraction is a sin that begins in the heart.
• Scripture distinguishes between temptation and sin (James 1:14-15). Being tempted isn’t sin itself but allowing desire to conceive into intent and action is. Homosexual feelings aren’t necessarily sin since temptation is not sin, but choosing to dwell on, nurture, give into, or act on those feelings is.
• Believers are called to yield their desires, wills, and attractions to the Holy Spirit. This means taking a stand against personal sin and resisting the feelings that would lead us astray. As believers, we "walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:4).

implications for today

What about those who struggle against homosexual attraction? Some seem to have a natural proclivity toward homosexuality. All people have a weakness toward some type of sin. We are all born sinners, and we all exhibit tendencies toward one type of misbehavior or another. Not everyone struggles with lying, but, for some, lying seems to be second nature. The same holds true for heterosexual lust, stealing, out-of-control anger, etc. These proclivities stem from our being born in a fallen condition due to the corruption that entered the world through Adam (Romans 5:12). We are all born sinners. However, to say that sin is natural and therefore permissible simply because we are born with a weakness for it is absurd. A person with a weakness for alcohol abuse may feel that the addiction so permeates him as to be part of the very fiber of his being, but that does not make his drunkenness acceptable. A kleptomaniac feels a strong desire to steal, yet his stealing is not justified. It is the same for homosexuailty.

We live in a fallen world, and our human natures are depraved. We struggle against the world, the flesh, and the devil; confused feelings and aberrant desires are part of the mix. That more people appear to be identifying with or supporting homosexuality as normal could be a sign of a general decline in morals and lack of concern for God. This "sliding away" from God seems to get worse with passing years (see 2 Timothy 3:13). But, even if every person on earth disagreed with God on this matter or any other, it changes nothing about God's truth (Romans 3:4). God has determined the proper order in sexuality and every other aspect of life. When people oppose Him, they do so to their own peril.