Posted on 02/11/2016 12:58:16 PM PST by ebb tide
Although the Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered," constitute "grave depravity," and can never "be approved," the Catholic bishops of New York State "have not taken a position" on past bills and "do not foresee taking a position" on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's new order banning private and public health insurers from covering gay conversion therapy for minors.
Cuomo, a Catholic who supports homosexual marriage and abortion, made his announcement about prohibiting health care coverage for conversion (or reparative) therapy on Saturday, Feb. 6.
In a press release, Cuomo's office said, "Multi-agency regulations announced today ban public and private health care insurers from covering the practice in New York State, and also prohibit various mental health facilities across the state from conducting the practice on minors."
"Conversion therapy is a hateful and fundamentally flawed practice that is counter to everything this state stands for," said Gov. Cuomo. "New York has been at the forefront of acceptance and equality for the LGBT community for decades - and today we are continuing that legacy and leading by example. We will not allow the misguided and the intolerant to punish LGBT young people for simply being who they are."
"The New York State Department of Financial Services is issuing regulations barring New York insurers from providing coverage for conversion therapy given to an individual under the age of 18," reads the press release.
"Additionally, the New York State Department of Health is prohibiting coverage of conversion therapy under New York's Medicaid program and the New York State Office of Mental Health is issuing regulations prohibiting facilities under its jurisdiction from providing conversion therapy treatment to minors," reads the statement.
Given the governor's actions, CNSNews.com asked Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York and Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of the Diocese of Albany if they opposed Cuomo's actions and whether they supported the practice of reparative therapy as a health care choice for people who want to pursue it.
In response, Dennis Poust, director of communications for the New York State Catholic Conference, emailed CNSNews.com the following answer:
"I am the communications director for the New York State Catholic Conference, which represents Cardinal Dolan and New York State's Catholic bishops in matters of public policy. I have heard from a couple of NYS Catholic diocesan communications directors that you had reached out to them with a query regarding Gov. Cuomo's initiative to issue new regulations prohibiting insurers from covering so-called 'gay conversion therapy' for minors and to prohibit mental health facilities under state jurisdiction from offering it to minors. I am responding on behalf of those diocesan communications directors and bishops you emailed.
"In the past, bills have been introduced in the state legislature that would have banned insurance coverage for these therapies for minors. The Catholic Conference has not taken a position on these bills, and we do not foresee taking a position on the Governor's executive action in this regard either.
"New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, which represents the Evangelicl churches in the state, has been strongly opposed to prohibitions related to conversion therapy. You can contact Stephen Hayford, their communications director at stephen@albanyupdate.com to see if they wish to comment on the Governor's announcement."
There are 10 Catholic bishops representing the state of New York, and at least 14 auxiliary bishops. According to the New York State Catholic Conference, there are 7.3 million Catholics in the state, and Catholicism is the single largest religious faith in New York.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "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. (2357)"
The Catechism further states, "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. (2359)"
Does Cuomo still receive Communion? If so, why?
So, therapy to help a person not be gay is forbidden.
But transsexual surgery and hormones, etc, is covered.
White is black. War is peace. We’ve always been at war with ....
So two male sexual deviant “parents” can pump their little boy full of hormones and get his penis chopped off...but a normal husband and wife can’t get a doctor to talk to a teen struggling with same sex attraction.
SICK SICK SICK
But then they kill babies and sell their parts so ...
sigh
I guess it depends on whether anyone is bothering to stop him.
Cuomo for discrimination and hatred.
How can a governor tell an insurance company what to cover or not cover???
Or would the rule affect pastoral counseling about same sex attraction in general?
The better question is: Why is there not one New York Catholic bishop opposing this governor?
Because your Church has fell into the same trap as the Jews did in Jesus time. It’s more about position.
Matthew 23:6-7 King James Version (KJV)
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
New York Values.
The ‘for minors’ part is just a way station to get to their final destination: the criminalization of ALL disapproval of homosexuality.
Relative morality. Not new.
Young adults, between the ages of 13-16, CHOOSE homo/bisexuality. It IS a choice.
So, they can and may choose to change. Humans have free will and CAN change back to what is NOT sinful...the way they were made.
Those young adults might not have been aware of all the repercussions of their CHOICE, but they ALL knew that it was sinful and wrong.
Besides, sex changes don't alter the way people age. Men-to-women will STILL age like an old men: lots of ear and nose hair, high pot belly, etc. The same goes for women who decide that they want to be men: they age like old women.
All the hormone therapy in the world won't change that.
DNA rules; always did; always will.
At first I read “rabbits” instead of rabbis. Lol.
Well I must say after reading it that way it sure did make me laugh.
Is he still unwed to his girlfriend and living with her?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.