19/12/2023
Here’s what the pope is saying: gay couples are deserving of the benevolent blessings of God, and the Catholic institution shouldn’t reject them because of their sexuality. Hence, Catholic priests should bless gay couples who desire that, without legitimizing their union.
I find this complexly misleading.My qualms with his viewpoint is how it singles out GAY people, which, in my opinion, shows his affinity for the LGBTQ community. Every sinner deserves the pronouncement of blessings from priests. Matthew 5:45 shows that God is still good to sinners, but…
The issue with LGBTQ is not just the sin of homosexuality, but the institutionalization of their views, campaigning to be accepted by the church. Thieves and prostitutes don’t institutionalize their sins, and advocate to be accepted by the church in their stark sinful identity.
It’s a show of pride to own your sin, and form an identity from what God abhors and can help you through it. It’s not just the depravity, it’s the arrogance to build communities that taunt the church for upholding biblical values about sexuality.
What I’m driving at is: why single out gay people for this blessing? Why not generalize that sinners can be blessed, including gay people and all sorts…? This is a subtle step to normalize homosexuality, because it is common knowledge that God is merciful to all sinners.
The categorization of this blessing for gay Catholics is only but virtue-signaling to the LGBTQ community. ‘Blessing’ is a broad word, but for an unbelieving Christian, the first blessing will be salvation, and for sinful Christians, it will be repentance. Our soul matters much.
It’s quite difficult to compartmentalize blessing gay couples, but disapproving their union. That would mean that God is interested in every area of gay people lives, but their sexuality. This portrays God passively in his intent for sexuality.
Of course, I am more drawn to believe that the pope sympathizes with the LGBTQ community. Remember that the Vatican had stated that it’s permissible for trans people to get baptized in the Catholic Church, and serve as godparents. Ridiculous, if you ask me!
In the church’s desire to be inclusive and sensed as less discriminatory, they are setting the tone to accept homosexuality. The strategy is to erode the depravity, commonize it until everyone hushes when gay marriage is finally endorsed in Catholicism.
It’s interesting to see how we think we can be more godly than Jesus. In our self righteousness, we assume a better standard for love than what is scripturally recorded. Jesus ate with thieves and prostitutes, but they never remained the same. We often forgot the last part.
Calling out sin is not discrimination; it’s godly reproof. And giving LGBT community platforms in the church is not inclusivity; it’s an abomination. God’s inclusiveness is only in his redemptive plan. If we aren’t offering them Jesus, it’s error to offer them anything else.
Buchi
