Others seem to find joy in proselytizing the Word of God as stated in The Holy Bible. Sharing the Word of God is a good thing as long as it doesn’t judge or condemn. Proselytizing using the Sacred Scriptures and Traditions of the Old Testament is like teaching quantum physics using a fourth grade arithmetic primer. As I understand the teaching of Christ as the Son of God, He teaches loving one another as God loves us. Judging and condemnation are not a manner of showing love.
I was recently talking with a couple of people who are founding a group as a lay apostolate. In a letter entitled “Profession of Faith” that was handed out at local parishes, they state, “I also firmly accept and hold the Church’s teachings on faith and morals. I agree that it is my duty to believe and live in accord with what the Catholic Church holds and professes, including but not limited to matters that gravely offend human dignity such as contraception, abortion, embryonic stem cell research, IVF (in-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination), homosexual ‘marriage’, euthanasia and capital punishment - while broadly accepted in society, are not consistent with the clear teachings of the Catholic Church.”
After reading their “Profession of Faith” I had a few issues with the actions for which they are calling. Personally I am more concerned with their views on homosexual “marriage” but other views concern me as well. When I asked them about homosexuality they claimed that it is a sin according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 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. (1)
Natural law, as mentioned above, was the natural law recognized before Christ.
I like to think of my argument against this is logical. This view on homosexuality is based upon Old Testament fables. During that time period family and offspring were the economic basis for survival. The more offspring, the more workers you had on the farm. Homosexuals were certainly ostracized because they may not have acted according to the norm and they certainly weren’t providing offspring. In todays world those needs are not the same.
In response to my view I was told that these teaching were based on Sacred Scripture and were provided through Divine Inspiration. It is truly difficult to argue with Divine Inspiration.
Who was divinely inspired? How did it happen? Was the man tempted by homosexual feelings? Did he realize that if he acted on them his society would treat him badly, maybe even stone him to death? Was he convinced by this fear of death that he should pass on this Divine Inspiration? In 2013 I can claim that I have been Divinely Inspired to advocate homosexuality as a means of population control, better home design, better fashion and a more reasonable group of politicians.
I don’t think my Divine Inspiration would be readily embraced.
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