Do you agree that RC clergy who practice instrinsically evil and sinful acts, should remain clergy? Do you believe their intrincally evil sinfulness should be protected by the heirarchy within the RCC?
I certainly don't , for Protestants, or any other denomination. Neither did St. Paul setting a high standard for pastors and overseers in 1 Timothy 3, as well as other places. Would you agree?
I certainly don't , for Protestants, or any other denomination. Neither did St. Paul setting a high standard for pastors and overseers in 1 Timothy 3, as well as other places. Would you agree?
How many people are there in this "perfect clergy" of yours? Not very many, I might reckon. Or are you only speaking of certain intrinsically evil and sinful acts?
SD
Which intrinsically evil and sinful acts? Do you mean the intrinsically evil and sinful act of Pride? How about the intrinsically evil and sinful act of Jealousy? Sloth? Gluttony? Shold every preacher who masurbates, gets fat, or envies his neighbor's new Cadillac get the pink slip, too?
Every human being on this earth commits intrinsically evil and sinful acts every day; it's called fallen human nature. If, as you suggest, the commission of intrinsically evil and sinful acts disqualifies one from the vocation of ministry, then there will be no ministers -- for to be one, one would have to live a perfectly sinless life. I trust you see how impossible that is. Let he who has never committed an intrinsically evil and sinful act cast the first stone.
Sinful desires are part of Man's nature. We all sin mentally. I myself have committed adultery, murder, and many other grevious sins in my heart over the years -- and so, unless you are Chirst, have you. But there are degrees of sin; few would argue that experiencing a desire to kill the guy who just cut you off in traffic is morally equal to actually ventilating him with a 9mm automatic. In other words, acting on evil impulses is worse than merely having evil impulses. In like manner, the Church teaches that homosexual desire is intrinsically disordered (i.e. sinful, evil), and that acting on those impulses (by having homosexual intercourse) is worse. What this means in practical terms is that priests (and others) who experience homosexual desires are called by their oath to pray for deliverance from them, and to practice absolute chastity.
Those who violate that oath should be removed from the priesthood.
Do you believe their intrincally evil sinfulness should be protected by the heirarchy within the RCC?
Of course not. What we have here (in the AmChyrch) is a failure to excommunicate.
I certainly don't , for Protestants, or any other denomination. Neither did St. Paul setting a high standard for pastors and overseers in 1 Timothy 3, as well as other places. Would you agree?
See my response above. Those priests, bishops, religious, and lay ministers who demonstrate by their actions and lifestyle their contempt for authority, their lack of orthodoxy, and their disregard for the traditional and infallible teaching of the Christian faith as regards sexuality should be removed from the ranks of Christ's shepherds.
But don't forget that people are sinful. Peter denied Christ Himself, not once but thrice. Surely that is a worse sin than any amount of butt-pokery -- and yet Christ forgave him, and moreover used him as the Rock upon which the Church was built. Those who deny the teaching of Christ's Church regarding sexuality deny Christ -- but sincere repentance coupled with a firm resolve to never repeat the denial will always result in forgiveness.
To sum up: practicing homosexuals (fornicators, masturbators, etc.) should be removed from the priesthood. Those who prey on children should be burned at the stake. I hope my opinions are clear to you now.