The Pope Says Gay Couples Have the Right to be a Family

by fulltimestudent 3 Replies latest jw friends

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  fulltimestudent

  Ac reported by Reuters:

  Pope says same-sex couples should be covered by civil union laws.

  ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis has said that same-sex couples should be protected by civil union laws in the clearest language he has used on the rights of gay people, prompting praise from liberals and calls for urgent clarification from conservatives.

  He made his comments in a new documentary “Francesco” by Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky that was released on Wednesday.

  “Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it,” he said.

  “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that,” he said.

  The pope appeared to be referring to when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires and opposed legislation to approve same-sex marriages but supported some kind of legal protection for the rights of gay couples.

  The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual tendencies are not sinful but homosexual acts are. It teaches that homosexuals should be treated with dignity but is opposed to gay marriage."

  Link: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-film-homosexuals/pope-says-homosexuals-should-be-covered-by-civil-union-laws-idUSKBN276216

  The last remark (above) is not doubt based on the church view that marriage is a "sacrament."

  And while, I guess that's going to give our ever-loving ex-brothers and sisters more ammunition to fire at the catholic church, whatever our ever-loving ex-brothers and sisters have to say, will be quite insignificant compared to what conservative catholics may say.

  But surely, if two men or two women are in a legally recognised relationship whether you call it a civil union or a marriage, there is a recognition that they are going to have sex with each other. What will that do to all the biblical texts that have been used against M2M/W2W sexual acts in the past?

  ( Interruption, I will continue shortly)
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  Clarkey

  Makes sense, why should we imposed hatred upon people just because of their inherent biological genetics ?
  
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  WingCommander

  I'm not a Catholic, never was. But I give credit where credit is due. This Pope is the best Pope of all time, the most likeable, the most reasonable, and the most progressive and forgiving. He truly seems heartfelt and not just some stooge stuck-up hat holder. Sure he's made some gaffe's along the way, but overall he's the best Pope ever. He's basically saying, "Look, I'm not condoning homosexual behaviour, I'm not judging that. Only God can do that. But these people have a right to family, unconditional love, and happiness. Let's be merciful and let God sort out the rest." Can't argue with that attitude.
  
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  fulltimestudent

  Both the above comments reflect a positive reaction to the Pope's announcement. And, I agree its surely a welcome change from a usually much more conservative church. I'm not sure that it will be accepted by all sectors of that church, but it will give more energy to the general trend of acceptance of same sex attraction in western communities,

  As, Clarkey posted, " why should we imposed hatred upon people just because of their inherent biological genetics ?"

  Whether, their really are 'inherent biological genetics' is not yet proven, except probably, in the case of some of those people generally labelled 'trans.'

  During the 10 years I spent in tertiary studies I came to understand, that often in the past, M2M/W2W sex could not be seen as driven by a different genetic inheritance.* Usually, patterns of SSA in past societies could be seen as an opportunity to have sex with someone they were attracted to irrespective of whether they were male or female.

  *However, its interesting to note that often SSA (same sex attraction) occurs in family clusters, In my XJW friends family, he knows of one cousin was SSA, and in the next generation three nieces were SSA, Of course, there may be more, but people that are SSA often are reluctant to reveal that attraction because of church driven community stigmatisation,

  --------------------

  What I was going to discuss, when I was interrupted (in my first post) was what this change in the RC church's attitude towards SSA people, is what it about the past attitudes of the church.

  There have been so many terrible acts committed by Christians against SSA people in the past, acts that are now revealed by the Popes announcement to have actually inhumane crimes. These crimes range from castration and imprisonment to murder,

  So how could any organisation that encouraged or condoned such crimes, actually have any truth? So we may conclude, there is no loving god controlling the universe.

  Any claim that there is such a god, is bullshit.