I've talked with people who actually believe
these things about homosexuals:
Not exact matches
Of course I'm going to ask
about those different
things — those are part of the definition in a lot of people's minds of what «practising
homosexual» means.
In my last essay at First
Things, I echoed the words of Pope Benedict writing
about the pastoral care of the
homosexual person by saying, «only what is true can ultimately be pastoral.»
That phrase is not used here in the law
about male
homosexual acts It is not one of the laws against
things that are identified as a toebah to God!»
«In those times, we knew
about things that have become common today: the reality of abortion, of people who manifest
homosexual tendencies, whose personal dignity we always respected, but we were formed to see these acts as absolutely unacceptable, against the nature that God had created for us.»
Boswell complains that
homosexuals are treated unfairly when others think that their homosexuality is the most important
thing about them.
One
thing I love
about the Gay Christian Network, of which Justin is the director, is that it welcomes healthy dialog between folks on «Side A,» who believe
homosexual relationships have the same value as heterosexual relationships in the sight of God, and folks on «Side B,» who believe only male / female relationships in marriage represent God's intent for sexuality.
Father Thomas Reese, S.J., who recently resigned as editor of America, a Jesuit weekly — or was removed, depending on which account one credits (see First
Things August / September 2005)-- complains, «The Vatican is making decisions
about the appropriateness of ordaining
homosexuals in total ignorance of how many current priests are
homosexuals, how well they observe celibacy, and how well they do ministry.»
However, they contend that they have no choice but to do these
things, based on what they say is a clear directive
about homosexuals delivered to them by God through the Holy Bible.
It has become an open scandal that Paul himself had some exclusivistic
things to say
about women and
homosexuals which contradict his many revolutionary insights.
(The same is to be said
about crusades to make
things difficult for
homosexuals.)