Newsweek Cover Story on Same-Sex Marriage

Hi. Chuck here. The upcoming (December 15) issue of Newsweek has a cover story on the bible and same-sex marriage. Unfortunately, the article is very badly done and sheds more confusion than light on the issue. What follows are some comments on the article by Father Hugh Feiss. Here's a link to the article if you would like to read it first:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/172653/output/print

Now here are Father Hugh's comments:

Chuck asked me to comment on the recent cover article in Newsweek on Homosexual Marriage. I am not a moral theologian and do not feel competent to lay out all that is involved on the Catholic Church's teaching on homosexuality (as an involuntary and therefore not sinful orientation) and homosexual actions and same-sex marriages. However, I can comment on the logic of this article and some of its arguments. Fr. Hugh

The question about the morality of homosexual acts and the (distinct) question about the advisability of granting the status of "marriage" to same-sex unions are complex issues. There are societal and ethical (not just religious) concerns which might lead one to either side of the debate on these two questions. The religious concerns involved are also complex. One would not know that from this article, which seeks to paint a stark contrast: either you agree that homosexual relations and same-sex marriage are acceptable or you are a doltish, prejudiced, Christian fundamentalist. The author blatantly opts for a very poor debating strategy: present your opponents' arguments in the weakest possible light then knock them to pieces, citing only those people who agree with you. Admittedly, some fundamentalist Christians use Scripture verses as blunt instruments to bludgeon opponents, and sometimes religious people (including Catholics) lobby more than they persuade, but this article counters with propaganda not even-handed reporting.

Here are some of its assertions, with my comments in parenthesis. Paul (and Jesus) condemned divorce, but half the Christians in America are divorced, therefore their teaching about marriage has no weight; admitting that homosexual acts are right and that gay marriage should be recognized is the same as recognizing that slavery is wrong and that slavery should be abolished (there are some distinct differences, such as slavery is imposed whereas homosexual acts, not homoerotic orientation, are chosen); apart from religious considerations and commitments, marriage is a civil contract (but she seems unwilling to let homosexual unions be defined simply as that); she found a New Testament scholar who says that Paul condemned really kinky homosexual activities, but not non-violent ones (this seems quite a stretch and is not the consensus of scholarly interpreters); Jesus preached a message of inclusion for all (but He told them to sin no more); the assumption throughout seems to be that only with genital activity can there be committed, nurturing relationships, otherwise people will be lonely and sad.

The Catholic Church has developed its teaching on marriage over 2000 years, based on Scripture, tradition and experience. It is not perfect and its has certainly changed across time and will change some more in the future. One facet of that teaching is that sexual activity should be the expression of committed, married love between a man and a woman. Admittedly such an understanding is out of step with Newsweek and much of contemporary thinking and practice. However, contrary to Newsweek, that does not make such teaching wrong. The author writes that Jesus’ spoke about leaving wife and family to follow him. She might have noticed that the Gospels of Matthew (19:4-6) and Mark (10:6-8) also report that he said: “Have you not read that from 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, and the two shall become one flesh.’” This doesn’t end the discussion, which now must deal with the findings of modern medicine about innate homosexual orientation, but it should be part of it. In the end, we may have to agree to disagree, but we can do so on the basis of reasoned and respectful discussion.

Hi. Carol Brown of Capstone Missions recently sent me a link to a wonderful talk by Gianna Jessen, a woman who, as a fetus, survived an abortion. She has some good stuff to say, especially to men. Please give it a look and listen and tell us what you think. Here are the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPF1FhCMPuQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8B1nKGIAeg

As you know, Joe and I have been reflecting for some time on the issue of manhood and how in our culture it is too often confused with adolescent boyhood. We'd kind of like to reprise the retreat we offered last spring where we looked hard at gender issues and reflected on what it means to be real men and real women.

Chuck