2015-07-06    Fr Jerry Novotny, OMI  (Japan)       Fr. Jerry's Blog: Fighting For the Culture Of Life

Dear Friends for Life,

The slippery slope continues to chip away at traditional values, principles and religious freedom. The latest issue centers on same-sex marriage. Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote. That's right. A Catholic nation defied the teachings of the Catholic Church with over 60% of Catholic voters voting in favor. Shortly after, the supreme court in the United States voted 5-4 to legalize same-sex marriage. Yet in this democratic country, the people had no voice, no vote. The decision was imposed on the American society by 5 judges, not elected by the people, rather appointed by politicians. And adding coals to the fire, the job of the Supreme Court is to interpret laws, not create them.

The Catholic Church position on this matter has been consistent over the years and has not changed today in spite of attacks by those who disagree. Marriage is based on the truth that men and women are complementary, the biological factor shows that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and studies confirm that children need a mother and a father. Redefining marriage simply rejects these truths.

In the New Testament, Jesus makes God's plan for marriage crystal clear -- a plan that absolutely excludes homosexuality: "Have you not read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife [not to his "husband"]" (Matt. 19:4-5)?

Marriage is an institution created by God as a union between one man and one woman. For five judges to legalize this union between people of the same sex would be like a rancher trying to start a herd with two bulls. No normal bull would be sexually interested in another bull. Anyone with common sense knows that homosexuality is unnatural.

Homosexuality is treated in Roman Catholic Church teaching under two forms: homosexual orientation is considered an "objective disorder" because Catholicism views it as being "ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil", but not sinful unless acted upon. Homosexual sexual activity, by contrast, is viewed as a "moral disorder" and "homosexual acts" as "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." The Church also holds that same-sex unions are an unfavorable environment for children and that the legalization of such unions is harmful to society. (Wikipedia)

In 1975, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the document Persona Humana dealing with sexual ethics. It stated that acceptance of homosexual activity was against the church's teaching and morality. It criticized those who argued that innate homosexuality justified same-sex sexual activity within loving relationships and stated that the Bible condemned homosexual activity as depraved, "intrinsically disordered", never to be approved, and a consequence of rejecting God.

When the Dutch Parliament voted to recognize same-sex unions as marriages in 2000, Pope John Paul II denounced the decision. Calling marriage between a man and a woman a fundamental part of human reality and the basic unit of society, the pope said, "No other form of relationship between persons can be considered as an equivalent to this natural relationship between a man and a woman out of whose love children are born."

Bishops of Colorado responded: While it's understandable that we all might feel a little disheartened today, or defeated, we must remember that the Supreme Court does not have the last word when it comes to marriage. Marriage was created by God, and His plan for marriage cannot be changed by a Supreme Court decision. "Marriage precedes the creation of states and by its nature remains the union of one man and one woman. No court, no law, and no amount of political correctness or wishful thinking can change what marriage is."

Who are the victims of same-sex marriage? Right. The children. With this ruling, the Court undermines what the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights acknowledges as government's fundamental duty to protect children by protecting the natural family. Same-sex marriage denies the right of children to a mother and father."

As laws are enacted, children will be taught in public schools that same-sex marriage is normal, equal to traditional marriage. As a result, teenagers will experiment and 'date' people of the same sex. Maybe even go full speed into the homosexual life, and any efforts to prevent them from doing so will be subject to restraint by the full force of law." Sounds frightening, doesn't it?

While the court's legalization of same sex-marriage is certainly in defiance of God, it can also energize us who believe in God's definition of marriage and its importance to our society. The Supreme Court's decision in Roe v Wade energized ordinary people to stand up and protect the rights of unborn babies to life. Is it possible that the decision today will reawaken the ordinary person to stand up and fight for the Culture of Life and protect traditional heterosexual marriages.

God Bless
Jerry Novotny, OMI