Boston Archbishop to Homosexuals: "Because we love you, we cannot accept your behavior."

LifeSiteNews ^ | 28 November 2005 | John-Henry Westen

[Frenetic]

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?

[Graybeard58]

What's so wrong with expecting the church to explain WHY things are a sin rather then expecting people to just take their word for it?

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.

[perfect stranger]

More good news.

Massachusetts Turns in Two Times the Necessary Signatures to Repeal Gay “Marriage” on 2008 Ballot

[Graybeard58]

There is nothing wrong with your semantics. When people face the Supreme Judge there will be discrimination.

[tiki]

He's a priest not a doctor.

[perfect stranger]

He's speaking the truth.

[Frenetic]

"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.

[Graybeard58]

You continue to miss the point. Is it intentional?

Archbishop Sean O'Malley is addressing the moral implications of homosexuality. Why would he bring up health issues when that isn't the subject?

[Joe Republc]

"...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

[tiki]

Ya, but...even if there were no health issues active homosexuality would still be sinful.

[Dems_R_Losers]

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.

[GLDNGUN]

If you tell someone it is a sin the next logical question is "why?". What's so wrong with expecting the church to explain WHY things are a sin rather then expecting people to just take their word for it? Just labeling something a sin doesn't enlighten anyone. I still think it is a weak argument and prone to failure, especially to people who either don't know or don't care. Sometimes in order to spread the word of Christ you have to approach people from their own level. All the sin and religious elements can come later.

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?

[Frenetic]

"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.

[Tax-chick]

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.

[Tribune7]

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.

Exactly

[Frenetic]

"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.

[Pittsburg Phil]

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.

[TYVets]

Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley has more sense - and Catholic understanding - that 90% of the other American bishops.

Past Archbishop Benard Law liked to reach a consensus.

Archbishop Sean O'Malley states it in black and white.

[fr_freak]

- 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.

If you want to have this theological discussion with whichever homosexuals, or homosexual advocates you encounter, feel free. However, this Archbishop is simply calling on fellow Catholics, who presumably, since Catholicism is a belief system and by calling oneself Catholic one claims adherence to that belief system, already accept that homosexuality is a sin, and are therefore not in need of convincing. A complex analysis of homosexuality is not necessary.

Furthermore, I would question the belief in God of anyone who feels it necessary to justify all biblical morality with a set of logical consequences. In the case of the line of reasoning that you're suggesting, you are implying that it is necessary to demonstrate health consequences of homosexuality in order to condemn such behavior among Catholics. However, the exact opposite is true: morality is the rules one adheres to even when there are no tangible consequences. If one only adheres to a moral code when there are consequences to the violation, such as dying from AIDS, then one isn't really being moral, one is simply preserving one's own well being. For a Catholic, this is not nearly enough for spiritual salvation, which is the ultimate goal of every (true) Christian.

The Archbishop is rightly saying that Catholics should be beacons of moral clarity in that they must recognize certain actions and thoughts as sinful, regardless of earthly consequences, in order to help those who have succumbed to such sin find their way back to God. Such moral clarity, when based on the Bible, will be useless with an atheist sinner, but will be a great help to a Christian sinner who presumably believes in Biblical teachings and morality without requiring a doctoral presentation on the illogic of sin.

[Ma3lst0rm]

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.