So glad I missed most of the Lutheran theology; I read back a few pages, and was sorry. Lutherans
hate us. I know we're supposed to love everybody, but I find it very hard when I spend a day caring for my forebear's graves (and others' graves which were damaged by a recent storm) knowing when they were buried, they were
spat upon as idol-worshipers and the like by these very people. For which I forgive these particular Prots, but do not care to listen to their errant theology.
SSA is a disorder, but so are so many other things. What about cleptomaniacs? Anorexics? Babies born drug addicts? God didn't
make us like this originally; we were corrupted by Original Sin, but have the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Church to help us attain SALVATION, as per
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congre...ns_en.html
CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH Wrote:12. ...What, then, are homosexual persons to do who seek to follow the Lord? Fundamentally, they are called to enact the will of God in their life by joining whatever sufferings and difficulties they experience in virtue of their condition to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross. That Cross, for the believer, is a fruitful sacrifice since from that death come life and redemption. While any call to carry the cross or to understand a Christian's suffering in this way will predictably be met with bitter ridicule by some, it should be remembered that this is the way to eternal life for all who follow Christ.
It is, in effect, none other than the teaching of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians when he says that the Spirit produces in the lives of the faithful "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control" (5:22) and further (v. 24), "You cannot belong to Christ unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires."
16. ...The human person, made in the image and likeness of God, can hardly be adequately described by a reductionist reference to his or her sexual orientation. Every one living on the face of the earth has personal problems and difficulties, but challenges to growth, strengths, talents and gifts as well. Today, the Church provides a badly needed context for the care of the human person when she refuses to consider the person as a "heterosexual" or a "homosexual" and insists that every person has a fundamental Identity: the creature of God, and by grace, his child and heir to eternal life.
This '86 CDF letter to Bishops is actually pretty edifying for
everyone, though it's titled "..Pastoral Care of Homosexuals". A careful reading suggests that the pastoral care for SSA sufferers (
the reason for the letter!) is not because it's a new issue (not at all!), but due to our current cultures, and (for Catholics) particularly due to infiltrators with an agenda against the Church! It does refer to "homosexual advocacy groups" in the Church and how those should be avoided or stamped out, but it also suggests what a useful group (pastoral care) would be like.
I'd assume that the Church should (and some do) provide such pastoral care for many disorders (not enough imo :grin: ), such as adulters, gamblers, alcoholics, habitual criminals, and allows for these groups
as the priest requests and as the Bishop allows. I think
mikemac's issue is with the Gay Pride groups that this letter to Bishops certainly disapproves of ("gay camps" where temptation is not only there, but encouraged, by heretics within the Church). —But the letter also allows for [priest-led] groups that might truly help, at the Bishops' discretion. There are obviously problems, but the Letter puts the problems in the Bishops' laps, and if we know of problems (eg, orgies in the Nave, or even Catholic meetings outside the parish which lead to known sexual encounters),
we have to report them. (I couldn't report my gay BFF's "gay camp" because he's too humiliated to go through with it, and I'm not a direct witness. But if I had a penis you can bet I'd bust that camp UP!
The Church is saying those with SSA need and most especially require our charity, but those who cross the line and form an anti-Church "group", protesting so they can have "freedoms", are forbidden. (That's all in the letter!) And if you go back a bit, I'm sure you could press (hard) for excommunication, which I believe is necessary (though priests don't like to do it).
While I'm suddenly nervous about losing Pope BXVI (well, with having what seems like
two Popes :( ) I do believe the Church (even Vatican II, or especially V2!) gives all Catholics the tools to help our fellow Catholics; to be the Church Militant. We
have to get a little more proactive (and no, not a witch hunt! But being aware of what's happening in our diocese, or at least parish) to make the rules the Church has in place
work effectively. No Church-sponsored gay orgies, but the AA-type SSA program doesn't sound that bad, either, if one feels inclined to go.