The Catholic Church and Homosexuality

[Ijiwaru Sensei]

Looking through various denominations' official statements about homosexuality, I find myself most drawn to the Catholic Church's statement because of its comprehensiveness.  It calls homosexual behavior sin, provides a rationale for this position, and maintains how the church should treat homosexuals and how the homosexual who is a Christian is to conduct himself or herself.  The statement follows:

"Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection."

From Catechism of the Catholic Church, (c) 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.

What think ye?

 

[BandGuy]

Fairly good job.  I think Romans 6-8 gives an even more complete handling of this issue and of all other sin in the life of a Christian.  It calls us to Holiness, recognizes the struggle with sin, and calls for a life of mortification, sanctification, repentance, and reliance upon the power of God through the Holy Spirit to give us victory over sin. 

 

[Izdaari]

I think the Catholic position is reasonable and coherent, and I respect it. But at this point, I'm not sure what else to say about it.

I do agree with what Bishop N.T. Wright (an Anglican, not Catholic bishop) says here, basically thinking aloud at a pastor's retreat:

N.T. Wright on Debate about Homosexuality 4

 

[Ijiwaru Sensei]

I agree to a point with Wright.  Reason is important, but reason itself must be subject to the Word of God. 

I have a hard time reading the many passages in Scripture that deal with homosexual behavior and seeing any possibility of homosexual behavior being permissible or acceptable.  If Paul did indeed live in a world that was well acquainted with homosexual relationships among equal partners, that would only strengthen the prohibitions and condemnation of such activity in the New Testament.

There is immense pressure being placed upon the church to condone homosexuality by the popular culture.  I already see the church bending.  I see younger people already giving in.  I believe in a generation, we will find only a small minority of churches willing to condemn homosexual behavior as sinful.

 

[rsc2a]

I agree to a point with Wright.  Reason is important, but reason itself must be subject to the Word of God. 

...reason isn't (exactly) subject to the Word of God (meaning Scripture)...reason is necessary to understand the Word of God. An unreasoned understanding of Scripture is an inaccurate one. In other words, truth is not subordinate to truth and if your reason isn't compatible with your interpretation then either your reason or your interpretation (or both) is wrong.

 

[Biker]

I agree to a point with Wright.  Reason is important, but reason itself must be subject to the Word of God. 

I have a hard time reading the many passages in Scripture that deal with homosexual behavior and seeing any possibility of homosexual behavior being permissible or acceptable.  If Paul did indeed live in a world that was well acquainted with homosexual relationships among equal partners, that would only strengthen the prohibitions and condemnation of such activity in the New Testament.

There is immense pressure being placed upon the church to condone homosexuality by the popular culture.  I already see the church bending.  I see younger people already giving in.  I believe in a generation, we will find only a small minority of churches willing to condemn homosexual behavior as sinful.

I completely agree with this. You are wording it as homosexual behavior, not a feeling. The article seems to focus alot on calling the actual feeling of same sex attraction sinful, even "disordered"