Christopher F. Bezzina, Lija
Christian beliefs and sexuality (1)
With reference to the article Muslims And Catholics Unite Against Gay Marriage But Disagree On Divorce (June 25), allow me to say that Imam Muhammed el Sadi's reproved argument that homosexuality is unnatural, immoral, unhealthy and fruitless is totally senseless and can lead to violence if taken seriously.
Scientific and social science research has proven that gays and lesbians are healthy human beings and very much a product of healthy families. Let us not forget that a tree is judged by the fruit that it makes.
Shall we widen this argument of Imam el Sadi and conclude that the families who have a gay son or a lesbian daughter are unhealthy and fruitless families? Is it so difficult to comprehend that gays and lesbians are a gift from our families (I would even say a gift from God) to society?
Gays and lesbians, like heterosexuals, are the same in their nature and desires to relate, to love and be loved. The religious institutions cannot control this because it goes against God himself and His creation. Yet, today we still hear of gay people being prosecuted and persecuted in Islamic countries. Does Imam el Sadi suggest we should use such measures to control and protect the "traditional" family?
The real factors that are leading to the destruction of the family should not be directed at and scapegoated on gays and lesbians. Gays and lesbians believe in traditional family models but also embrace diverse forms of families because gays and lesbians go beyond a face-value interpretation of the allegorical story of Adam and Eve.
The factors which are leading to the destruction of families are ample: poverty, violence, abuse and religious fundamentalism.
I remind Archbishop Paul Cremona that most couples that choose to get married civilly do so because the Catholic Church institution has proven through the years that it is no longer credible. Sometimes, the Catholic Church institution itself is a major social factor to the destruction of families. Let us not forget the child abuse cases by priests and religious. Let us not forget the promotion of passivity by the Church institution on women who were victims of domestic violence.
Before we can speak of families, we need to truly believe that every person has the right to love and be loved. Families are based on their members who should believe in love and respect for one another. Gays and lesbians believe in love and respect for each other and it is not surprising that gays and lesbians wish to have the right to marry because they understand this treasure of marriage more than those who have it and waste it. The Catholic Church institution needs to be reminded that, like the Christian community, they are on a journey of discovering the truth as revealed in experience and history. The Catholic Church institution does not hold the truth with regard to gays and lesbians but is on a journey of discovering it through experience. There are so many theologians who provide a bit of fresh air with regard to sexuality and homosexuality, such as Margaret A. Farley, John J. McNeil and James Alison. Such theologians teach us that we should go beyond the form but focus on the essence of relationships! The essence should be Christ, based on charity and justice!
The Catholic Church institution needs to go beyond seeing sexuality as simply an instrument of producing children. Sexuality is more than that, it is also a human desire to relate with others. The more the Catholic Church institution holds a negative interpretation of sexuality, the more its members (both heterosexual and homosexual) will end up in dangerous and destructive sexual behaviour towards themselves and others.
For the gay people who are struggling to find a balance between their Christian beliefs and their sexuality, my suggestion is to put your faith in Christ, not just the Catholic Church institution. Do not be afraid, this was the message of Pope Benedict XVI to the youth in Malta. Indeed, do not be afraid; out there are priests and people who go beyond devotion and a morality based on a lack of spirituality.
There are others who are more open-minded in embracing everyone as they really are and are promoting the well-being of everyone.
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Joe Zammit
Jul 14th 2010, 10:45
God has created humanity men and women, on purpose for marriage. He could have created us just men or just women, but we are not that. God does not create homosexuals but human beings.
After Original Sin, all people have some evil tendency. Some have the evil tendency of homosexuality but are not homosexuals for that matter. They become so if and when they start indulging in homosexuality. The can resist the temptation as well, always by God’s grace. But homosexuality remains a grave sin that separates the sinner from God and puts him or her on the path to hell.
In Genesis 19: 1 – 29 we read that people committed the grievous sin of homosexuality. God punished them severely for this sin and sent on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from heaven.
Joseph Cilia
Jul 15th 2010, 07:25
People once again we're getting lost in this argument by extremely silly religious arguments. First of all to Mr. Zammit, I would like to say, that its hillarious to quote religious texts such as the bible since it is a well known historical fact that most of its content is made up fiction hence rendering it obsolete.
Apart from this, all the moral talk about this and that being wrong because this imaginary man in the sky says so is also silly, 1. because no one has ever seen god and he's not likely to reply if any one called - making him in truth rather a fictitious / mythical being like the tooth fairy or Father Christmas
and 2. If we are to argue from a Christian THeological point of view we have to realize that God is Love - as you Christians believe. And Love does not go about condemning people as you do!
Apart from that I would like to state that before we blab openly about something, Mr. Zammit, please do yourself a favour and think or at least research because what you said is utterly stupid!
Joe Zammit
Jul 27th 2010, 11:41
Joseph, the Catholic Church has been teaching this for 2000 years. Joseph, you will soon disappear, and the Catholic Church will continue with her infallible teaching until the end of time. Her founder is God made Man, who knows everything and knows what is good for us. God's Ten Commandments are for you, for me and for all people of every age and place. If you are not following the Ten Commandments faithfully as taught to you by the one holy Catholic Church of Christ, your life, Joseph Cilia, is fiction indeed! You are just wasting your time. Time will tell!
Joe Xuereb
Jul 14th 2010, 02:35
2) Recapping. Formerly, when heterosexuals put me down I felt hurt, defenceless. Now I know better. I know that if my god-given drives are not exactly a-piece-of-cake, I also know that my attacker's drives are at least as anguished as mine, if not worse. And in case anyone's wondering, you don't think that the JoeZammits of this world get let off scot-free, do you?! He seeks comfort in cats-and-schisms but his greatest comfort is praying for sinners (having swept the floor with them) because he doesn't want to go to heaven on his lonesome.
Given that all human sexual orientations are god-given, how can homosexuality be inferior? It wouldn't be fair god who gave some (very many in fact) a disadvantageous start. Would be most unfair. So, if one truly believes in a just god who creates everything, then one has to conclude that god had a purpose for homosexual men in particular. I don't know or care what exactly. Maybe he was meaning to show that men don't have to hate/fight/kill each other (as in boxing-rings, very lucrative). Homosexual men can show the world how men can be decent towards other men. Just thinking - good enough for me.
Joe Xuereb
Jul 14th 2010, 02:07
1) Homosexuality is not, generally speaking, about breeding. However, it is so common, even among animals and plant-life, and happens in nature. Therefore it's natural. The only difference between homosexuality and heterosexuality is that heterosexuals have hijacked the pleasure aspect of their sexuality and treat sex as a sport. Just like homosexuals. Seeking pleasure is a human thing.
Considering that sexuality is not a black or white thing, one is left with the realisation that, in fact, as far as human sexuality is concerned, we are all in the same boat, struggling with our desires, hurts, disappointments. Seen from this angle - I hope I've been clear - we'll just have to handle as best we can this god-given method of relating to each other. That some (many) are homosexual/bisexual is irrelevant. In the wider scheme of things, not having children is neither here nor there. After all, many heterosexuals don't produce offspring.
In the past I used to defend homosexuality, justify it even. These days I know better. Who one beds is immaterial. What's important is seeing people, everybody, as being in the same boat, struggling to survive.
continued
J. Debono
Jul 13th 2010, 20:51
People are born homosexual, so they cannot 'change there lives' as someone said.
They are normal people, they usually are more artistic than most people, outgoing, fun to be with, and nobody has the right to say whether they can enter into a relationship, with whom, and what they do in that relationship.
The Bible and the Koran were written centuries ago, where homosexuality was not considered normal, and therefore on this subject what they say is irrelevant, as nowadays we know that 10% of the population are gay, and are accepted as part of the society.
However I'm still not convinced that they should marry, though I know that as a heterosexual person, my opinion is irrelevant.
Christopher Bezzina
Jul 13th 2010, 22:15
Your opinion is not irrelevant. The Bible and The Koran is not one book. It is made of several books written in different styles and for a particular reason. If one is going to take one interpretation of the bible it is wrong. One has to do a literal interpretation of what is written according to various factor that goes around the book. The bible alone does not stand as the only mechanism to discover God's truth.
Tommy Lee
Jul 14th 2010, 08:47
If Paedophiles say they are born the same as Homosexuals what then?
Dangerous ground is created by false assumption.
Joe Zammit
Jul 13th 2010, 16:05
Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
Homosexuals, leave your sinful life, turn to God and visit Jesus in our churches who is waiting for you! Change your life as many others have done before you and you will experience the real joy that Jesus wants to give you!
C Gatt
Jul 13th 2010, 16:32
Homosexuals called to chastity???? Give it a break Mr Zammit. You know nothing and understand less, but you quote other people by rote, people who lived not hundreds but thousands of years ago.
Have you nothing better to do? Why is it so hard to accept that most people love and love to be loved. Why should they follow your rules on the basis of nothing then a 'credo'? Have the humility to mind your own business! You're certainly not doing your church any good that's for sure!!
Joe Zammit
Jul 13th 2010, 17:12
Mr Gatt, love can come only from God and sexual love can exist only between two validly married persons, a man and a woman. In sin there is no love but lust. Between homosexuals there is grave sin, so there is no love but lust. Between homosexuals lust, coming from the devil, reigns supreme.
Homosexuals, look up to the Catholic Church because as a Mother she loves you and wants to set you free from the slavery of your lustful passions!
JOSEPH ZAMMIT
Jul 13th 2010, 17:34
Keep it up Mr.Joe Zammit.
Why not for a change try and use the God-given gift of Reasoning. You would be much better off and keep us spared of your gibberish.
Franco Rizzo
Jul 13th 2010, 17:36
Joe Zammit is called to commenting chastity.
Ivan Balzan
Jul 13th 2010, 18:07
Get a life Joe Zammit. I have read your contributions in most of these bloggs. It is people like you who turn people against the church. The human church is also made of many homosexual priests and if you beleive they have chastified then man you're living in a cocoon. All I say is mind your own business, if people want to divorce its their life not yours. If people are gay then its their right to live as they choose because you know what your God created them. I am happily married and not gay however I have many friends who are seperated and would love to have the choice of divorce if they wanted to re marry. I have also good friends who are gay , and friends with children who are gay. And I am proud to be their friend and I have no right whatsoever to judge how they live.
Christopher Bezzina
Jul 13th 2010, 22:17
Mr. Joe... been there done that.. it does not work out like that. This is what priests tell me... what Jesus tell me... You hold a twisted version of chastity.
William P Flynn
Jul 13th 2010, 12:46
For as long as the bishops are strong; gays will be weak and gay rights cannot eveolve.. For as long as bishops have Article 2, the Maltese people, gays and straights, shall not be really free.
Article 2 was a terrible theft of liberty in 1964 committed by Archbishop Gonzi and his group at the Curia and their gang the PN.
80% of living Maltese today were either not yet born or still children when this happened. Yet here we are in 2010, part of secular EU, and still governed by what clerics dictate; whether it’s gay rights , divorce, cohabitation, family law etc.
The Maltese people would never allow Article 2 to pass in 2010; not in EU Malta. We can get rid of it; it's OUR Constitution not the Catholic Church's. It's the Constitution of the Republic of Malta not the Constitution of the Catholic Church.
Obliterate ARTICLE 2.
Gerry Cowie
Jul 13th 2010, 19:39
Only those Maltese citizens and ex-pats with the right to vote may alter the constitution of Malta.
Only they can claim to speak of "our" constitution etc.
Nobody, however much they shout from the rooftops may change anything except those people!
Bill Khan
Jul 13th 2010, 23:05
Mr. flynn EU is another church with rules and regulations. The believers follow the catholic church belief and through coviction. They are not forced. In the case of the devine church of the EU you are compelled to. EU has become a compulsion. You vote against it and the ballots are held over and over again until you get it right as we have seen recently in Ireland on the ratification of the Lisbon treaty.
Its simply a joke not 'freedom'
What if in the future the EU brings out a directive to make homosexuality compulsory for all citizens, following perhaps some medical studies funded, by EU or the gays find the sight of heterosexual couples offensive.
Recently a matter was fervently discussed in Sweden that men too should urinate as do women. Something to do with Human Rights and being offended etc. If one does not like the catholic church he/she is free to leave it. But can we leave the EU church? Its shackles are now firmly placed on our ankles and it has the power to impose any directives on us. We need the catholic church to stop the EU having absolute power over us.
Joe Zammit
Jul 13th 2010, 10:38
Par. 2357 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church declares:
"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."
C Gatt
Jul 13th 2010, 15:02
par 1 of this humanists book says:
Who cares?!! Live and let live and keep your nose out of other people's business
JOSEPH ZAMMIT
Jul 13th 2010, 15:23
Int bis-serjeta jew? ...homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are CONTRARY TO THE NATURAL LAW. They close the sexual act to the gift of life".
Does this also apply to priests and nuns? They also close the sexual act to the gift of life--as you put it.
Is the Catechism of the Catholic Church the only book in your library?
Chris Reiff
Jul 13th 2010, 18:21
Placing your beliefs in a book of fiction rather than scientific books which base their facts on empirical evidence, is dangerous, and ridiculous