Brother R asks:
2. Why are all homosexual acts wrong? I can understand no gay sex. But what's wrong with kissing, making out, or holding hands. How can I witness to a gay atheist? How can I use natural law to argue against homosexuality? Also if all acts have to work towards procreation, then can impotent couples kiss, hold hands, make out? Aren't we applying a double standard. (I also want to witness at a gay pride parade with Church, any suggestions? I find it interesting how we pray in front of abortion clinics but not gay pride parades, I think we need to start doing that and spread it across the Church.)
A PRECURSER OR INTRODUCTION
Before we dive into the issue of homosexuality, I think it is important to establish some details. First, the Church is not against sex. Sexual differentiation, the sexual urge, and sexual desires are all a part of what it means to be human, what it means to have a body. That is why the Sistine Chapel is adorned with nudes- because the body is lovely and expresses something lovely about human nature and about God.
1. What makes the disciples martyrdom different from the martyrdom of the ISIS militants? Both truly believe in their cause, both are willing to die or their cause, and both are in a position to know if it is true or not. Couldn't the disciples be as crazy and deluded as ISIS?
This is an interesting question. The confusion comes in with the language that we use. It is one word that describes two different realities. In the Christian world the word martyr comes from the Greek word for "Witness". A martyr in the Christian faith is someone who has witnessed to the Risen Lord to the point where someone takes their life. In the Church this is viewed as the ultimate witness and a certain climax to Christian holiness because one has imitated Jesus Christ in life and in death. So the martyr is one who lays down one's life for Christ and for others.
In the Muslim religion this is not so. The archtype of the Muslim martyr is one who dies while in battle spreading Islam. ISIS would celebrate those soldiers who kill in the name of Allah and the spread of their version of what it measn to be a Muslim (many Muslims disagree with ISIS!). The Muslim martyr is more akin to the Viking concept of the warrior dead that enter Vallhalla than of Christian who dies for others.
DISCLAIMER
I'm going to take the next few posts and respond to a young friend who is struggling in his faith right now. Life, school, and trying to be faithful to the God who loves him is difficult. And the reason why I am responding to him on my blog is because, well, I'm an adult and he's a minor and VIRTUS says I cannot correspond with him without his parents' permission. But seeing as how I have no idea who his parents are, that cannot really happen. So I will anonymize his letter and try to give some helpful, honest answers.
And brother R, if you read this through, know that I've got a bunch of people praying for you, including myself. Hold on!
BEGINNING OF THE LETTER
This lent was terrible. I didn't give anything up. Because honestly I don't know of I belive anymore. All my life I had no friends. My parents are mean to me. And I go to a Catholic school, and most of the teens there are atheist, non practicing, or don't follow church teaching (example: an actively lesbian girl altar serves, a religion teacher says it's okay if gay marriage is legal, and at a retreat in the school they said that the Church is wrong about contraception, pre marital sex, and gays). I have many questions about the church and no one seems to be able to help answer them. My youth minister, priest, and religion teacher always tell me to pray about it. But I never feel anything. I feel so lonely. I feel like no one cares about me and everyone treats me like garbage. So maybe you can help me with my questions.
