[nonsporting]

Convenient is an archaic word for suitable. God didn’t create man with the purpose of acting like the devil. There’s much more in there than just homosexuality.

Many sinful behaviors are mentioned, but sexual corruption is a key step in the chain of depravity and marks a critical transition. Here's the succession of events described in Romans 1:

1. Hold the truth in unrighteousness (1:18)
2. Hearts are darkened (1:21)
3. Became fools (1:22)
4. Idolatry (1:23)
5. Sexual depravity (1:24)
6. God gives them over to sodomy (1:26)
7. God gives them over to a reprobate mind (1:28)
8. They are filled with every kind of wickedness (1:29)
9. They approve of others who do this evil (1:32)

God reveals the descent into evil. At some point he ceases striving to save and actually hardens the hearts of people, giving them over. They become "reprobate", rejected. According to Romans 1:26 God has rejected the sodomite.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I agree in the main. If there is a picky point of possible dispute in interpreting the events of the passage, it’s whether the “meanness” part must logically precede the “perverted” part, simply because Paul has chronicled them in that order. I think it many cases it does, as meanness can be learned or resolved upon as a young child while some degree of sexual maturity is needed before perversion appeals to somebody. IMHO, the devil likes the perversion because that’s such a mean thing to do to the image of God. Angels, bad or good, are not documented as being interested in sex for its own sake. And we must admit, we see a lot less frank idolatry in America than we do homosexuality.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I should say, whether the “meanness” part cannot logically precede the “perversion” part.

Just because some noted bible scholar has restated Paul in chronological fashion doesn’t mean that’s all that can be validly perceived about the events described in the passage. Evil is a full court parallel press, not a Von Neumann machine.