The Catholic church teaching of homosexuality - Research Paper Example

?Insert Introduction Homosexuality is sexual behavior/ acts directed towards a person or persons of one’s own sex. Gay is a term used to describe a male homosexual/ a male individual exhibiting sexual tendencies towards another male or males. A lesbian denotes a female homosexual/ a female individual drawn to sexual intercourse with another female or females. Heterosexuality on the other hand is sexual feeling or behavior directed towards a person or persons of the opposite sex. Heterosexuals are generally called straight people and are the accepted natural form of sexual relations. Homosexuality is a troubling moral and that has been addressed with relative frequency by the Catholic Church in recent years. In certain countries, advocated by civil groups in particular, this practice is tolerated in guise of human rights equality and right to chose way of life without interfering with the larger society and in other countries, legal recognition has since been granted to such unions including the legal possibility of such couples adopting children. The Catholic Church stands by the Biblical condemnation of homosexuality stating, “Basing itself on sacred scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. 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 complimentarity. Under no circumstances are they to be approved.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2357). Nonetheless, in line with Christian teachings of tolerance, homosexuals, according to the Catholic Church, “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” This tolerance however must not be mistaken to imply that the Catholic Church favors homosexuality since the church is openly against such acts. Governments are reminded of the need to control and restrain the phenomenon in order to safeguard public morality and avoid spread of the degeneracy and exposing the society and future generations to such sexual perversions and laws recognizing such unions in certain countries and states must be vehemently opposed as such laws are in opposition to the right reason as they confer legal guarantees, analogous to those granted to marriage, to unions between persons of similar sex. Therefore the states, by granting legal recognition to such unions fails in its sworn duty to defend marriage and family institutions as the foundation and pillar of the society. The society owes its continued survival to the family, founded in marriage and consequently, legal recognition of such unions would mean redefinition of marriage to become an institution without elements as essential as procreation and children. This would result in serious impacts on the societies and the human race at large, to say the least. “The denial of the social and legal status of marriage to forms of cohabitation that are not and can not be marital is not opposed to justice; on the contrary, justice requires it.” The Catholic Church stands that homosexual unions do not deserve any institutional recognition as they equally do not serve any public interests unlike marriage couples that ensure continuity of the human race. It is the Church’s view that civil laws determine the principles, behavior, thoughts and tendencies of those it governs either positively or negatively as it is, influencing incoming generations’ views and regard of the forms of lifestyle. Legal recognition of homosexuality would thus inevitably water down some essential and basic moral values and degenerate the institution of marriage. The Catholic Church argues that the lack of biological and anthropological elements in homosexual relations mean that they are unable to play role in the God commissioned and much necessary procreation and continued survival of the human race. Sexual relationships are meant, apart from the pleasure and freshness it was intended to bring to married couples, to lead to procreation and new life but many have since maliciously and uncontrollably reverted only to its desirous aspect and so have in their indulgence caused much evil from a blessed union from God of the flesh married man and woman. In addition, the children adopted into such families are often poorly brought up and are deprived of the experience of either motherhood or fatherhood. There is a very high chance such children with incomplete human development and poor upbringing end up causing social problems such as terrorism, robberies, drug abuse and dealing, rape, murder, amongst other vices that are detrimental to the wellbeing of a society. Catholic politicians are to oppose homosexuality and whenever legislation in favor of homosexuality is proposed, they have a moral obligation to clearly and publically oppose and vote against it. Incase such legislation favoring homosexuality is already in place, he/ she must act to have it repealed. If this is impossible, according to the Encyclical Letter Evangelism virtue one could “licitly support proposals aimed at limiting the harm done by such a law.” (NEWS.VA, 1). The 1990 Synod of Bishops debated the initiation of priests in view of the circumstances of the present times and more especially regarding the evolution of homosexuality. While recognizing the need to respect those people with these tendencies and avoid any form of discrimination against them, they decreed that such persons who indulge in homosexuality, demonstrate deep-rooted homosexual tendencies or support the behavior can never be admitted to the seminary or to holy orders or be ordained. However, tendencies expressed as a result of a transitory problem like adolescence must be allowed at least three years before ordination to the diaconate to overcome these tendencies. The church must determine whether the candidate has reached affective maturity and does not exhibit sexual disturbances, a responsibility of the Bishops or the major superiors in particular, failure to which candidate is not ordained and persuaded not to pursue this path (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2357). I would argue that the position of the church is very reasonable, clear and equally realistic. The church requires the society to abhor this practice of homosexuality at all costs with valid reasons too, even for those who are not spiritual, while also agitating for tolerance of those who indulge in the act in order to endear them to natural and moral ways regarding sexuality and give them a chance to correct their ways. If gays and lesbians are hated and despised, it is in human nature that they will hate back and find means to camouflage and adapt into the society. This would not solve the problem but would instead escalate it further. This is the principle the church is trying to uphold in its teachings on this thorny issue. This teaching offers a way for the society to deal fairly and wisely with the issue. The church has a moral role in the continued and sustained defense of the family and marriage and the consequent stability of the society. Marriage was established by God exclusively as a union between a man and a woman to further procreation and upbringing of new human lives. The Bible states, “A man leaves his father and mother and becomes one flesh with his wife” (Genesis 2:24) and in the same book of Genesis 1:28, God commissions man and woman to “be fruitful and multiply.” Homosexuality therefore is against God’s plan for marriage and family and the Catholic Church does well to be against it. Sacred scripture condemns homosexuality as a serious depravity. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (NIV). 1 Timothy 1:10 adds, “For adultery…is contrary to the sound doctrine.” (NIV). In addition, Biblical stories of Sodom and Gomorrah see God’s wrath set off against a society that was errant in its ways especially those regarding sexual orientation. It is a fact also that the church is implored in the Holy writ to fight the good fight of faith with humility and gentleness so that the errant brothers and sisters may be “ashamed and turn from their sinful ways.” The homosexual must be treated with sensitivity minus any forms of discriminations. This is all in attempts to endear them to the ways of Christ “for the weapons we use (in our wars) are not those of this world but are of divine power able to destroy strongholds.” The church understands that according to the Word of God, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and claim of utter piety is a blatant deception hence the need not to condemn our brothers and sisters with less faith but to accept them so that they may change their ways and return to the Christ. However, the practice must not be accepted and welcome into society (Vatican: the Holy See, 1). However, there appears to be some tension within and outside the church regarding its stand on the matter with different popes, for example, offering different views regarding homosexuality. Recent comments by Pope Francis have been termed naive and misleading, by other Christians worldwide and even some members of the Catholic Church, if we are to win the war against homosexuality that has become more widespread and rampant than any would admit. The Pope calls for the church to stop focusing too much on homosexuals saying, “We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel.” Many have argued to the contrary, questioning how the fight against homosexuality by the church would result in degradation of the gospel truth but rather enhance and strengthen it by agitating for good morals. He downplays the effect homosexuality is causing in the society perhaps ignorant of its effects on the institutions of family and marriage which form the fabric of the society. He also, either intentionally or not, forgets the church’s (which he heads – The Catholic Church) role in every man’s eternal destiny and the teachings of 2 Peter 3:9 which say,” The Lord is…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Works Cited Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana;, 2000. Print "NEWS.VA." NEWS.VA. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. . Electronic The Holy Bible: New International Version. Colorado Springs, CO: International Bible Society, 1984. Print. "Vatican: the Holy See." Vatican: the Holy See. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. . Electronic Read More