Aspects of Theology of Liberation - Essay Example

Summary Aspects of Theology of Liberation (Farley, 2006) In general, Catholics oppose the legal recognition of homosexuality. A Catholic politician should always keep this responsibility at all ties. For instance, if a legislation is proposed that seeks to legalize homosexuality, then the catholic politician should be at the ore front of expressing opposition to the legislation. On the other hand, if a legislation that allows homosexuality is in place, then the catholic politician should in every way oppose the legislation and if it is possible repeal the legislation. The gospel that Christianity preaches is a force of liberation that gives hope and freedom to many people. Theologians reflect upon this new truth, which is full of promise. Liberation sets free the children of God from the slavery. Slavery comes in different kinds of form, which include sin, economic, socio-political, and cultural. Liberation serves all those who respond to it, as it is not limited to those only with the evangelical spirit. It serves all those Christians who have clarity in faith and are prepared to be involved in struggles for humanity and freedom for the poor in the society. Liberation inspires people particularly those who have misery burdens carried in their hearts. It is a human need to express this aspiration. There is need to guide and clarify the yearning for the aspiration. Liberation theology was born from this strong aspiration. It expresses concern for the victimized and poor in the society. Theologies of liberation expresses different and diverse positions that seek to explain the contradictions involved in finding the meaning poverty and commitment to justice as defined by Christianity. 2. Charity or Justice? Recently, Pope Francis has stressed the importance of fast tracking of a former Salvadoran Archbishop’s beatification. Oscar Romero’s beatification is a legitimate to sainthood for a man who is considered the unofficial saint of the controversial Catholic movement, liberation theology. The movement whose origin is in Latin America embraces the perspective and plight of the poor to interpret scripture and fight both economic and political injustices. The beatification statement made by Pope Francis is viewed as an attempt to reconciliation between the mainstream Catholic Church and the liberation theology movement. Other occurrences that inform about the possibility of the reconciliation include the reinstatement of suspended Nicaraguan priest Miguel D’Escoto, a policy reversal in Chiapas allowing the ordainment of indigenous deacons, and the appointment of Gerhard Müller, a former student of liberation theology as a cardinal (Frith, 2014,). However, the mainstream catholic church under Pope Francis has not entirely reconciled with the liberation theology in its entirety. The early theologists had adopted insights of Marxist and dependency analysis. This contrasts with Pope Francis’s teachings, which deplores the autonomous market place. Francis insists on the use of charity to help the excess of capitalism and remedy the situation in the market-driven economy (Frith, 2014,). Core to liberation theology is the commitment to defend the rights of the poor in society. To achieve this commitment, one has to live and experience the circumstances of the poor so that they are able to draw theological conclusions. There is similarity between the liberation theology core and the Francis’s call of charity. Francis sympathizes on the plight of the poor and through charity; he seeks to make life bearable for them. 3. Congregation for the Doctrine of the (Faith, 1984) The book is claimed to have some doctrinal issues that are against the beliefs of the mainstream Catholic Church. It has been a source of confusion to the catholic congregation due to the stands it makes. The ordinary session of congregation confirmed that the book had false information which caused harm to the congregation. On the 11th of July 2011, a letter was sent to Waskowiak with a list of disturbing issues contained in the book. The author fails to give some justifiable explanations to the claims that she made in the book. Some of the issues that were present in the book included ignoring the role of the Church’s Magisterium, views on homosexuality, dissolution of marriage, divorce and masturbation. While the Magisterium contains the teachings of the Catholic Church, the book presents the teachings as one of the many opinions that exist in the world and no importance is placed on it whatsoever. The author believes that masturbation helps, rather than destroy relationships since it is a way for women to discover their sexuality and have better relations with their partners. The Catholic Church is clear on the issue of masturbation and it is acknowledged as a sin. The author condones homosexuality though divides the issue in two separate ways. There are those who have homosexual tendencies and those who participate in homosexuality acts. He believes that those with homosexuality tendencies should be accepted and treated with compassion. Those who engage in homosexual acts, however, should be persecuted since it is against the laws of God. Homosexuality in any form is not allowed in the Catholic Church. He further states that marriage can be dissolved if the reasons for the union are no longer present. The Catholic Church states that marriage cannot be dissolved under any circumstances. In the same way, thee book permits divorce while the bible states that any man or woman who divorces their spouse and marries another is committing adultery. The book largely takes on a contemporary view of issues in the world instead of what the bible proposes 4. Legal recognition to homosexual unions (Ratzinger, 2003) Marriage is a special union between a man and a woman that was established by God for specific purposes. Christianity suggests that a marriage is to be enjoyed between the two who are exclusive to one another and they cooperate with God to bring new life on earth. The man and woman in marriage become one flesh. On the other hand, homosexual unions are not similar to the conventional marriages. In the bible, marriage is a holy and sacred union while homosexual act is considered to be against the natural law of morality. Furthermore, homosexual acts cannot bring new life on earth. Authorities adopt varying positions when faced with homosexuality. These positions include tolerance and legal recognition. Legal recognition of homosexuality gives homosexual unions the mandate that is similar to the traditional man-woman marriages. Legal homosexual unions are allowed to adopt children. Where the authority’s policy is tolerance, there are no legal recognitions of homosexual unions. Christianity can come in and ensure that the homosexuality phenomenon is contained to safeguard the public morality and exposure of young people. In cases where homosexual unions are legal, Christianity should oppose the status quo and advocate for change. Ethical considerations are used to oppose the legalization of homosexual unions. These reasons include those that are against the order of right reason, biological and anthropological order, social, and legal order (Ratzinger, 2003). References Farley, S. M. (2006). Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics. New York: Continuum. Frith, E. (2014, September 24). Charity or Justice? Pope Francis Revisits Liberation Theology. Dissent. Ratzinger, J. C. (1984, August 4). Instruction on Certain Aspects of the Theology of Liberation. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith . Ratzinger, J. C. (2003, June 3). Consideratons Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recogition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Read More