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Homosexuality and the Clergy
Bishop J. Terry Steib - a False Shepherd
From the New Oxford Notes, October 2005
Bishop J. Terry Steib of Memphis, Tenn., is setting up a ministry for "gay and lesbian" Catholics. Yes, in Tennessee. This could be helpful, but Steib's outfit won't be. In his announcement (Origins, June 9), he repeats all the homophile "Catholic" clichés.
He makes no distinction between homosexual "inclinations" and homosexual "acts," although the Catechism does (§§ 2357-2359). He proclaims all "gay and lesbian" Catholics to be "wonderful, good Catholic people." How would he know that? Gosh, not even all "straight" Catholics are "wonderful, good Catholic people."
Steib held meetings with homosexuals and with parents of homosexuals. Of the latter, he says, "These parents of gay and lesbian Catholics are extremely proud of their children." The Catechism says that those with homosexual inclinations are "objectively disordered" and those who are actively homosexual commit "acts of grave depravity." What's to be extremely proud of?
Bishop Streib calls homosexuality a "unique gift of God" |
Homosexual acts are mortal sins, and if they're not repented of, you're likely to go to Hell for ever and ever. Are parents of homosexuals "extremely proud" that their children may go to Hell?
Of course, Steib speaks of "the unique gift" of homosexuality. But this "gift" is either disordered and/or depraved. It's possible that God could give a "disordered" gift -- in your silent suffering you can give glory to God, and you can always offer it up. But God does not give depraved gifts.
In Steib's 11 paragraphs in his announcement, he claims that "God's love is unconditional," and he repeats this four times. For example, Steib says: "In my meetings with gay and lesbian Catholics, I told them that God does not withhold love from any of us. I believe that wholeheartedly. God's love is unconditional...." This is of course a lie. Yes, a lie. Let us give you some examples:
- "You [God] hate all who do evil" (Ps. 5:5).
- Proverbs 8:17 says, "I love those who love me...," and John 14:15 says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." If you love God, you will keep His commandments, and God will love you; if you don't keep His commandments, God does not love you.
- "The Lord is a jealous God and avenging, the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies" (Nahum 1:2).
- "The Most High himself hates sinners..." (Sir. 12:6).
- "Abominable wickedness the Lord hates..." (Sir. 15:13).
- In a parable, Jesus says, "Bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me" (Lk. 19:27).
- "Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him" (Jn. 3:36).
- Jesus said, "But you have this in your favor: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate" (Rev. 2:6-7). The Nicolaitans were a libertarian sect.
- "God did not have pity on the angels that sinned. He had them tied up and thrown into the dark pits of hell.... God punished the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and this is a warning to anyone who wants to sin.... The Lord is especially hard on people who disobey him and don't think of anything except their own filthy desires. But their own corrupt deeds will destroy them.... The darkest part of hell is waiting for them" (2 Pet. 2:4, 6, 10, 12, 17).
We make bold to say that Bishop Steib is a false shepherd. As our Lord said: "But he who is a hireling and not the shepherd...sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep..." (Jn. 10:12). Steib sees the wolf coming and will not warn those homosexuals in his flock to lead godly lives -- and "the wolf catches the sheep." What a betrayal!
Posted October 7, 2005
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