“Without truth, charity degenerates into sentimentality. Love becomes an empty shell, to be filled in an arbitrary way. In a culture without truth, this is the fatal risk facing love. It falls prey to contingent subjective emotions and opinions…” Encyclical Letter “Caritas in Veritate” of Pope Benedict XVI.
Those who most often, and most loudly, criticize the Catholic Church for Her teachings on homosexuality often do so under the self-guise of enlightened progressive humanity. On the other hand, those that uphold Catholicism are perceived as homophobic medievalists; one well-known and vocal detractor said that the Church’s stance is “…the basis for discrimination, rejection and violence the world over.” Others, many from within the Church, use the term “rigid” to describe the current Catholic prescription for homosexuality; while bemoaning the lack of “acceptance.” As justification, they point towards the subjectively ambiguous and the anecdotal: that nice same-sex couple that lives across the street; the gay guy I work with; my gay cousin. For the most part, their interest and involvement is either all-consuming or purely superficial. They are too close – causing a deep swerve into sentiment that blocks out the obvious: in the case of homosexuality, the blatant health risks. Others, with a less fixed association, are usually compelled by pop-culture and mass opinion. Both conveniently overlook or idly disregard the Truth; the Truth that has been solely upheld and preserved by the Catholic Church. In the ever-changing mind of the world, charity has morphed into a Pollyanna pie-in-the-sky false hope that everything is okay; therefore, everyone can sleep at night – free from the worry: after all, AIDS no longer exists; my gay little brother is safe and happy. Right?
Joseph, sometimes I wish your comments and analysis could be dumped into the email box of every adult across America and even world-wide … you just make so much sense. So many Catholics are lost – and being led astray by PRIESTS who are lost, who are no longer adhering to the doctrine of the faith! I see posts on Facebook from people calling themselves Roman Catholic when they believe in truly heretical concepts. You have people talking about the Church needing to be more “welcoming” – as if we should be calling in the sinners so that we can all have a party – ignoring completely the fact that we are called to convert sinners AWAY FROM SIN. Welcoming, without the necessary instruction and necessary admonishment of sin where needed, is like inviting disease into your spiritual body where it can infect others instead of it being purged from the invitees. Jesus never said following him would be easy, in fact, quite the opposite. But today we have a chorus chanting “acceptance” and “tolerance” – they want it 'easy' when it was never meant to be easy. God help us all.
I've said this to you before in comments and I'll say it again, the Holy Spirit has truly made you an instrument of His work. Keep the wonderfully articulated apologetics coming! And thank you for all you're trying to do!
(P.S. I try to share your web address on Facebook, etc. every time it is appropriate.)