France and the European union are presenting a declaration on gay rights to the United Nations on December 18th in an effort to curb the violent oppression and "the deprivation of economic, social, and cultural rights" of gays worldwide. Fearing that it may be used as a weapon to pressure countries into accepting homosexual marriages, the Vatican has opposed this declaration--not exactly what you would call a surprising move after 2,000 of holding the same stance against homosexuality. Still, because this particular sin has become so widely accepted, a simple refusal to support it has led to a dramatic reaction against the church. The real issue is one of polarization. Either you completely support homosexuality, gay marriages, and full "economic, social, and cultural rights," or you support killing all homosexuals. There can be no middle ground. Obviously the Catholic Church is not issuing a Crusade against homosexuals here. They are simply opposing a document that will be used as a means to a political end that they do not agree with. The odd thing is that the Catholic Church does not even have any official say in the United Nations' acceptance or rejection of this declaration. And yet they are being vehemently attacked for not putting their stamp of approval on it. You have to have some respect for them for standing up for what they believe. Only time will tell how many others will have the strength to a stand with them. God, I pray that you would continue to give these Catholic leaders the strength to stand for Your Word. I pray that you would be at work in the hearts of all those who feel threatened by a false polarization of an emotional issue. I pray that You would be with those who are imprisoned right now for being homosexual in countries where it is illegal. And I pray that you would help those in the LGBT community to find the purest form of love in You, even in the face of hatred from those who call themselves Your followers. Amen. josh r
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Vatican Fails to Cave to Political Correctness--Cue the Protests
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3 comments:
I guess you have no problem with people being executed for being homosexual. That's essentially what this is about.
The Vatican -- and you -- have been given a very simple moral choice. The Vatican -- and you -- have utterly failed.
Men and women should not be subject to trial, incarceration and death because of their sexual orientation.
But because homosexuality has become the uber-sin of conservative Christians today, it's OK to oppose legitimate efforts to stop punitive laws.
I don't know how old you are, but I'm old enough to remember when divorce was the uber-sin for conservative Christians. That changed when Christians began divorcing at a higher rate than the general public. So the church had to find another sin to hit people over the head with. It couldn't be pornography, as too many guys like to indulge, even church guys. And you can't bash the women around who go out and get jobs, because you need their tithing dollars in the collection plate. But gays and lesbians, they're fair game. You don't have any of Those People in your congregations, at least that you know about. So it's OK to whale away at the unknown, because you're not really hurting anyone that you do know. (At least you don't think so, but you might be very, very surprised.)
Frankly, you make me sick. Your justifications will continue to endorse murder of those who do not share your sexual orientation and you have NO PROBLEM with that. You need to remember who Jesus said was your neighbor. Even the hated Samaritan (homosexual) is your neighbor, kdc.
--signed, Straight 48 YO Woman
Who said anything about homosexual executions in this post? Where are you getting that information?
There's no mention of endorsing this statement: "Men and women should not be subject to trial, incarceration and death because of their sexual orientation" as you write.
Also, the poster - josh r - left his name after stating his thoughts. Perhaps you can return the favor?
I want to thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Sometimes I have no way of knowing if people are reading my posts or what they think unless they give feedback.
I am truly sorry that you feel this way. What I was trying to point out (probably communicated poorly) in the post was that this issue has become excessively polarized. I do have a problem with people being executed for being homosexual. I do have a problem with people being subject to trial, incarceration and torture because of their sexual orientation as was mentioned in the article. I even have a problem with the fact that homosexuals feel unwelcome in many (most?) of our churches.
And you are right. There are many problems in the church of today. The church's job is not to find a sin to hit people over the head with. Our job is to love people, and too often we fail.
But loving people does not mean allowing people to continue living in sin and pretending everything is ok (this means sins like pride and bitterness as well as homosexuality). The Bible does indicate that homosexual sex is a sin, and, as Christians, we must accept the Bible as the final authority on moral issues such as this.
I didn't mean to wail away on anyone in my post, and I certainly was not justifying or endorsing murder. I was trying to adopt a more moderate position as I had hoped would be evident from my prayer at the end of the post. And I know if I were to fully articulate my views from the center many of my fellow ministers would call me too liberal as many from outside my movement would denounce me as hopelessly conservative. I only hope that I live my life with enough love that both sides will feel comfortable in my presence.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts Straight 48 (don't feel pressured to leave your name), and I hope my comments here clarified my feelings a little better for you.
josh r
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