By MirosЕ‚aw Rucki,
Love One Another! 8/2007 → True Love Waits - Pure Hearts
Pride parades are now almost as commonplace in Poland as anywhere else. While arousing considerable controversy and opposition, they are seen in some circles as proof of our democracy’s success. As the term “pride parade” suggests (in Poland we call them “equality parades”), the participants are those who see themselves as an underprivileged minority, who nevertheless feel they have something to be proud about and want to tell the world about it. Their cause is homosexualism.
Why do I have a problem with this? Because here we have people going out into the streets to demonstrate their equality (something which the existing laws of the land already adequately guarantee), when what they are really seeking is the sanction and normalization of freely chosen behaviors, which no sane society can accept as healthy or normative or contributive to the collective good. Imagine people with chronic depression taking to the streets, proudly flaunting their gloomy, lethargic faces to the public with a view to “normalizing” lethargy and gloom. I would have no problem if that same group of people were to parade through the streets drawing attention to the lack of adequate counseling facilities. Counseling facilities are, after all, conducive to the common good.
There is no question that people with homosexual tendencies carry a heavy burden. But suffering is a fact of life. Every human being carries a cross of greater or lesser weight and no amount of agitating for “equality” is ever going to change that fact. A tolerant society such as ours can and does “put up with” (i.e. tolerate, in the pristine sense of the word) the fact that people have weaknesses and sometimes act on these weaknesses.
In Love One Another Magazine we tackle many difficult issues and speak out against many sinful behaviors (e.g. adultery, masturbation, contraception), but sadly it is only the gay activists who send us abusive letters and threaten us with prosecution and lawsuits. So if they have a weakness, and feel they must flaunt it, can we not, in all sincerity, help them out in some way? I think we can. I propose that we join their parades with banners saying, “We love gays, but hate homosexual behavior!” But since the old notion of “loving the sinner and hating the sin” is no longer understood, I will explain.
Even though they are aware of God’s decree that those who
engage in homosexual behaviors risk death (and not just physical
death), too many misguided souls not only engage in these behaviors
but approve those who engage in them (Romans
1:32). We must state the case clearly. Homosexual behavior is a
sin, which is displeasing to God. The thing is obvious. God created
a perfect human body, in which every organ, every cell has its place
and function. Eyes for seeing, ears for hearing, the anus for discharging
waste, and sexual organs for marital relations and the transmission
of life. Can the “mirage” of those who seek pleasure
in unnatural sex, be pleasing God? I am afraid not, for He calls
such behaviors an abomination, and condemns to death those who practice
them, despite the Covenant He established with them (Leviticus
18:22 and 20:23).
Does this entitle us to act on God’s verdict? Of course not.
Scripture tells us that by His own death, Christ bore the punishment
for all of humanity’s sins. Every immoral deed committed by
the human race was condemned in the act of Christ’s death,
and by His blood we have received forgiveness and been freed from
sin. Clearly we are talking about EVERY sin, including adultery,
murder, and homosexual practice. Do we have the right to condemn
those whom God forgives? By no means! We may not humiliate, discriminate
against, or ridicule anyone. By the same token, we may not pretend
that Christ’s death “sanctifies” homosexual practice.
According to Scripture, everyone who sees others engaging in sinful
behavior and fails to admonish them, bears responsibility for the
sin (seeEzra
33:8).
For this reason, it is absolutely necessary to distinguish between our attitude to homosexual conduct and our dealings with homosexuals as fellow human beings with intrinsic worth and dignity. Every person has the right to be treated with love, respect, and dignity, but sin always deserves to be condemned and rejected. God welcomes all sinners who face up to their sin and weakness, and turn to Him in the Sacrament of Penance. But God laments the fate of those who stubbornly remain in sin, without regard for their chances of salvation through faith in the saving power of the Blood of Christ.
Rather than get involved in the question of the nature and the causes of homosexuality, I will make my point by using myself as an example. I am a regular heterosexual guy, who is sometimes aroused by the sight of immodestly dressed women. I find it easy to make friends, and sometimes meet with occasions for a casual sexual relationship. Every time I have a choice. I may choose to give in to the temptation or I may chose not to. Of course, I can justify giving in to the temptation in any number of ways (e.g. I can tell myself that everyone is doing it, that it is “normal,” that sexual activity is not evil, that this is a case of true love, and that since God is love, He will have nothing against it) — all of which does not change the fact that adultery is a sin, which God cannot accept. But I prefer categorically to reject the very thought of committing a sin, to avoid every occasion of sin, and to avoid even lewd talk, since I have already had occasion to experience God’s forgiving grace, and I would not wish to offend Christ, who had to suffer so cruelly on account of my sins.
I will never believe that the homosexual urge is stronger than the heterosexual urge. I will never believe that the temptation to homosexual behavior cannot be resisted. I will never believe that the homosexual is unable to forgo homosexual activity and lead a normal life, while avoiding every occasion of sin. And since this is possible in the case of every sexually-related sin, it is surely possible in the case of homosexual urges.
I am not saying it is easy, but to free oneself from sin always requires great effort. To achieve full harmony with a loving and forgiving God is worth every bit of effort. This way no one will have any need of noisy equality parades, or have to agitate against perceived discrimination, or launch legal actions against those who publicly disapprove of homosexual conduct.
Miroslaw Rucki
The article was published with the permission from "Love One Another!"
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