In his Encyclical Letter Libertas Praestantissimum (On the Nature of Human Liberty), No. 10, Pope Leo XIII teaches us that, "the true liberty of human society does not consist in every man doing what he pleases, for this would simply end in turmoil and confusion, and bring on the overthrow of the State; but rather in this, that through the injunctions of the civil law all may more easily conform to the prescriptions of the eternal law. Likewise, the liberty of those who are in authority does not consist in the power to lay unreasonable and capricious commands upon their subjects, which would equally be criminal and would lead to the ruin of the commonwealth; but the binding force of human laws is in this, that they are to be regarded as applications of the eternal law, and incapable of sanctioning anything which is not contained in the eternal law, as in the principle of all law. Thus, St. Augustine most wisely says: "I think that you can see, at the same time, that there is nothing just and lawful in that temporal law, unless what men have gathered from this eternal law." If, then, by anyone in authority, something be sanctioned out of conformity with the principles of right reason, and consequently hurtful to the commonwealth, such an enactment can have no binding force of law, as being no rule of justice, but certain to lead men away from that good which is the very end of civil society. "
There are many (and even many who call themselves Catholic) who are agitating for legal recognition of same-sex unions. It is just such people that Pope Leo XIII had in mind when he wrote, "..many there are who follow in the footsteps of Lucifer, and adopt as their own his rebellious cry, 'I will not serve'; and consequently substitute for true liberty what is sheer and most foolish license.." (No. 14).
Anxious either to condone sinful homosexual acts or to make homosexuals comfortable in their sinful "lifestyle," those who agitate for legal recognition of homosexual unions have forgotten that while human liberty grants man the possibility to act as he wishes, it does not necessarily grant him the right to do so. For many, liberty has become license.
It was Archbishop Oscar Romero, the martyred Archbishop of San Salvador, who said: "A preaching that does not point out sin is not the preaching of the gospel. A preaching that makes sinners feel good so that they become entrenched in their sinful state, betrays the gospel's call. A preaching that does not discomfit sinners but lulls them in their sin leaves Zebulun and Naphtali in the shadow of death. A preaching that awakens, a preaching that enlightens -- as when a light turned on awakens and of course annoys a sleeper -- that is the preaching of Christ, calling, "wake up! Be converted!" this is the church's authentic preaching. Naturally, such preaching must meet conflict, must spoil what is miscalled prestige, must disturb, must be persecuted. It cannot get along with the powers of darkness and sin."
As Catholics, we are all called to an authentic preaching which does not make sinners feel good but which awakens them to the Lumen Christi - the Light of Christ. Any other "gospel" is a false gospel. A demonic "gospel." It was St. Peter Damian, a Doctor of the Church, who explained that the vice of sodomy "surpasses the enormity of all others," because: "Without fail, it brings death to the body and destruction to the soul. It pollutes the flesh, extinguishes the light of the mind, expels the Holy Spirit from the temple of the human heart, and gives entrance to the devil, the stimulator of lust: It leads to error, totally removes truth from the deluded mind . . . It opens up Hell and closes the gates of Paradise . . . It is this vice that violates temperance, slays modesty, strangles chastity, and slaughters virginity . . . It defiles all things, sullies all things, pollutes all things . . . " (The Book of Gomorrah).
There are many (and even many who call themselves Catholic) who are agitating for legal recognition of same-sex unions. It is just such people that Pope Leo XIII had in mind when he wrote, "..many there are who follow in the footsteps of Lucifer, and adopt as their own his rebellious cry, 'I will not serve'; and consequently substitute for true liberty what is sheer and most foolish license.." (No. 14).
Anxious either to condone sinful homosexual acts or to make homosexuals comfortable in their sinful "lifestyle," those who agitate for legal recognition of homosexual unions have forgotten that while human liberty grants man the possibility to act as he wishes, it does not necessarily grant him the right to do so. For many, liberty has become license.
It was Archbishop Oscar Romero, the martyred Archbishop of San Salvador, who said: "A preaching that does not point out sin is not the preaching of the gospel. A preaching that makes sinners feel good so that they become entrenched in their sinful state, betrays the gospel's call. A preaching that does not discomfit sinners but lulls them in their sin leaves Zebulun and Naphtali in the shadow of death. A preaching that awakens, a preaching that enlightens -- as when a light turned on awakens and of course annoys a sleeper -- that is the preaching of Christ, calling, "wake up! Be converted!" this is the church's authentic preaching. Naturally, such preaching must meet conflict, must spoil what is miscalled prestige, must disturb, must be persecuted. It cannot get along with the powers of darkness and sin."
As Catholics, we are all called to an authentic preaching which does not make sinners feel good but which awakens them to the Lumen Christi - the Light of Christ. Any other "gospel" is a false gospel. A demonic "gospel." It was St. Peter Damian, a Doctor of the Church, who explained that the vice of sodomy "surpasses the enormity of all others," because: "Without fail, it brings death to the body and destruction to the soul. It pollutes the flesh, extinguishes the light of the mind, expels the Holy Spirit from the temple of the human heart, and gives entrance to the devil, the stimulator of lust: It leads to error, totally removes truth from the deluded mind . . . It opens up Hell and closes the gates of Paradise . . . It is this vice that violates temperance, slays modesty, strangles chastity, and slaughters virginity . . . It defiles all things, sullies all things, pollutes all things . . . " (The Book of Gomorrah).
Homosexual acts expel the Holy Spirit and give entrance to the Devil. This according to a Doctor of the Church. Why then would anyone professing to be "Catholic" agitate for legal recognition of homosexual unions? Battle lines are being formed. One blogger who professes to be Catholic recently criticized me as I stood with the Church against recognizing such unions and after deleting the link to my blog [I'm actually glad that he did], placed a link to the blog of an individual who has called for legal recognition of homosexual unions.
We must stand firm with the Church. No matter the cost. Only those who persevere to the end will have their names written in the Book of Life.
Related reading: The myth of "homosexual love."
4 comments:
Like you Paul, I have no hatred for homosexual persons. But we've heard quite enough about "the dignity of the homosexual person." While such people should be treated with respect and compassion (as the Catechism teaches), I think some worry too much about offending those who are actively engaged in homosexuality and not enough with God's Commandments. Pope Leo XIII had this to say in Tametsi Futura Prospicientibus (On Jesus the Redeemer - November 1, 1900): "The world has heard enough of the so-called 'rights of man.' Let it hear something of the rights of God."
Some have become so concerned with the "rights of the homosexual" and not offending those who commit grave sin that they have neglected the rights of God.
Father Felix Sarda Y Salvany says that, "Charity is primarily the love of God, secondarily the love of our neighbor for God's sake. To sacrifice the first is to abandon the latter. Therefore, to offend our neighbor for the love of God is a true act of charity. Not to offend our neighbor for the love of God is a sin. Modern liberalism reverses this order; it imposes a false notion of charity: our neighbor first, and, if at all, God afterwards....it is human self-love, usurping the throne of the Most High and demanding that worship which belongs to God alone." (Liberalism is a Sin, pp. 94, 95).
People who are more concerned about "alienating homosexuals" than they are offending God are on the wrong track. It is often necessary to offend sinners to bring them back to the truth and to repentance.
Same-sex 'marriage' loses support among Americans
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 6/28/2009 4:00:00 AM
A recent poll indicates that Americans are not as supportive of homosexual "marriage" as they once were.
A CBS-New York Times survey shows that support for redefining marriage to include same-gender couples has declined. Jenny Tyree of Focus on the Family Action tells OneNewsNow that, according to The New York Times, the figure dropped slightly -- but she believes nine percentage points is more than slightly.
"I think that this really digs into what Americans really feel about marriage -- that they like that [marriage is] defined between a man and a woman," she contends. "And also it's a bit of a backlash against the five states whose legislative bodies have redefined marriage very recently within the last several months."
Part of the drop may also relate to the continuing battle to defeat California's Proposition 8, she says, in which voters defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
"I think Americans really saw the intolerance that occurred after the Proposition 8 vote back in November," she recalls. "They saw that many who want to redefine marriage were not happy with really what the people decide, and what the people decided in California was to continue to define marriage the way it has been defined."
After the election, several lawsuits were filed to try to overturn the voters' decision. Another federal lawsuit challenging it was filed just last week. Tyree believes the poll also sends a strong message to the White House, which has stated as a goal to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
Some want a "Gospel-Lite" which offends no one and makes no demands. But that's not Christianity. That's idolatry.
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