USCCB staff criticizes ‘flawed anthropology of sexual orientation’

[Darryl1958]

This is great stuff, but unlikely to be persuasive. The people with whom I have entered protracted debates over same sex marriage aren’t moved by a “religious” argument.

How does one convince a non-Catholic person who “believes” in same sex marriage that such marriages are wrong? “You can’t force your religious views on other people!”

What is needed is a good *secular *argument against same sex marriage.

The Catholic Church has correctly identified Catholics as the the people to direct their outreach to in order to strengthen the Church and the Church’s position in society.
Simply by converting Catholics to an understanding and appreciation of the vibrant message of life of the Christian gospel would change the trajectory of the world.

The Catholic position is fundamentally built in a rational understanding of the world, and there is nothing in the Catholic position that contradicts or even ignores the understandings and conclusions that secular science brings to us. What Catholicism adds to that picture on the other hand, is the passion of life itself. Secular science does not give us the sounds of angels trumpeting our decisions to lead the good life, or the voice of God reaching out from the heavens to express his pleasure in our partaking in the full fruits of marriage.
Science and reason can tell us how to organize society and live our lives in order that the best possible outcome is delivered to ourselves personally and to society as a whole. But it is Catholic teaching that gives us the reason and the will to desire to do that in the first place.

It is pointless to divorce the two therefore. Intellectual assent and good secular reasons will never be enough to defeat the power of sin and the inclinations of the flesh. Fleshly desires are in a more intimate relationship with our heart than our minds could ever hope to be. Desires of the flesh define our passions through instinct itself.
The passion of Christ, on the other hand, and our deeper thirst as spiritual beings for the living water, is sufficient to deliver the reins over to our minds, and our understanding of where the good life actually lies.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

The Catholic Church has correctly identified Catholics as the the people to direct their outreach to in order to strengthen the Church and the Church’s position in society.
Simply by converting Catholics to an understanding and appreciation of the vibrant message of life of the Christian gospel would change the trajectory of the world.

The Catholic position is fundamentally built in a rational understanding of the world, and there is nothing in the Catholic position that contradicts or even ignores the understandings and conclusions that secular science brings to us. What Catholicism adds to that picture on the other hand, is the passion of life itself. Secular science does not give us the sounds of angels trumpeting our decisions to lead the good life, or the voice of God reaching out from the heavens to express his pleasure in our partaking in the full fruits of marriage.
Science and reason can tell us how to organize society and live our lives in order that the best possible outcome is delivered to ourselves personally and to society as a whole. But it is Catholic teaching that gives us the reason and the will to desire to do that in the first place.

It is pointless to divorce the two therefore. Intellectual assent and good secular reasons will never be enough to defeat the power of sin and the inclinations of the flesh. Fleshly desires are in a more intimate relationship with our heart than our minds could ever hope to be. Desires of the flesh define our passions through instinct itself.
The passion of Christ, on the other hand, and our deeper thirst as spiritual beings for the living water, is sufficient to deliver the reins over to our minds, and our understanding of where the good life actually lies.

I agree 100%.

Now, try selling that argument to an atheist liberal.

 

[opus101]

I just read this section from the Catechism, and it struck me how generously the Bishops are fulfilling their duties on this matter. The bold printed words are my own emphases:

2036 The authority of the Magisterium extends also to the specific precepts of the natural law, because their observance, demanded by the Creator, is necessary for salvation. In recalling the prescriptions of the natural law, the Magisterium of the Church exercises an essential part of its prophetic office of proclaiming to men what they truly are and reminding them of what they should be before God.

This is essentially what these great articles are doing. By proclaiming our dignity as children of God, male and female, we are encouraged to live out our true identity according to the intentions of God when He created us.

 

[pnewton]

I agree with this and it’s one of the first things that came to mind when reading it. I’d also add that homosexuality is not only about sexual desire, it goes much deeper. It is a part of the person. To say it’s something separate or added is kind of silly and naive in my opinion. I think they are straying too far into scientific ground.

I would rather say that politics has been straying into moral grounds. Science, especially in the area of gender psychology, likewise has left any pretense of science in an effort to slake the consciences of the “scientists” that seek to normalize sexual deviancy.

 

[SuperLuigi]

This is great stuff, but unlikely to be persuasive. The people with whom I have entered protracted debates over same sex marriage aren’t moved by a “religious” argument.

How does one convince a non-Catholic person who “believes” in same sex marriage that such marriages are wrong? “You can’t force your religious views on other people!”

What is needed is a good *secular *argument against same sex marriage.

There already are good secular (economic) arguments against so-called “gay marriage”.