WHY is homosexuality a sin?

[Goldenhope]

Everytime I ask this, people say “It’s in the Bible”, without providing context or explanation, and start (mis)quoting verses.
What is wrong with two men/women loving each other? How can God regard love as an (as some Christians say of homosexuals) “abomination”?

 

[pensmama87]

Very simply put, it’s a misuse of the sexual organs. What were these made for? What is their purpose?

Our bodies were made in God’s image and with them we can be co-creators of new life. That means they are not simply ours to do with whatever we want. We need to respect our bodies. Using a part in a way contrary to its purpose is disrespectful to us and to God.

(This applies to more than just sexuality, by the way.)

 

[Goldenhope]

Very simply put, it’s a misuse of the sexual organs. What were these made for? What is their purpose?

Our bodies were made in God’s image and with them we can be co-creators of new life. That means they are not simply ours to do with whatever we want. We need to respect our bodies. Using a part in a way contrary to its purpose is disrespectful to us and to God.

(This applies to more than just sexuality, by the way.)

To say that our bodies were made in the image of God’s is plain ridiculous. God made us in His likeness - but by giving us souls, intellect, feelings. He sure is not an old guy sitting on clouds. And didn’t send us here just to procreate.
Also, how is it disrespectful to use our sexual organs to have sex?

 

[LundyLund]

To say that our bodies were made in the image of God’s is plain ridiculous. God made us in His likeness - but by giving us souls, intellect, feelings. He sure is not an old guy sitting on clouds. And didn’t send us here just to procreate.
Also, how is it disrespectful to use our sexual organs to have sex?

The purposes sex (and, therefore, the organs) are twofold - unitive and procreative. It is impossible for homosexuals to procreate through the unitive act. In addition, all sex (hetero or homo) is sinful if the act isn’t intended to be unitive and open to life. Lots of scripture behind this.

 

[LundyLund]

Also, the church doesn’t hold that homosexuality is a sin. It does hold that engaging in homosexual sex is a sin. But, so is fornication amongst heterosexuals.

 

[Goldenhope]

Also, the church doesn’t hold that homosexuality is a sin. It does hold that engaging in homosexual sex is a sin. But, so is fornication amongst heterosexuals.

So what if a married homosexual couple engages in sex as a way for expressing their love to each other?
Married couples do have sex, but they don’t always mean to procreate through it

 

[heidi_storage]

Which verses are misquoted?

 

[LundyLund]

So what if a married homosexual couple engages in sex as a way for expressing their love to each other?
Married couples do have sex, but they don’t always mean to procreate through it

There are times during a cycle where a woman is less likely to conceive, but licit sexual relations will always be at least open to procreation.

Again, procreation cannot ever be a fruit of homosexual intercourse. The civil status of their union is irrelevant to this absolute barrier and does not somehow legitimize what is otherwise wrong.

Finally, above, you state that it is ridiculous to say that man was created in God’s image. Genesis begs to differ: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” 1:26.

 

[dnu]

Goldenhope,

The two issues you are questioning can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2357-2379.

 

[Goldenhope]

There are times during a cycle where a woman is less likely to conceive, but licit sexual relations will always be at least open to procreation.

Again, procreation cannot ever be a fruit of homosexual intercourse. The civil status of their union is irrelevant to this absolute barrier and does not somehow legitimize what is otherwise wrong.

Finally, above, you state that it is ridiculous to say that man was created in God’s image. Genesis begs to differ: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” 1:26.

So you’re saying that marriage only aim is procreation - everything else is irrelevant. How sad.
Also, putting aside how most of the genesis (especially the part about Adam and Eve) is an allegorical myth, “in our image, after our likeness” should not be considered literally. After all, God is pure spirit - how can He have a phisycal body to draw inspiration from in first place? It makes much more sense that God - pure spirit - gave our spirit His likeness.

 

[LundyLund]

So you’re saying that marriage only aim is procreation - everything else is irrelevant. How sad.
Also, putting aside how most of the genesis (especially the part about Adam and Eve) is an allegorical myth, “in our image, after our likeness” should not be considered literally. After all, God is pure spirit - how can He have a phisycal body to draw inspiration from in first place? It makes much more sense that God - pure spirit - gave our spirit His likeness.

That is not what I am saying. I am saying that procreation (open to life) is ONE of the essential ingredients to marriage. Another poster directed you to the Catechism. You should check it out, although I suspect you’ll not be thrilled with what you read.

And, I would ask you a question - if a couple is not open to procreation, then why get married at all? There are plenty of ways to commit without being married.

While I would agree that components of Genesis are allegorical, and I wouldn’t take issue with your assertion that God has no body (well, other than Jesus), your reading of it removes words from the text. It’s there for a reason, and has meaning. It sure would be convenient if we could just omit words from the Bible whenever it suits our purposes. Heck, that would be true of the Constitution and our civil and criminal laws, too.

 

[Brassring]

Any sexual activity outside the confines of a sacramental marriage is a sin. There is no such thing as a sacramental homosexual marriage.

You can say “how sad” all you want, but you aren’t expressing a moral position or ethical truth. You are expressing your personal preference. Placing one’s personal preference above the will of God as explained by his holy Church is also a sin.

 

[Jeanne_S]

So you’re saying that marriage only aim is procreation - everything else is irrelevant. How sad.
Also, putting aside how most of the genesis (especially the part about Adam and Eve) is an allegorical myth, “in our image, after our likeness” should not be considered literally. After all, God is pure spirit - how can He have a phisycal body to draw inspiration from in first place? It makes much more sense that God - pure spirit - gave our spirit His likeness.

Christ ,both human and Divine.We were made in His image and likeness.

 

[Hail_Linus]

Any sexual activity outside the confines of a sacramental marriage is a sin. There is no such thing as a sacramental homosexual marriage.

I think it is also important to point out that homosexual acts are sinful even in heterosexual marriages. For example, fellatio may not reach the point of climax even in a heterosexual marriage.

 

[midori]

What is wrong with two men/women loving each other? How can God regard love as an (as some Christians say of homosexuals) “abomination”?

We all try to love others. “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” But just because I love someone doesn’t mean that it’s okay to express that love by sleeping with them. Certain things are healthy and appropriate within certain contexts. Outside of those contexts, those same things can be harmful.

Due to my hobbies, I probably have more LBGQT friends in my circle than many people here. Out of them all, I think there’s maybe one couple— possibly two, but I think the other couple broke up years ago-- that has survived for as long as I’ve known them. (Coming on 20 years now?) I don’t know how open their relationship is; the second relationship was definitely non-exclusive. Everyone else— fidelity is not their strong point. But, as has been pointed out, fornication in heterosexual couples is similarly wrong and harmful.

You might try reading Camelli’s book, which “combines doctrinal clarity with pastoral compassion.”

 

[1neophyte]

So you’re saying that marriage only aim is procreation - everything else is irrelevant. How sad.

Actually what is really sad is the idea that love can only be expressed through sex. There is nothing wrong with a man loving another man. It is quite possible for two people to love each other without their genitals ever becoming involved in the relationship. Your contention that the sinfulness of sexual activity between members of the same gender somehow constitutes an attack on love is profoundly confused and scrambled.

 

[Goldenhope]

That is not what I am saying. I am saying that procreation (open to life) is ONE of the essential ingredients to marriage. Another poster directed you to the Catechism. You should check it out, although I suspect you’ll not be thrilled with what you read.

And, I would ask you a question - if a couple is not open to procreation, then why get married at all? There are plenty of ways to commit without being married.

While I would agree that components of Genesis are allegorical, and I wouldn’t take issue with your assertion that God has no body (well, other than Jesus), your reading of it removes words from the text. It’s there for a reason, and has meaning. It sure would be convenient if we could just omit words from the Bible whenever it suits our purposes. Heck, that would be true of the Constitution and our civil and criminal laws, too.

What did I remove, exactly?
Also, we DO omit Bible words when it suits us. It is convenient to ignore how it is ungodly to eat seafood for it is an abomination (Leviticus, 11:10-12) or dress with clothes of two different fabrics (Leviticus, 19:19), especially if it is wool and linen (Deuteronomy, 22:11).
What about St. Paul (yeah, the same St Paul people use to quote about homosexuality) and his nonchalant dismissal of slavery as something not only normal, but that should not be subverted (Ephesians 6:5 , Colossians 3:22), or his sexism (1 Corintians 14:34)? (That is, of course, without counting the equally divinely inspired verse about slavery in Exodus 21:21)

The list goes on - so please, remember we all like to ignore certain things of the Bible.

 

[Goldenhope]

Actually what is really sad is the idea that love can only be expressed through sex. There is nothing wrong with a man loving another man. It is quite possible for two people to love each other without their genitals ever becoming involved in the relationship. Your contention that the sinfulness of sexual activity between members of the same gender somehow constitutes an attack on love is profoundly confused and scrambled.

Homosexuality in itself is not sinful - its acts are. For two men (I will use from now on only “two men”; nothing againist lesbians, it’s simply shorter) to be in an homosexual relationship there must be some, no matter how small, form of lust; and lust, of course, is an action on itself.
Also, you are confusing romantic love (wich is total, of both body and spirit) and platonic love (loving only someone’s spirit).
I never said only through sex, since even two men kissing is considered “an abomination”…

 

[pensmama87]

Oh, I’m sorry, I assumed you were actually interested in an answer, not just to school us about how dumb we all are.

There is a difference between the Old Law and the New. Practicing Catholics are well aware that we don’t follow the Law of Moses. You might want to start there, if you’re interested in serious inquiry into moral teaching.

 

[Goldenhope]

Christ ,both human and Divine.We were made in His image and likeness.

No, we were not made in the image of Christ, our souls were made in the image of God. Christ is God made man - not the other way around: men were not made in the image of Christ, Christ choose to appear in the image of man.
Christ true nature is divine - and therefore does not possess a physical body: the Word made Himself Flesh - it was not flesh already, and probably stopped being flesh once He returned to Heaven.