www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Homosexuality and Hope

With all the discussion about pedophilia and homosexuality in TOWN HALL, I thought I would post this web site:

http://www.cathmed.org/

Here you can read a report entitled "Homosexuality and Hope"
It is a long report made by an association of Catholic Doctors.

How does such a report stand in relation to what is being debated on the other forum?


Glory to Jesus Christ!
ALity

The report at least moves beyond the blind affirmation of "two thousand years" of static Catholic understanding "and the Jews before then" thinking and joins with the welcome re-evaluation of the past thirty years.

In that, it seperates itself from the worse forms of hate.

The assertion by this group of lay Catholics that homosexual orientation can (and should be?) changed presents a challenge to the Catholic Church.

Programs and "ministries" to act on this have been shut down and banned in most dioceses and eparchies, not under pressure from any "liberal" element, but mostly from the stern objection of the Church's legal counsels who view these groups as causing more harm likely to result in legal liability by the Church (not something at the present time the Catholic Chruch wants any more of).

The CMA might offer that the principle they assert is correct, even though an effective program is yet to be developed that actually "cures" or "changes" people.

For the Church also, another canonical and theological challenge is presented by this lay group. The Catholic Church, including in extremely "orthodox" and conservative dioceses, regularly grants marriage annulments when one party comes to understand himself or herself as homosexual.

The CMA presents a challenge as to how the Church reconciles this action with the position outlined by them.

CMA, while a highly conservative organiztion that does not seek to represent Catholic medical professionals in general, nevertheless, does take a learned approach to this topic. It is also not obessive about it and certainly does not devoted 86% of its writings to homosexuality.

Axios

[ 05-20-2002: Message edited by: Axios ]

Axios,

If we can set aside the notion of a reason for a person deciding that they would no longer respect their marriage vows how do you think the Church should give relief to the aggrieved party? After all, one person now claims that they never were serious about the marriage in the first place.

My own opinion is that when a person makes a vow that person should keep it and nothing else should ever bring them to the point that they would choose to break the vow. NOTHING! While it's difficult for me to understand why anyone does anything to break his/her vow of marriage I see that the Church is in a real bind.

If marriage is a sacrament how should the Church help the aggrieved party to find relief?

Dan Lauffer

Carson,

Actually, while my Orthodox faith allows a more permissive practice, I actually agree with the Catholic prohibition of divorce. I guess you and I are reversing roles here.

Axios

Axios,

That is encouraging. I do not believe in divorce either. But what is a person to do if one party walks out? Do you think that the Church should offer some way to give comfort to the party who was abandoned, e.g., through annulment?

This is not a baiting question. I'm interested in your ideas.

Dan Lauffer