Homosexuality
Gn 1:27 - complementarity of sexes reflects God’s inner unity
Gn 2:21-24 - transmission of life through total self-donation - one flesh
Gn 19 - original sin deteriorates to Sodom’s sin, destroyed
Lv18:22 - called abomination, cut off from people (v.29)
Lv 20;13 - both shall be put to death for abominable deed
Rom 1;27 - called unnatural, shameful, and a perversity
1Cor 6:9 - active homosexuals won’t inherit kingdom of God
1Tim 1:9-10 - those who engage in such acts called sinners
Drinking Wine
Gn 27:25 - Isaac brought Jacob wine, and he drank
Dt 14:23-26 - spend money on sheep, wine, & strong drink
Prov 20:1 - wine is a mocker, unwise to be led astray by it
Eccl 9:7 - drink your wine with merry heart - God approves
Is 25:6 - God will provide feast of rich foods & choice wines
Is 5:11 - woe to those who rise early & run after strong drink
Is 5:22 - woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
Luke 7:33-34 - son of man eats & drinks: behold glutton & drunk
Jn 2:2-10 - miracle at Cana: water turned into good wine
Eph 5:18 - do not get drunk with wine, that is debauchery
1Tim 5:23 - drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach
SAINTS, RELICS, AND STATUES
Communion of Saints
Eph 1:22-23 - he is head of the Church, which is His body
Eph 5:21-32 - Christ is the head of the Church, Savior of the body
Col 1:18, 24 - He is head of the body, the Church
1Cor 12:12-27 - if I suffer, all suffer; if I am honored, all rejoice
Rom 12:5 - we are one body in Christ, individual parts of one another
Eph 4:4 - one body, one Spirit, called to one hope
Col 3:15 - you were called in one body
Rom 8:35-39 - death cannot separate us from Christ
Rom 12:10 - love one another with mutual affection
1Thess 5:11 - encourage, build up one another
Gal 6:2 - bear one another’s burdens
Gal 6:10 - let us do good to all, especially those in family of faith
Intercessory Prayer of Saints
Rom 15:30 - join me by your prayers to God on my behalf
Col 4:3, 1Thess 5:25 - pray for us
2Thess 1:11 - we always pray for you
2Thess 3:1 - finally, brothers, pray for us
Eph 6:18-19 - making supplication for all the saints & for me
Tob 12:12 - angel presents Tobit & Sarah’s prayer to God
Ps 148 - David calls upon angels
Zech 1:12 - angel intercedes for Jerusalem
Mk 12:25, Mt 22:30 - men in heaven are as the angels
Rev 5:8 - those in heaven offer prayers of the holy ones to God
*Saints dead, prayer is necromancy (Dt 18:10-11)
Mk 12:26-27 - he is God of the living, not of the dead
Mk 9:4 - Jesus seen conversing with Elijah & Moses
Lk 9:31 - Elijah & Moses aware of earthly events
Rev 6:9-11 - martyrs under altar want earthly vindication
Heb 12:1 - we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses
Lk 16:19-30 - departed rich man intercedes for brothers
Rev 20:4 - saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
Wis 3:1-6 - the souls of the just are in the hand of God
2Macc 15:7-16 - the departed Onias & Jeremiah pray for the Jews
Jas 5:16 prayers of righteous man
1 Cor. 13:12 - I shall understand fully
1 John 4: 20-21 - whoever loves God must love his brother
1 Cor 12:21 - parts of Christ’s Body cannot say to other parts, “I do not need you”.
*1Tim 2:5 - “One mediator between God and man”
1Tim 2:1-7 - offer prayers, petitions for all men
1Pet 2:5 - be a holy priesthood to offer sacrifices through Christ
Mk 10:18 - only God is good
Mt 25:23 - well done my good and faithful servant
Jn 10:11-16 - I am good shepherd; one flock I shepherd
Jn 21:15-16 - feed my lambs, tend my sheep
Eph 4:11 - He gave some as apostles…others as pastors
Heb 3:1, 7:24, 9:12-13 - Jesus eternal high priest; one sacrifice
Rev 1:6, 5:10 - He made us a kingdom of priests for God
Veneration of Saints
Jos 5:14 - Joshua fell prostrate in worship before angel
Dan 8:17 - Daniel fell prostrate in terror before Gabriel
Tob 12:16 - Tobiah & Tobit fall to ground before Raphael
Mt 18:10 - angels in heaven always behold face of God (we venerate
angels because of their great dignity, which comes form their union with God.
Saints also are united with God)
1Jn 3:2 - we shall be like him, we shall see him as he is
1Thess 1:5-8 - you become an example to all the believers
Heb 13:7 - remember leaders, consider/imitate their faith & life
Relics
2 Kgs 13:20-21 - contact with Elisha’s bones restored life
Acts 5:15-116 - cures performed through Peter’s shadow
Acts 19:11-12 - cures through face cloths that touched Paul
Statues
*Ex 20:4-5 - do not make and worship any graven images
Ex 25:18-19 - make two cherubim of beaten gold
Num 21:8-9 - Moses made bronze serpent & put on pole
1Kgs 6:23-29 - temple had engraved cherubim, trees, flowers
1Kgs 7:25-45 - temple had bronze oxen, lions, pomegranates
(also see The Blessed Virgin Mary)
MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS
Scandals in the Church
Jer 32:32-35 - OT leaders & priests offered child sacrifices
2Kgs 23:7 - OT cult prostitutes in the temple of the Lord
Jn 4:22 - in spite of their infidelity, salvation is from Jews
Mk 14:43-46 - Judas betrayed Jesus
Mk 14:66-72 Peter denied him
Jn 20:24-25 Thomas refused to believe his resurrection
Mk 14:50 - they all left him and fled in garden of Gethsemane
Rom 3:3-4 - will their infidelity nullify fidelity of God? No!
2Tim 2 :13 - if we are unfaithful, God remains faithful
Mt 13:24-30 - Parable of the weeds among the wheat
Mt 13:47-48 - parable of net that collects good and bad
Fasting
*1Tim 4:3 - condemns anti-flesh heretics
Mk 7:19 - Christ declared all food clean
1Tim 4:4-5 - everything created by God is good
Dan 10:3 - Daniel refused to eat choice foods for 3 weeks
Mt 9:15 - Christ’s followers will fast once he is gone
Mt 6:16-18 - Jesus gave regulations concerning how to fast