My Dad brought this to my attention. Read the link below. Here is a guy who is commenting on the bible, gay marriage and inconsistancies of Christians.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/21/my-take-bible-condemns-a-lot-so-why-focus-on-homosexuality/
Here is my response.
The blogger points out the many inconsistencies on moral issues among the many Christian denominations. That is true. And that is the reason why there are so many other Christian denominations. It is because they can’t agree on issues both moral and theological. If a group of Christians from a certain denomination don’t agree with their pastor than they start their own church and make up their own interpretation of what they think the bible means. Prime example would be the Lutherans and the Calvinists that came forth out of the Reformation.
Regarding Catholics, there have been some of our Church fathers who have commented on issues of faith and morals and some of them are dead on with what the Church teaches but others have made some contradicting comments. They however, do not define doctrine, the Church does.
Us Catholics do not look to the Bible as the sole authority. After all, Jesus did not leave us with a Bible before he died, he left us with a Church (confirmed in Scripture itself). That Church that Jesus left is the Catholic Church and has authority on issues of faith and morals. The Church uses what we call “Sacred Tradition” AND “Sacred Scripture”. Like Sinatra said, “You can’t have one without the other”. What the Protestant denominations did was throw out the “Sacred Tradition” part and have gotten rid of the Church authority.
My point, the bible indicates the sin of homosexuality. Sacred Tradition and the Church confirm it.
Here is what the Catechism (teaching) of the Catholic Church says about homosexuality:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P85.HTM
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,140 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."141 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.
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
2359 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.
From the Bible:
1 Corr 6:9 Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.
So what the blogger is saying about what the Bible says and homosexuality isn’t necessarily true. He has broken with Sacred Tradition and has taken out of context Sacred Scripture so as to conform to his opinion and lacks the authority to back up his assertions.
Here is a good commentary on the CNN belief blog:
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