Pope "Who am I to Judge?" on homosexual sin
Returning from a visit to Armenia, Francis also visibly winced, momentarily overcome with emotion, when a journalist, Cindy Wooden, mentioned the recent attack at an Orlando gay nightclub and noted that Christians are sometimes blamed for stigmatizing homosexuals. Yet Orlando is now seen as 'Gay on Gay' violence, and nothing to do with the church.
Although this is an intentional LGBT blame strategy because the Bible clearly states that all forms of homosexuality, behaviour, orientation, lust and desire are sinful. We could infer it is a disordered life. But all people are welcome to attend church, repent of their sins, sin no more and turn to Christ. Should we accept and celebrate adultery, murder, slander? No.
Francis did not directly address the Orlando killings. But he endorsed a comment of one of his top advisers who, soon after the Orlando attack, said that the church had marginalized gay people and should apologize.
The pope said the church “must” not only apologize to a gay person it offended, “but we must apologize to the poor, to women who have been exploited, to children forced into labor.”
Francis did not directly address the Orlando killings. But he endorsed a comment of one of his top advisers who, soon after the Orlando attack, said that the church had marginalized gay people and should apologize.
The pope said the church “must” not only apologize to a gay person it offended, “but we must apologize to the poor, to women who have been exploited, to children forced into labor.”
The LGBT movement tends to use "I'm offended" as an instrument of shaming. Homosexual use it frequently and cause cowering among non-homosexual communities and businesses in fear being called bigots, fear of litigation, fines, re-orientation courses and jail.
The threats of offending are used politically.
Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, a leading organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics, said the pope’s remarks represented a powerful statement, if not enough.
“For a pope to acknowledge that the church has done so much damage to gay people, and that we deserve an apology, is an unprecedented act of humility,” she said in a telephone interview. “But a statement of remorse is only as good as the change in behavior that follows.”
Burke wants to change what God says about homosexuality. He wants these passages from scripture removed, and all clergy to change their doctrine for this one particular group. Forget those who murder, slander, perform adultery, the evil, depraved and greedy - they should not be removed or revised from Romans 1 only homosexuality.
THE STUMBLE - WHO AM I TO JUDGE?
Francis’s outreach toward gays has been part of his broader effort to welcome people who have felt marginalized by the church. He made global headlines early in his papacy when he signaled a new openness toward gays when he famously uttered, “Who am I to judge?”
DID THE POPE MAKE A BIBLICAL MISTAKE?
The call not to judge has made its way deeply into popular imagination: ‘Who am I to judge?’ Unfortunately the applications people often make (giving personal space to others; modesty about one’s own capacity to discern what is right; the desire not to be faced with responsibility for decisions in complex or disputed matters) probably have little to do with the intention of either Jesus or the Gospel writers.
In a postmodern context there can be a siren call to a radical pluralism. As popularly understood, the principle is soon set aside when the wrong done by the other person touches a place of deep personal investment
Yet we are told to judge justly and rightly.
- “Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.” (John 7:24)
- “Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” [Jesus] said to him, “You have judged rightly.”” (Luke 7:43)
- “The spiritual person, however, can judge everything but is not subject to judgment by anyone.” (1 Cor 2:15)
- “Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world? If the world is to be judged by you, are you unqualified for the lowest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? Then why not everyday matters?” (1 Cor 6:2-3)
The call: ‘Who am I to judge?’ is not biblical in the sense that a spiritual leader is required to judge justly. If this vague comments remains the Pope is then subject to the following encouragement:
Ryan Hoffman, co-executive director of Call to Action, a Catholic group, praised Francis’ remarks but also called on Catholic officials to “reform teachings and practices that refer to gay people as ‘objectively disordered’ and ‘intrinsically evil.’ ”
