Kaleb, another brilliant commentary. Do you think it has relevance in Jesus' teaching from Mathew 18: 6-7 "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come!" Thoughts?
It is certainly relevant. This is the sin of scandal, which those with more influence in society, such as members of the Church hierarchy, the media, etc., are the most liable for. The Catechism (citing the verse you reference) makes it clear how grievious this sin can be: "Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil... Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized... Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others." (CCC 2284-2285)
Charity, or agape love, as a fruit of the Spirit, has to be within us before we can express it outwardly. Living and walking in the Spirit are the prerequisites (cf. Galatians 5:16-25) . This is why Paul tells us that we can give all that we have to feed the poor, but do not have agape love, it does nothing for us.
I have been reading a bit on this topic about the changing “intrinsically disordered” to “differently ordered." James Martin has been a big proponent of this, and I see he is doing a big disservice to the LGBTQ community. We must pray for the Church here, as we do not need to cave to the secular mindset at every turn, and instead guide them to a higher understanding in Christ. I think you summed it up best when you said, "This love can supposedly reduce culpability to the point that, despite the objective sin of their acts in themselves, no subjective guilt is imputed to them and in fact, their “loving” relationships should be blessed by the Church." Amen Brother
Thanks, Jonathon, you are right. I originally mentioned Martin by name in my reflection but I ultimately decided to make it more generic, since he certainly isn't the only one promoting this. Martin specifically said that "even the most traditionalist homophoic closed minded Catholic" should "reverence" homosexual relationships in an interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daXykGfvWi0. My quote you gave actually refers to the letter written to Martin by Pope Francis, where the pope said that "one must also consider the circumstances, which may decrease or eliminate fault." (https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253491/pope-francis-clarifies-comments-on-sin-and-homosexuality) One can see where this, like his footnote on communion for the divorced and remarried in Amoris Laetitia, could cause scandal. God bless.
Thank you, Chantal! It certainly isn't easy to write about. I tried to be charitable but also clear in the truth, which is itself necessary for authentic charity. God bless.
Kaleb, another brilliant commentary. Do you think it has relevance in Jesus' teaching from Mathew 18: 6-7 "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come!" Thoughts?
It is certainly relevant. This is the sin of scandal, which those with more influence in society, such as members of the Church hierarchy, the media, etc., are the most liable for. The Catechism (citing the verse you reference) makes it clear how grievious this sin can be: "Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil... Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized... Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others." (CCC 2284-2285)
Thank you for your insight Kaleb. God bless you.
Charity, or agape love, as a fruit of the Spirit, has to be within us before we can express it outwardly. Living and walking in the Spirit are the prerequisites (cf. Galatians 5:16-25) . This is why Paul tells us that we can give all that we have to feed the poor, but do not have agape love, it does nothing for us.
I have been reading a bit on this topic about the changing “intrinsically disordered” to “differently ordered." James Martin has been a big proponent of this, and I see he is doing a big disservice to the LGBTQ community. We must pray for the Church here, as we do not need to cave to the secular mindset at every turn, and instead guide them to a higher understanding in Christ. I think you summed it up best when you said, "This love can supposedly reduce culpability to the point that, despite the objective sin of their acts in themselves, no subjective guilt is imputed to them and in fact, their “loving” relationships should be blessed by the Church." Amen Brother
Thanks, Jonathon, you are right. I originally mentioned Martin by name in my reflection but I ultimately decided to make it more generic, since he certainly isn't the only one promoting this. Martin specifically said that "even the most traditionalist homophoic closed minded Catholic" should "reverence" homosexual relationships in an interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daXykGfvWi0. My quote you gave actually refers to the letter written to Martin by Pope Francis, where the pope said that "one must also consider the circumstances, which may decrease or eliminate fault." (https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253491/pope-francis-clarifies-comments-on-sin-and-homosexuality) One can see where this, like his footnote on communion for the divorced and remarried in Amoris Laetitia, could cause scandal. God bless.
Very well said! This isn’t an easy topic to write about, so thank you for writing this!
Thank you, Chantal! It certainly isn't easy to write about. I tried to be charitable but also clear in the truth, which is itself necessary for authentic charity. God bless.