Hate to say this but still no real answer to the question! Aren’t we being “cafeteria” Bible believers when we scream about one thing and are silent about another. Doesn’t that weaken are arguement. Forget about government involvment. Isn’t wrong wrong whether government is involved or not. If you are going to use the Bible to condemn one thing should you not condemn all things condemn in the Bible with equal force. Are we to obey ALL of God’s Word? Is the prohibition against gay union in the Bible equal to the prohibition against tattoos equal to the prohition against eating pork? Where in the Bible does it say this “Word of God” you need to be militant about holding up but this “Word of God” you can ignore.
This is a very common misconception. Same-sex marriage is a good example. Everything must be looked at on a case by case basis and with the necessary factual historical background. Same-sex attraction is not condemned, but the Bible specifically speaks of a man laying with another man as with a woman. The context is this: The American Psychological Association had Homosexuality listed as a disorder until it was removed by non-scientific vote in 1973. Prior to 1996, same-sex marriage was not pushed onto the American public in a forceful way, and not until the last ten years has it appeared on State ballots. It was defeated in every case and twice in California. Prior to all this, gay couples could and did live however they wanted. I don’t see where marriage can be redefined, and the Church has studied the issue and has laid out all the details of what marriage means.
With all due respect to our Jewish neighbors, we are not Jews, and though Mary and Joseph were of the house and lineage of David, He had come as the Son of God. The thought that he was just a nice Jewish guy does not apply. Among Jews, there are the Ultra-Orthodox, the Orthodox, the Conservative and Reform. I recall one Jewish lady telling me that for her family, keeping a Kosher house was optional.
The issue of tattoos is also a recent phenomenon. Yes, one could always get tattoos, but many more stores opened over the last 10 years. As businessman, it is a mystery to me as to why. And how much money can these stores make? I mean once those in the area get a tattoo, they’re done. It’s not like buying milk every week.
The Teaching Authority of the Church did not initiate same-sex marriage. It did not put put the issue up for a vote, and it is not promoting it, but it is being imposed on people’s minds through advertising, movies and billboards as OK. Only judges and politicians have made it legal, not the majority of people.
The media, over a 40 year period, buy showing bad example, have promoted birth control, fornication, living together without marriage, and other immoral things, as being OK, average or normal. And the worst thing, they are promoting Indifference to sin. Example: I read the following about the movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: “For once, bisexuality is presented as no big deal.” Do you understand?
Sexual sin, including divorce and remarriage without obtaining an annulment, is the
biggest problem facing the world today. The opening of Adult Bookstores, topless bars and strip clubs in the 1970s cost millions of dollars, not counting the money spent on lawyers to defend producers and sellers from legal action taken by “religious nuts,” including Catholics and other Christians. These people knew that sexual addiction would be the result. It was planned that way, because prior to 1968, it was like this: From a recent post I read on the internet. “Hey. Does not anybody remember when porn was considered dirty and hard to get?” That’s the way it was.
No one I know of woke up one day and said, “You know, we should have stores all over the country selling hardcore porn.”
The Church condemns all sin, with due consideration for the individual circumstances of the individual sinner, like addiction.
But the point I’m making is when some radicals want to force their beliefs on others and start screaming about their “rights,” then the Church reacts. They started it.
Peace,
Ed
