DEUS CARITAS EST

Saturday, 17 March 2012

New blog

Please note that I'm now blogging at: http://frjeromeosjv.wordpress.com if you were kind enough to link to me here, please link to me there! Similarly if you "followed" me here, please follow me there where it would be nice to get some discussion going!

Wednesday, 5 October 2011

Gay Gospels - False Hope

"The Gay Gospels" - false hope: a local chap has written a book, "The Gay Gospels" in which he polemically twists and misrepresents Scripture in order to justify not just homosexual orientation but promsicuity as well. Though he neatly sidesteps or refrains from actually stating the latter is his intention, nonetheless, the arena and way in which he has chosen to present his book in the public media is the obvious conclusion to be infered. Frankly, until groups like "Lesbian Gay Christian Movement" and "Changing Attitude" present an alternative homosexual lifestyle more consonant with Scripture and Tradition, they are unlikely to fully receive the support of the secularist and atheistic lobby they court, let alone that of wider or orthodox Christianity.

What one doesn't find on the blogs, websites or in the books of these Christian LGBT campaigns, is the promotion or advocacy of monogamous LGBT relationships. While they claim to be "radical" and indeed, assert that Christ was "radical" they actually have missed the point in why He was "radical". Christianity is "counter-cultural" its not about conforming the Church to the world but the world to the Church. Certainly there is some justification for pointing out the lack of charity expressed by the Church towards LGTB folk, there's no denying that and there is certainly a need for the Church to express itself more charitably; I am tired of the old polemic from so-called "Christians" denouncing a fully consensual and committed love between two people who are also seeking to know and to love God and their neighbour in exactly the same way their heterosexual counterparts are. At the same time however, these Christian LGBT campaigns need to provide alternative evidence to that predominant in LGBT culture; open any LGBT magazine or news journal and there are adverts for phone sex, chat lines, "escorts", sexually posed and provocative photos etc. They also need to demonstrate a verve for the Gospel that is evangelistic - its not all about "acceptance" and the change it requires is as demanding of their audience as it is the Church.

What these Christian LGBT campaigns don't do is challenge the very constituency they claim to represent. They don't promote fidelity and monogamy or provide workshops or courses for building stable relationships, or even relationship counselling, they don't campaign against promiscuity by advocating abstinence or chastity and they don't, clearly, seek to evangelise within the LGBT community challenging people to convert and transform their lives. It would be far more challenging for the Church to be presented with a group of undeniably committed Christians living chaste and faithful lives than the allies of those who reject God, His Church and the Gospel of true Love.

So "The Gay Gospels" false hope? Well yes, because without conversion of life there is no point in becoming a Christian. Quite simply, trying to alter the Word of God is not the way to go about getting souls into heaven... especially if you're not actively seeking to do so!