The Presentation of Question 27 Chapter 11 : 3/3

How does In God's Love 
written by Janet Hurlow
relate to 
the Catholic Faith ?

  Chapter 11  We Live to Love Others (continued) 3/3 

            Part 1 We are to Love Our Neighbor  (continued)
                      Section 8 We are to Avoid Sexual Sin

508         The sixth commandment states, “You shall not commit adultery. <112>”(76)   The tradition of the Church has understood the sixth commandment as encompassing the whole of human sexuality.(77)   Offenses against Chastity are lust, masturbation, fornication, pornography, prostitution, and rape and are discussed in the Catechism in paragraphs 2351-2356.  Offenses against marriage are adultery, divorce, polygamy incest, child abuse, and trial marriages are discussed in the Catechism in paragraphs 2380-2391. 

509           In regards to fornication, the Catechism states, “It is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality which is naturally ordered to the good of spouses and the generation and education of children.”(78)   In regards to fornication the messengers simply state, “Remain virgins until you take a righteous husband.”(79)   The Church and the messengers see fornication as wrong.

510           In regard to love and lust, as mentioned earlier, the Church’s Scripture asserts that God is love and that love never fails.  It never states that God is lust.  Lust and love are different.  The Catechism states, “Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.”(80)   The messengers have an interesting caveat regarding passion, lust and love: “God is love. He is compassionate and kind.  Heaven is a place of love.  All love is made in Heaven.  God is the author of love, so true love comes from God.  There is a thing on Earth that imitates true love.  All love comes from God.  Sometimes lust and passion, that are forces for reproduction, pretend to be love.  Love never dies.”(81)

511           While the Catechism has little more to say on the topic of lust and passion, I agree with the messengers.  I think many people confuse lust and passion with love because it imitates or pretends to be true love and people are so desperate to be loved.  The questions the messengers would ask the confused lovers and teenagers of the world are “does it die?” Does it “flame up and go away?”  If it does, then the forces for reproduction are naturally at work in you and your friend, but this is not love.  How many good Christian parents have given this advice in their own language to their own teen-age children as they confuse their first heart throb, their first kiss, and their first crush with true love?  Do the selfless acts and friendship last, grow, and endure trials or does it flame up and die with passion as its primary focus or reoccurring fuel for a dying flame.  The messengers give good advice on distinguishing love that comes from God and lust and passion that are forces of nature of reproduction which are sometimes confused with love.  I do not see how their advice would contradict the Church.

512           The Catechism states, “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, <140> tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’<141>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.”(82)

513           In God’s Love only has one passage that takes up the issue of homosexuality, but it is powerful and the “sins of Sodom” are the focus of the whole large passage.  It speaks to the intrinsic disorder of homosexuality: “Sodom is a sad situation invented by Satan as an outward insult to God and His Creation.  In the beginning, God made man, and He made woman.  And in the man, He put man’s nature.  And in the woman, He put the nature of a female.  So was it done.  So shall it be.  God is pleased in His Creation, and it shall not be changed.  O foolish generation, what have you in mind?”(83)   The messengers, like the Church, disapprove of homosexual actions.

514           It is important to note that while the Catechism points out the “disorder” and “disapproval” of the homosexual act, it says that the people must be treated with “respect, compassion and sensitivity,”(84)  while reiterating the call to chastity.(85)   The passage in In God’s Love, on homosexuality also calls all people to chastity: “Wise are you who are clean of heart.”(86)   The passage warns people: “Do not be brought into its race.  Do not take part in such rising up on Earth.  Rise above such animals.  Righteous saints, pass up such promises in your song.  In this, keep no company.  Take no part in the sins of Sodom.”(87)  At first glance, this might seem contradictory to the compassionate, respectful position of the Church, but the point is for us not to take part in the “sins of Sodom.”  Taking part in the “sins of Sodom” is what makes us a part of “its race” of “animals”.  However, a chaste homosexual is not taking part in the “sins of Sodom”, and therefore, is not part of “its race” of “animals”, but rather is “wise.”

515           This sin, like all sin, is an insult to God who loves us so much.  Why is this sin so offensive to God? As mentioned earlier, the messengers say it is an “outward insult to God and His Creation”.  They also say it “insults God’s very nature.”(88)   The passage mentions God acting upon this group like he did in Sodom: “Soon, very soon, this sin shall see an end.  All who practice such acts are seen taking this inspirational message with an unquenching fire that shall burn the spirit both day and night,  O God, in all your wrath.  In this state, God will very swiftly strike this unruly group on Earth in such a time.  In this swift cleansing, Sodom was a small sign of wrath compared with what is to come.  Small, tiny Sodom, God came on that day so swiftly.  So swiftly He comes.”(89)

516           Like the descriptions of hell, none of us like to read about painful things happening to people, partially because we, like God, love people and we do not like to see people suffer.  We also humbly know that we, ourselves, may be tempted with this particular sin that is being addressed, or if not this sin, some other temptation of Satan (like pride, riches…) that is a constant struggle for us.  But, for the grace of God go I.

517           It is not the concern of the doctrine of the Church to predict when or how things will happen in the future.  The purpose of mentioning the quotation of homosexuality cleansing here is twofold: first, because it is there, and second, to present the authority of God which is a theological statement.  God has the authority, right and ability to punish people who sin and insult His nature by their sinning.  He has the ability and freedom to choose to cleanse the Earth and cleanse people of a sin which mocks the beautiful way that He created us, whenever He pleases.  Indeed we have already mentioned the totally cleansed Earth in the proclamation of a New Heaven and a New Earth,(90)  the cleansing process of purgatory,(91)  and the total freedom of God to do what He wants when He wants.(92)   According to Scripture, and this passage, God cleansed Sodom.  We should also remember that God is always a forgiving God, ready to forgive the worst of sinners who repent.(93)  

518           Another concern we might have with the passage is that it identifies the origin of homosexuality, “Sodom is a sad situation invented by Satan,” whereas the Catechism states, “Its psychological genesis (homosexual orientation) remains largely unexplained.”  This seems to contradict the Catechism, but while the Catechism simply states that  it does not know the “psychological genesis,” it also states that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.”  Who else could and would intrinsically disorder something, but Satan.  God would not disorder something, make something chaotic against its own nature.  Although we have the ability to create a lot of chaos, we do not have the ability to do it intrinsically.  All of the Capital sins are Satan’s tools.  Since the beginning of our history of sin and holiness with God, Satan has been present at the genesis of our sin.  So, stating that the origin of people sinning by performing homosexual acts is Satan, is similar (though not identical (94)) to stating that the origin of people sinning by performing heterosexual acts of adultery is Satan.  In the latter sin, Satan is using the tools of greed, selfishness, pride and who knows what else to tempt us from being faithful to our spouse whom God has joined us together with. 

519           It is certainly one of the more painful topics of our day, and a painful passage to read.  We are called to listen to all the passages of the Bible, the blessings and the woes.  We are called to hear all of the truths of the Church, the painful and the sweet.  This passage on homosexuality affirms the holiness of chastity, the intrinsic disorder of the homosexual acts, the authority of God over His creation, God’s ability to cleanse, the displeasure of God with the sin of homosexual acts, the goodness of the way God created us male and female and the goodness of the image and likeness of our Creator.  This passage proclaims that God will at some point get rid of the insults to His image.  The Church agrees that God has the ability and authority to do such things, and according to scriptures of the Church, God has done this once before in Sodom.  This passage affirms the Church’s stance on homosexuality and affirms the Church’s approach to the homosexual person and the sin of homosexual acts.  This passage also affirms the Church’s approach to the authority and beauty of God, our holiness, the beauty of our own creation as male and female, and the truth that we are created in the image and likeness of God.
 
                      Section 9  We are to be Good Parents to our Children

520           We are to be good parents to our children.  The topic of parenting and family life was discussed in Chapter 8.

                      Section 10 We are to Love Ourselves.

521           “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  You shall love yourself is a part of this commandment.  The topic of loving oneself will be discussed in Chapter 12.

           Part 2 We are to Love the Earth

522           We are to love God’s creation.  The Catechism tells us to have “respect for the integrity of creation.”(95)  It states that “Animals are God’s creatures … (we) owe them kindness.”(96)   Many times, when the messengers discuss who are “blessed” on the Earth, they write about people who are loving God or their neighbor, yet they also state, “Who are the blessed of the Earth?...They are taking care of the place God has given them to live.  They are being merciful to all of God’s creation.”(97)   As Jesus combined love of God and neighbor, the messengers add God’s creation to the mix: “Do the best you can to love God and all people and all God’s creation.”(98)   So, we need to “strive to be kind to all things in God’s Creation.”(99)   We are to remember that not only do all human beings have a right to life, but all things on the Earth have that right as well.  The messengers write, “Each thing on the Earth has the right to life.”(100)  

           Part 3 Summary

523           As in the previous chapters, a vast number of the theological and moral statements are the same as the Catholic Church and even expressed in the same manner.  We are to love.  Love is real, for it comes from God and endures.  We are to live a blessed life being loving, caring, gentle and kind to people, especially to the poor.  We will be judged on how much we love.  Love is the opposite of hate, and is not rude.  Kindness is noticed by God.  We are to pray for the conversion of hearts.  We are to help, bless and pray for the needy, for they are Jesus in our midst.  We are to become poor and needy like Jesus.  We are to respect people’s faith, bless all people in God’s name and forgive everyone.  We are to be an example for others.  We are also to be kind to animals.

524           We are to respect life and our sexuality.  We should not kill, commit suicide or have an abortion.  Those who commit suicide could end up in hell.  Those who have an abortion really kill their own spirit in the process.  God is intimately involved in our creation, and it is wrong to use contraceptives or sterilization.  Fornication and homosexual acts are wrong.  God has the authority and ability to punish and cleanse as He sees fit, and God did cleanse Sodom.

525           One could perhaps argue that some of the above could go in this next list or vice versa.  The following are theological and moral statements that agree with the Tradition of the Catholic Church, but things are expressed differently, or perhaps taken a little further than we have traveled with our doctrine.  We are to love all of God’s creation.  Kindness casts out rudeness.  Two ways to bless are to bless in God’s love  and to bless in union with the Holy Spirit.  God saves the answers to our prayers until we most need them, and for some that is the hour of death.  Lust and passion are forces for creation.

526           One could argue that some of the above paragraph could go into this list and vice versa.  These are theological and moral statements that stress a different emphasis of our tradition, or expand the horizon of our doctrine while walking on the same paths of truth of our doctrine.    There are three thoughts.  First, the messengers call children who are aborted “Sirts”.  Just because the messengers give aborted children a different name, does not mean it is contradictory to our faith.  I like Sirts much better than a fetus.  Second, the sins of Sodom were invented by Satan as an insult to God, God’s nature, and God’s creation.  The Church says that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and we know that Satan is the master of chaos.  In God’s Love is not saying that homosexuals are worse people because their sin homosexual acts are rooted in Satan and others or not, for Satan is at the genesis of all of our decisions to sin.  The Church does not bother to try to discern why Satan does what he does.  The Church has stood for the truth when it comes to the issues of Abortion, Conception, Sterilization, Fornication, acts of homosexuality and helping the poor.  For some people this makes the Church unpopular.  Some thoughts presented by In God’s Love will also be unpopular.   

527           Finally a limited reading of the passage on suicide could lead us to hold that all people who commit suicide end up in hell.  This would be in conflict with the faith.  However, when we read all of the passages of In God’s Love as they deal with death, prayer and the understanding and mercy of God, it becomes clear that the sense of that phrase in question should probably be could end up in hell, and that would not be in conflict with the Church’s teaching.  I do not believe that there is anything in the chapter that is against what is taught by the Church as part of our dogma of faith. 

  The next section in Part Two Chapter 12 We Live a Life of Wisdom or Foolishness  1/3