Posted on 03/22/2021 2:01:20 AM PDT by Cronos
This is nothing more than arrogance. The man is asking God to accept him as he is, rather than accepting God as He is.
Ifind it ironic that this pope can condemn gay sex when most of the Catholic heirarchy (sp) are practicing gays while remaining as priests. A bit better than practicing pedos, but not much, especially since this pope defended a convicted pedo in SAmerica.
I at least applaud his final honesty - that he and Catholic doctrine disagree, and his honest choice to leave the Catholic church instead of the disgraceful demand that the Catholic Church should change.
The last part is something I have never understood about “gay” activists and churches - the demand that a church should change instead of just choosing to go join some other church that “accepts” them. In addition to other objections, it is intellectually dishonest.
The scripture also very specifically addresses these things clearly and repetitively. These things are even in those words in red! Sorry but if important enough for Christ to directly address but homosexuality was not, you tell me which God finds to be the greater offense?
This too must be understood not as a condemnation of one vs the other but rather a demonstration of the hypocrisy with which some approach the bible.
As for the built in “contradiction”... It is not, as these again are matters made very very clear by Christ in nearly every teaching! His defense of Mary, his messages of love and openness to ALL rich, poor, Jews, gentiles, etc. We are clearly told not to condemn, judge, or declare the sins of others.
I ask you find so many verses speaking to homosexuality as you do about accepting all with love and not passing judgment!
Ephesians 4:29
Romans 7:6
Romans 10:9
Romans 14:1-13
Romans 15:7
John 8:1-8
John 12:46-47
Matthew 7:12
James 4:11-12
Luke 6:31-36
Luke 6:37-42
Luke 10:25-28
Romans 14:1-13
1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. 5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister ? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ” 12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. 13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. ✴️Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.✴️
We don’t get to decide these things.
God does.
He forbids most (not all divorce), and His word is clear on that. Also in His word he clearly reinstates eating if previously banned foods, as temple worship ended, and so ceremonial uncleanness was no longer an issue.
We all need to repent of our sins. Repent means to stop doing them. Not promote or embrace or indulge them. That includes sexual sins.
What is the purpose of the church? To smooth the way to hell?
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Cor 6:9
Well then, that certainly makes you an expert on Catholicism and qualifies you to know better than the Sacred Scriptures and 2000 years of Church teaching. /s
Also, you are picking verses and ignoring the verses which Jesus himself contradicts your statement on the purpose of the Church. The purpose is to worshipwith others in his name, to spread love and acceptance and message of grace, and to celebrate that he has saved us from the law and freed us from death!
(Also hell is an idea developed by the catholic church during the renaissance. Hell is not a biblical concept. The word found in the Bible actually only occurs in the old testament and refers to an ACTUAL place where the burned their garbage with fire and brimstone and would use it for executions by throwing in the guilty to burn. This is why the bible says that Jesus came to save the dinner from “death” and give eternal life rather than saying save them from hell ...
Truly studying not just the surface but the history, the context, and the true translations will provide a much deeper understanding than just repeating a catch phrase or single verse. ;)
Jesus said love the sinner... Period!
He NEVER spoke of hating the sin! In fact his directive was to not see, judge, or worry with the sins of others and only work on our personal sins!
This “hate the sin” thing is a common secular idea people foolishly believe was biblical.
You’re using conflation and lack of context to weaken the Law and put ideas that Paul does not espouse. The new Church had new Christian converts and were in a learning curve. The Jews just had the Jewish ceremonial laws abolished and they too were learning to cope. So these two different cultures needed guidance. Romans deals with foods. Animals sacrificed to idols. These are “clean” foods. And idols are . . nothing. Eat them if you wish or not. “Holidays” decreed by emperor, government or tradition is not to be judged. Also Jewish holidays relating to feasts (Lev. 123:1-44 and Col. 2:14-17) are not to be judged against Gentiles.
Unless one has a understanding of the customs and cultures of that time, you cannot understand the context of these verses you reading. A cursory reading of the Bible will yield poor results. May God guide you and give you light.
Isa. 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that He does not hear.
Then go out and sin like hell. You'll get there.
I have you the one shirt verse that sums it up.
Homosexual behavior and coveting the same is forbidden throughout scripture. From the normative Adam and Eve to the laws banning it in the Old Testament to the restriction of sex to one married man and woman to the injunctions in Romans 1.
There is no sense in pretending that ANY sex other than that between a married man and woman is not a sin.
That includes pornography use and adultery and rape and incest and fornication and beastiality and necrophilia. Forbidden. To all of us.
“If you love me, keep my commandments.” - Jesus.
As there are few who have not indulged in one or more of the sexual sins I remind us all that none of them are unforgivable- but you must REPENT. not wallow.
I GAVE you the one SHORT verse that sums it up. Thought I proofread, sorry.
If you would like a contextualized discussion in which we look closer at the cultures, history, and author of the passages I would be overjoyed! Especially those which people use to condemn homosexual relationships.
Though first,you speak of the writings of Paul but have not acknowledged the unquestionable words from the Gospels. There is no “context” missed in the clearly laid out instructions from Christ on showing love and not looking at the sins of others.
Some other time. I am very busy right now. May God bless you.
And again, you are not to judge, condemn, or command to others. You need only worry with showing love to your neighbor and improving your personal relationship with God.
If I said to someone that God will not embrace them, they are not welcome in the church, and they will be damned for their adultery unless they end their second marriage, repent, and return to their first spouse... Would I be bringing people to Gods love or be turning people from God by shaming their love and portraying a hateful God?
Before you say, “they have sought forgiveness” note that so long as the first spouse is alive the bible states they are married. So by the same logic as the homosexual must deny their love and happiness in order to receive God's love, so to must someone living in adultery....
Should people married to a new spouse after a divorce also “repent and deny their earthly desires” by returning to the first marriage?
You as well :)
That sounds like a personal problem.
Others have listed the many verses.
There is also the positive theme throughout scripture where one man one woman is the normative and prescriptive.
You cannot logically twist the Bible to be supportive or even uninterested in homosexual or other aberrant activity. It is clear throughout. No exceptions given.
You don’t like it, I know. But that is what it is.
As for the remarried it is lawful if widowed or in the case of just divorce (abandonment or adultery). As we see in biblical teaching and in Jesus’ teachings for example “you have had x husbands” to the Samaritan woman and his response to the Pharisees “whose wife is she?” challenge.
No one in unrepentant sin is welcomed to church. And we are to judge. Jesus said by their fruits you shall know them. He said to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. Many pretend to be Christians. If they are unrepentantly homosexual they are not saved. And they are to be cast out as we are instructed. With the hope that they repent.
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