Traditionalist Anglican defends Pope’s homosexual comments
by Jennifer Gold
Posted: Wednesday, December 24, 2008, 10:17 (GMT)
The general secretary of a traditionalist Anglican group has defended an attack by the Pope earlier in the week on homosexual and transsexual behaviour.
In an end-of-year address to prelates in the Vatican, the Pope said that saving mankind from homosexual and transsexual behaviour was just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction and that the Catholic Church had a responsibility to “protect man from the destruction of himself”.
The Rev Geoffrey Kirk, General Secretary of Forward in Faith, contrasted the Pope’s clarity with the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, who has faced criticism for his handling of a dispute in the Anglican Communion over homosexuality.
"It should not be a surprise that the Pope is a Catholic and makes clear statements supporting Catholic teaching,” he was quoted by The Telegraph as saying.
"If there is confusion about what he said it is not because he is not clear it will be because people chose not to listen to what he said.
“If there is confusion about what Rowan Williams says it is because he is not clear.
“We are in such a mess in the Anglican Church, clarity on sexual morality is now impossible."
Rev Kirk predicted that the Pope’s comments would not prompt the Archbishop of Canterbury to issue fresh statements on homosexuality.
“Rowan will not be any clearer on the issue,” he said, according to the newspaper. “He is an Anglican.”
The Pope told the Curia, or the Vatican’s central administration, on Monday that non-heterosexual relationships were a “destruction of God’s work”.
"The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less,” he said.
“It's not simply an outdated metaphysics if the Church speaks of the nature of the human person as man and woman, and asks that this order of creation be respected."
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Added: Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 18:31 (GMT)
The whole of Jesus' teaching points to forgiveness, acceptance and love. NOT discrimination, hatred and inciting violence. Whether intended to or not, these comments will only make people feel that homophobic abuse and bullying are good things, and that God wants them to act out against homosexuals.
The Pope sould have been more careful, and more tactful, even if he found holding his tongue and accepting/loving those people with whom he disagrees. It is comments exactly like these that lead to people being beaten, insulted and even killed purely as a result of their sexual orientation, which, no matter what some people, think cannot be helpedand is an integral part of one's identity, and the way in which one was made by God.
God made some people straight, some bisexual and others gay. There are no circumstances in which a straight man could choose to find another man physically and sexually attractive, so why does everybody assume that gay people could choose to be straight if they wanted to, but instead choose to be gay?
In my opinion, it is outrageous that the Pope has not only said these things, but has been allowed to escape unscathed, except for a little bit of negative media coverage.
Matt, Torbay, UK
Added: Wednesday, December 31, 2008, 22:17 (GMT)
I am amazed at the so-called "Christians" who believe that Sacred Scripture condemns homosexuality or transsexuality. They obviously do not understand scripture in a proper context.
The Pope's comments about "gender" in his Christmas greeting to the Roman Curia is consistent with the sub secretum document promulgated by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in AD 2000 (leakse to Catholic News Service in 2003).
The Vatican position is that gender is immutable. I have no issue with thei. The fundamental flaw is that the Vatican bases this "immutable gender" on the fetal development of the wolffian or mullerian ductile systems into genitalia, without taking into account the whole of human physiology. When applied to cissexual people, the Vatican view works, but it does not apply to transsexual people, whose brains develop in a different gendered direction from their genitals.
There are also people for whom immutable gender is "bigendered" and whose experience of gender is "fluid." I would suggest that this may result in an appearance of mutability, but these persons are as God created them, too.
Sacred Scripture makes it clear that transgendered people are loved by God. In Isaiah 56, it is clear that God loves eunuchs (trans people), and strangers (people who are different). There is a special place in God's House for people who are transgendered (Is. 56:5). (Also see Mt. 19:12 and the beautiful story of St. Phlip baptising the eunuch in Acts 8).
Those who believe that homosexuality is sinful should note the marriage covenant made between David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel, and the fact that in David's marriage to Michal, he becomes Saul's son-in-law a second time. Having experienced both, David expresses that "the love of Jonathan is better than the love of a woman" when mourning the loss of Jonathan in 2 Samuel.
Romans 1 refers to people acting against their nature - i.e., as they are made by God. It is as sinful for a homosexually-oriented man to marry a woman as it would be for a heterosexyually-oriented person to engage in same sex relations. In each case, the indiviodual is sinning by acting against their nature.
The sin of Sodom is not homosexuality, but violent inhospitality. The Pope, and those so-called Christians who condemn gay and trans folks will find themselves numbered among the goats on Judgment Day unless they repent (see Mt 25).
Joann Prinzivalli, White Plains, New York, USA
Added: Thursday, December 25, 2008, 19:03 (GMT)
The Pope talked about saving people - that is not the voice of hatred. Love is not just agreeing with people so you don't offend. Homosexual people are living a particular lifestyle and Christians another. One can 100% disagree with a lifestyle 'choice' and 100% love the people living it.
Ruth, Loughborough, UK
Added: Wednesday, December 24, 2008, 21:04 (GMT)
This is not 'Catholic' teaching, but it is GOD'S WORD!!
What is so difficult about that to accept? All True Christians know what God has to say about homosexual practise, and what will happen if we do, and we do, fall into sin, as we have an advocate and propitiation for us, before God, in Jesus, who paid God's price for sin, ONCE FOR ALL, which allows us full acceptence in God's eyes.
We are all tempted, lied to, led falsely, but we have full access to the same grace Paul had when he asked three times for God to remove his thorn in his flesh - name your thorn - and allowed the strength to endure and overcome these things.
If we do not do this, but justify our behaviour - it's genetic, it's nature, it's the way I am - we may as well do the same for adultery, paedophilia or murder, picking and choosing Scripture to uphold our views, or ignoring what God's Word says against them, all the while calling ourselves 'Christian', then we may not bother carrying on in our faith! Paul says in Romans that grace increases when sin does, but we should neither look for grace's increase in sinning, nor hide our belief under our predilictions.
I am not a Catholic, but a saved by grace Christian, who often get things wrong, but know that Jesus is still saving me, as He is doing for us all, heir to all sorts of temptations and failures, but I still look to Him, ultimately, for my salvation, righteousness and fulfilment. As we all should, but, although His love covers a multitude of sins, He will not tolerate sin in His Presence, but will look to lead His people away from them, however long it takes - ref. Exodus.
Don't take my word for this, nor even the Pope's, but ask the Lord Himself to show you His perspective and view about these subjects, do not shy away from the teaching He shows you and ask how He wants you to respond. He wants to bless us, and we cannot do anything different. So, may you all have a blessed and peaceful Christmas in Jesus' Name.
Chris Maguire, Ventnor, IOW, UK
