The Catechism and Homosexuality

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“Hope1960 said:
So the Catechism isn’t in error with regards to this topic?
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Correct, homosexual acts are gravely sinful as are all sexual acts including masturbation outside of a lawful marriage between a man and a woman. As the catechism says, the Church’s teaching here is founded on Sacred Scripture, i.e., the word of God which is without error and the natural law of which God is the author. This is an infallible teaching concerning morals as it comes from Sacred Scripture and the natural law and as such is taught by the Church.

Homosexual activity is not a new phenomenon of the modern world. It has been around for thousands of years. It is unanimously condemned in Scripture as acts of grave depravity (cf. CCC#2357) and it is one of the sins in Scripture that cries to heaven for vengence as in the example of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The CCC teaches that deep-seated homosexual inclinations, though not sinful in itself unless acted upon as is concupiscence, are objectively disordered for good reasons. This means that deap-seated homosexual inclinations are unnatural according to God’s plan when he instituted and created man, i.e., male and female He created them (Gn. 1). It stands to reason that God instilled a natural sexual attraction between men and women because only a man and a woman together can produce offspring. Same sex attraction if followed through leads to unnatural sex acts. It is a disorientation of natural sexual desire. The causes of SSA whether involving deap-seated inclinations or not are manifold but I believe it is rooted in sin beginning with the first sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, we are conceived and born into the world with a fallen human nature subject to death, decay, corruption, disease, sickness, genetic defects, abnormalities, concupiscence, etc. St Paul calls homosexuality unnatural desire. Accordingly, supposing genetics or a gene variant played some kind of role in SSA, I believe what we would have here is a genetic or biological defect analogous, though not as serious I don’t think, to a person born blind, deaf, or a host of other abnormalities. The fact is that the genetics behind sexual orientation is very fuzzy and the studies involving SSA suggest and even point too other determining factors in SSA even if genetics plays some kind of role in it. The testimony of many people who left a gay lifestyle and who are now heterosexual, some married with children, are an example. Homosexual acts can be controlled especially with the help and grace of God.
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Richca, I think gays can turn their lives around but not their sexual desires.
 
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Didn’t you mean to say, ”Even if the Catechism DOESN’T say that homosexuality can be caused by something biological (and no, it does not)?
 
Nope. I’m saying that I believe sexual behavior can be changed, not sexual attraction.
 
Every moral teaching in the Catechism is Infallible:

As they fully align with Sacred Tradition AND the Ordinary Magisterium

Thanks for asking
 
So if the Catechism says that homosexuality is due to psychological reasons (it’s not…it’s either genetic, biological in some way or possibly something that happened in utero) it’s still “infallible”?
 
Maybe I’m misunderstanding you but scientists do think it’s possible homosexuality is biological, and that would contradict the Catechism.
 
I have actually read our Catechism’s multiple times and the Church does not even mention homosexuallity as being a physological disorder.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

So the question is invalid from the Catechisms perspective

GBY

Patrick
 
Hope1960 said:
So if the Catechism says that homosexuality is due to psychological reasons (it’s not…it’s either genetic, biological in some way or possibly something that happened in utero) it’s still “infallible”?
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The catechism does not propose a cause and if it did that would not be a statement the Church makes as expert, but merely in adopting what science has concluded.

As you know, no church document is infallible. It’s only teaching in faith and morals which can be infallible.
 
Hope1960 said:
Try paragraph 2357.

Sixteen characters
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2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.” They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved. end quote

OK; but I read this to be similar to all sexual attraction. Here the Church is pointing out that same sex attraction is disordered.

My younger brother was “gay” and died young with AIDS. I have studied the issue in some depth and still am personally undecided if it is “in-born” or somehow other attributed.

I DO believe that God is in charge and just as God gives priest and religious the GRACE for a VOW of chasity; that same God will OFFER sufficient grace to those so inclined, to do likewise.

Life is the God test and ALL of have or will have serious crosses to bear with His help.

God Bless you
Patrick
 
The Church does not propose definitive scientific explanations for the world around us. That’s not the mission of the Church. The disordered nature of homosexuality does not require a definitive scientific explanation from the Church.
You start with what is revealed and go from there.
 
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Hope1960 said:
Nope. I’m saying that I believe sexual behavior can be changed, not sexual attraction.
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Some people may be incapable of ridding themselves of unwanted attractions and desires - that is very true.
 
Infallibility applies to when the Pope or Bishops teaching as the whole body speak ex Cathedra defines a doctrine concerning faith and morals to be held by the whole Church.

That doesn’t mean there are errors in the Catechism. I believe it is error-free. However, it means that it isn’t guaranteed.

Saying that something isn’t covered by infallibility does not mean that there is an error in it. It may well be error free, but it is not guaranteed to be.
 
On what??
Hope1960 said:
Maybe I’m misunderstanding you but scientists do think it’s possible homosexuality is biological, and that would contradict the Catechism.
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No…some scientists believe there may be a genetic or biological component involved. The catechism neither supports nor contradicts this view.
 
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Definitive scientific explanations are not the purpose of the catechism. Or the Church as a whole.
 
But on this topic, the Catechism is not proposing anything of a scientific nature.
 
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