OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

"As often as you do these things to the least of my brothers, you do them to me"

The Church is a dynamic institution under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and this should mean that the Church cannot err. The Church, while perfect, is made up of men and women all of whom have the potential to err. The Holy Spirit is truly our guide, but does not shout to us. It quietly whispers to us, giving us the opportunity to live the words given to us by our Savior. It doesn’t push us into truth, but rather gently tugs at our elbow, to point us in the right direction. Yes, the Holy Spirit is our guide, but in our need to be righteous, we are too loud to hear the whisper. We are too taken up by our own need, so that we cannot feel the gentle tug at our elbow. So we walk in error believing we are doing God’s will; hearing the word of God, but it falls on ears that cannot hear for all the noise of our involvement in ourselves.

I say all this in the full knowledge that there are those who will say: "If the shoe fits, wear it". As I point the finger at their narrowness, they take these same words and point them back at me. I say to them: "On the last day, we will stand before the Judge of All Creation. I am willing to "let God be my judge" and let God "judge between us".

The Bible is an interesting book. It can be the source of great inspiration and hope; or the source of the dark side of human understanding. I reflect on the story of Noah’s son who "saw his Father’s nakedness" and was condemned to be the servant of the others. It is this story that condemned the dark skinned peoples to a place of inferiority, and along with comments from St. Paul in the new testament, gave justification for the enslavement of west Africa.

Today we know that slavery is wrong and cannot be abided, yet the Bible approves of it...... are we then, going against the truth of the Bible; or are we understanding that there are sections of the Bible that are bound to another time and place?

We believe that Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Throughout the Gospels, he shows how Mosaic Law was to be replaced with a new law of love and compassion. And while we do not observe Mosaic law, we somehow continue to believe that certain laws from Leviticus and Deuteronomy still apply today. It seems that those laws regarding sexual actions are eternally true, while not eating shellfish or pork is no longer necessary for the salvation of humanity. I find it strange that we can pick and choose which Mosaic Laws to retain and those to toss out.

Unlike the writers of the New Testament, we know today that Leprosy is not a curse from God. It is an infection that is curable with the use of sulfa drugs. We know today, that the epileptic child so sadly described in the New Testament is not possessed by an evil spirit, but rather the victim of a faulty cranial electrical system; something manageable with modern medication. We know these things, because over time, God has revealed these truths to us. All the words in the Bible are not eternal truths. God continues to reveal truths to us as time goes on.

Today we are learning many things about human sexuality. Could it be that the prohibitions against homosexuality is akin to the condemnation of lepers? Could it be that "Gay" is not "intrinsically evil? Could God have created us in many different sexualities? We know genetics that dictate so much of who we are, also dictates our basic sexual orientation. Is it possible that those same genetics decides who is heterosexual and who is homosexual? Could a loving and compassionate God say that the love a man expresses for another man; or a woman for another woman is evil, ugly and perverse?.........no. According to the Old Testament these are not simply dark descriptions, but they are “abominations”.

It is interesting to note, that all the references to Sodom and Gomorrah in other places in the Bible, say nothing of immorality, or sexual depravity, but rather that they are condemned for their lack of "Hospitality". Is there a cultural bias here?

When it comes to Jesus, what does he condemn in the area of human sexuality? He condemns Lust and Adultery. However, the greatest sin that Jesus condemned is hypocrisy.

In Second Corinthians, Paul tell us that the greatest of all the Divine Gifts is love. If this is so, than how can love be an abomination? In his letter to the Romans, Paul discusses how some of the men and women have "given themselves over to unnatural passions of men for men and women for women." I am not surprised; when one reads of the sexual excesses some areas of Roman society was driven toward. Could this have been a case of heterosexual men and women participating in homosexual acts? Since this was often the case, I am not surprised at Paul’s tirade. There was no love in these acts. It was a carnal coupling, solely for physical pleasure. It was pure Lust. Is Lust a sin? Indeed it is. If Paul could have seen or conceived of such acts as acts of love and devotion, would he still have condemned them? Sexual acts which are done without love, or forced, abusive or manipulative are wrong and need to be seen as such, whether heterosexual or homosexual. Are we to read St. Paul literally, or interpretively?

St. John Chrysostom rails against the homosexuals of his time. Who were these people? Were they like the people St. Paul condemns? It is interesting to note that St. John also condemns Jews and rails against them with the same vigor that he condemns homosexuals. If St. John is 100% right, then we must rid ourselves of all associations with Jews. How many of us have Jewish Doctors, Dentists, and Lawyers?

There are many canons of the Church that we no longer observe. We don’t observe them, because they are bound to a particular time and place. I know of no Bishops who ride "white asses" to their respective cathedrals. I know of no one that refrains from celebrating their birthday or name’s day even though it falls within the Great Fast. Non-dogmatic Canons, are not hard and fast rules.

The Church teaches that marriage is for the creation of Children, and that homosexuals are "unnatural" because the sexual actions will produce not children. Indeed, heterosexual couples engage in these same acts, do not stand condemned. If sexuality is meant solely for procreation, then all those who cannot procreate should not be allowed to marry within the Church. Thus a male who, because of cancer has had his testicles removed, should not be allowed to marry. A women who is born without a functioning uterus, should not be allowed to marry. When women get beyond child bearing years, they should leave her husbands and join a monastery, or the couple should cease all sexual activity, and live a chaste life. I have heard monks preach that couples who are beyond child bearing years, ought separate and go to separate monasteries. Maybe the Monastic’s view of human life is not 100% correct?

We believe in the parable of the Last Judgment, and work toward doing those things which Christ commanded us to accomplish. We strive to be among the Sheep on His right hand, acting in a loving caring manner toward our neighbor. We diligently move away from judgment of our neighbor, and toward love and compassion. We hold that sexual activity is something best discussed between a person and their spiritual father or mother. It is not a topic of general conversation, nor is it important as an issue within our community. When we see love, we acknowledge it as such. Nothing more, nothing less. We welcome all to come and be their whole selves.

We are not a community focusing on sexuality, but a loving Family in Christ. We are not a Gay Church, or a Straight Church. We are a Church who seeks the Love of Christ. We all stand condemned before God, because were are of a fallen nature. We do not "promote" anything but the Love of Jesus. Do we say that homosexuality is, in and of itself is a sin? No we do not. Do we say that some actions may be sinful? Yes. Any Gift of God that is lowered to the level of degradation, and done without love is a sin. Those actions are brought to God in the Mystery of Repentance. With the love and guidance of a confessor, the sinfulness or lack there of, is decided. It is not for one person to judge another. Judgment belongs to God.

It is our bound duty to love all that walk into our doors. Christ has taught us to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick and imprisoned......to do no less than to love our neighbor as ourselves. We stand among the sheep and reject the Pharisaic Goats. We stand within the embracing love of God.

Let all who thirst for the saving waters of the Love of Christ; come to the well and drink deep.