Posted on 11/28/2005 5:39:50 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
BOSTON, November 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley wrote a pastoral letter last week calling on Catholics to show true love to persons with homosexual tendencies. This is done he said by telling them that homosexual acts are sinful, he said. Otherwise, the bishop continued, we are dangerously "deceiving people."
After clarifying that the Catholic Church does not tolerate unjust discrimination towards persons with homosexual tendencies, the leader of the Catholic Church in Boston reminded Catholics that although Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery, he did however - after saving her life - tell her "Go and sin no more."
Archbishop O'Malley thus tells some Catholics who are misled into false kindness towards those with homosexual tendencies, "If we tell people that sex outside of marriage is not a sin, we are deceiving people." The pastor of souls, who's first priority is the spiritual wellbeing of his flock, warns that that spiritual wellbeing may be threatened by such false kindness. "If they believe this untruth, a life of virtue becomes all but impossible," he warned.
Archbishop O'Malley acknowledged that it is difficult for all Christians, priests and bishops included, to preach the truth in charity on the matter of homosexuality and other aberrant sexual practices such as adultery, and pre-marital sex. "It is never easy to deliver a message that calls people to make sacrifices or to do difficult things. Sometimes people want to punish the messenger. For this reason we priests at times find it difficult to articulate the Church's teaching on sexual morality," he said.
In presenting the message of truth, the Archbishop counsels, "We must never deliver the message in a self-righteous way, but rather with compassion and humility."
Despite the hardships however, Archbishop O'Malley says Catholics must nevertheless present the truth. "It is important to express the moral teachings of the Church with clarity and fidelity. The Church must be Church," he said. "We must teach the truths of the Gospel in season and out of season. These recent times seem to us like it is "out of season", but for that very reason it is even more urgent to teach the hard words of the Gospel today."
Concluding his letter, the Archbishop answered a common objection made by those with homosexual tendencies . "Sometimes we are told: 'If you do not accept my behavior, you do not love me.' In reality we must communicate the exact opposite: 'Because we love you, we cannot accept your behavior," he said.
So now one must be a scientist or a doctor to speak the truth about homosexuality? Why must you people throw a wall up between religion and science when the two are complimentary in many ways?
Sin is simply the transgression of God's law. If people don't believe that God is the ultimate law giver then a Priest's Minister's or Rabbi's preaching to them is completely pointless anyway.
Massachusetts Turns in Two Times the Necessary Signatures to Repeal Gay Marriage on 2008 Ballot
He's a priest not a doctor.
"Sin is simply the transgression of God's law. If people don't believe that God is the ultimate law giver then a Priest's Minister's or Rabbi's preaching to them is completely pointless anyway."
- Why? If God is all powerful and all knowing, isn't it safe to assume that he is also a rational being? Science is nothing more than a form of reason.
Archbishop Sean O'Malley is addressing the moral implications of homosexuality. Why would he bring up health issues when that isn't the subject?
"...After clarifying that the Catholic Church does not tolerate unjust discrimination towards persons with homosexual tendencies, ..."
OK, I wrote too hastily. The priest spoke against 'unjust' discrimination, which implies that 'just' discrimination might be warranted.
All in all, this appears to be a firm but gracious statement that is on target.
I really like how he points out that many people are practicing 'false kindness'. I was yelled at just a few days ago by an acquaintenance who wouldn't listen to any viewpoints that didn't support his PC views on the subject. He became irate when I started to discuss studies showing how wildly promiscuous gay men are, rebuking me for coming up with what he considered incredible nonsense.
All he knows is what he reads in the St. Louis Post Dis'Trash and on MSM media.
-- Joe
Ya, but...even if there were no health issues active homosexuality would still be sinful.
Try having this discussion with an actual homosexual person sometime. It is not fun. I have one in my family who claims to be a Catholic. I explained to him why he cannot be a true Catholic when he is a sinner in the eyes of the Church. He did not want to hear it. I will send him this article though. I believe he can be saved.
I'm all for as much info as possible. Again, the Catholic Church is a RELIGIOUS organziation, not a health provider. Their MAIN concern is spiritual health, as it should be. This was Christ's main concern. Did he tell the woman "Go, and sin no more?" or did he provide her a list of unhealthy activities to avoid?
"Archbishop Sean O'Malley is addressing the moral implications of homosexuality. Why would he bring up health issues when that isn't the subject?"
- Becuase the moral implication are rooted in logic and reason. God is a rational being, there is a rational explanation as to why hosexuality is wrong. God gave us a brain to think and reason with. Every moral precept has is foundations in logic. Just telling someone to ignore all that and follow blindly isn't teaching them anything.
You are correct. "Discrimination" means "When things are meaningfully different, we treat them differently." Please discriminate against my 5-year-old by not issuing her a driver's license or a concealed-carry permit!
We need to reclaim a perfectly good word from the mushy-minded legions.
Exactly
"Ya, but...even if there were no health issues active homosexuality would still be sinful."
- The real question is "why is it a sin?". The answer can be deduced through logic and reason and proven with observation and science. Truth is logical. And since God is the ultimate form of truth, logic and reason, a sin can be thought of as thinking or acting in a manner which defies it.
Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley has more sense - and Cathlic understanding - that 90% of the other American bishops.
And then there are those like this dingbat Bishop Clark in Albany, NY. This character is reportedly ready to defy the ban of homosexuals being admitted into his seminaries. Some never learn.
Past Archbishop Benard Law liked to reach a consensus.
Archbishop Sean O'Malley states it in black and white.
We just tell our children that it is wrong and not natural; that men are meant to marry women and women men. One does not have to get into any more than that. It is not talking about it that leaves children open to being deceived by what they see on TV and in society.
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