Sexual complementarity by Jacqueline Calleja (Times of Malta, July 31, 2007)

In the recent spate of letters about homosexuality there are some aspects that call for clarification.

It has been the constant teaching of the Catholic Church that "Sexuality is ordered to the conjugal love of man and woman" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2360) and "The sexual act must take place exclusively within marriage. Outside marriage it always constitutes a grave sin and excludes one from sacramental communion" (2390). This is a very important statement that excludes any form of sexual intimacy unless it is within the bond of marriage between a man and a woman.

Moreover: "The spouses' union achieves the two-fold aim of marriage - the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life" (2363) and "Physical, moral and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented towards the good of marriage and the flourishing of family life" (2333).

In homosexual behaviour, sexual complementarity is outrightly excluded. The physical anatomy of two men does not complement each other and neither does that of two women. It is like having two electrical sockets on a wall which, no matter how close they are to each other, are unable to generate light.

Thus, any attempt to equate heterosexual and homosexual acts can only be termed fallacious.
Furthermore, homosexual behaviour fails to achieve, in each and every circumstance, that other aim of matrimony, which also constitutes its social aspect - the continuation of the human race. No homosexual couple can ever generate a child.

There are certainly heterosexual couples who are, unfortunately, infertile but this is not the norm. So much so that a village hypothetically inhabited solely by homosexual couples will eventually disappear while one peopled by heterosexual couples will not.

Jesus' view about matrimony is crystal clear when, in answering the Pharisees who asked Him whether it was against the law for a man to divorce his wife, He said: "Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female? For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one. So they are no longer two but one" (Matthew 19:4).

Finally, having been made in His own image, God cannot help loving us all indiscriminately. It is only we, and that includes each and every one of us, who, for one reason or another, choose to exclude ourselves from His all encompassing love and compassion, thus forever forfeiting sharing heaven with Him for all eternity.

What's Chastity?

Chastity is a virtue (like courage or honesty) that applies to a person's sexuality. It means that you take all of your sexual desires and order them according to the demands of real love. For example, when you love a person, you make whatever sacrifice is best for them and you do whatever is necessary to keep from harming them. Chastity means that you take this definition of love and apply it to sex.

Some think that chastity simply means "no sex." But that's abstinence: focusing on what you can't do and can't have. Chastity is what you can do and can have, right now: a lifestyle that brings freedom, respect, peace, and even romance—without regret. Chastity frees a couple from the selfish attitude of using each other as objects, thus making them capable of true love.

What's Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?

God and His Creation (2) by Elaine Bruce (Times of Malta, July 28, 2007)

Further to the letter by Dave Bone (July 21), what is beginning to rise in schools across the globe is an acceptance by teenagers of homosexuality being OK. I have heard this in teenage school talk in Britain and also in Malta, both state school and private Christian school.
Teenagers, healthy heterosexual teenagers now talk of being "bi" and there are some very willing to encourage them. Normal teenagers are already thinking in terms of trying out male-male relationships and female-female relationships Their chatter suggests they think there is nothing wrong with it.

Also, I have come across young married men with a family who are also experimenting with the "bi". Society is fast heading to a huge mix up. God knows where it will end!

God and His Creation by John Fenech (Times of Malta, July 28, 2007)

In reply to Dave Bones God Created Them Male And Female (July 21), I have a question for him. Is he suggesting that there are two types of men and women? A male is a male, and a woman is a woman irrespective of their sexuality. So I agree that there are no exceptions to Genesis 1:27.

I do take exception to Mr Bones' drawing the line when homosexuals use the Bible to support their cause, when he uses two quotes to support his argument. What is good for one is good for the other.

It is interesting that Mr Bones quotes from the Old Testament. This part of the Bible is a history of the Jewish people that was passed down in oral tradition for perhaps thousands of years before it was written down. The stories would have been adapted to suit the style and the beliefs of the rabbi, or teacher, who was teaching at the synagogue. The laws laid down in Leviticus could well be very different now compared to 3,000 years ago. At the risk of repeating myself, I do not believe that God would create something that He would hate.

Is this not against the teachings of Christ? Did He not teach that, simply put, God is Love.
The many quotes in the Bible about God's "dislike" of homosexuals are, I believe, examples of the hatred that comes from their fellow humans. So, do I feel corrected by the arguments of Mr Bones? No, I do not.

Sins and Sexuality by Patrick Attard (Times of Malta, July 26, 2007)

Dave Bones's contribution, God Created Them Male And Female (July 21), quotes the Genesis and other verses of the Bible to show "God's dislike of homosexuals".

First of all, I hope Mr Bones isn't naive enough to believe that the world was created in a week. Secondly, homosexual acts are considered as grave sins against chastity by the Catholic Church since no child can be conceived during such an act. Similar sins, which fall in the same category, are the use of condoms and oral sex between heterosexual couples and masturbation. It is pointless to pick on five per cent of the population if more than 70 per cent are committing similar sins.

The most interesting case is when one person who has, even once in his life, committed the grave sin of masturbation who picks on gays. That would really be the ultimate case of the pot calling the kettle black.

God created them male and female by Dave Bones (Times of Malta, July 21, 2007)

I feel I must correct the letters by John French and Clayton Mercieca on the subject of God and homosexuals.

Firstly, I refer to Mr French's letter. Yes, I agree God did create the human race but God created them male and female; not male and male or female and female. God's creation is in Genesis 1 vs. 27 with no exceptions.

Mr Mercieca, however, does not wish to read quotations with verses from the Bible about homosexuals but quotes the "Good News". The Good News Bible, Leviticus 18 vs. 22, says: "No man is to have sexual relations with another man". End of quotations, of which their are many more in the Bible about God's dislike of homosexuals. I have yet to find any quotations in the Bible of God's love for homosexuals.

Now, before the whole gay community thinks I am against them, I am not. I am pleased that they have some Christian values in their life, which Mr Mercieca puts to use. I have worked with homosexual colleagues and some of my customers were lesbians. I treat them exactly the same as anybody else with no prejudice to them, but I do draw the line when homosexual people try to use the Holy Bible to support their cause.

However, if they repent and turn fully to Jesus Christ then they will be forgiven, the Bible tells us so.

The Book and Reality by Dave Vella (Times of Malta, July 19, 2007)

After reading Joseph Aquilina's letter (The Bible And Homosexuality, July 7), and his conviction that the Bible is the Word of God, I can't help but wonder if people like Mr Aquilina have actually read the whole Bible, or if they instead stick to the parts that suit them.

He points out that God makes no mistakes and quotes a whole chapter from the Romans. However, why not quote some other parts of the Bible which are less read?

Numbers 31:17-18: "Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves," said Moses (yes, the Moses of the Ten Commandments). He basically orders his soldiers to keep the virgins to themselves. So much for good example. (I won't even get into how they determined if they were virgins or not, but I can almost be certain it didn't involve a visit to a gynaecologist).
Lev. 21:17-21 says that one is not allowed to approach God's altar if one is blind or has less than perfect eyesight, has a broken foot or other defect.

Lev. 19:19 also forbids anyone from planting different seeds in the same field. Doesn't that make a substantial number of farmers sinners?

Exodus 35:2 says that anyone working on Sunday shall be put to death. Living in Canada, Mr Aquilina, I suggest visiting a shopping mall next Sunday and wonder why those behind the retail counters aren't on death row.

Quoting one of the lines Mr Aquilina picks to make his argument: "And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another" (Romans 1:27) - "the natural use of women". How else can one interpret that, other than women being regarded as objects of pleasure and the means for reproduction?

The books of the Bible were written over different periods of time, usually long after the events they describe. Also, numerous revisions and changes, not to mention translations (and translations of translations) have been made. If Mr Aquilina sincerely believes that during all this, no details have been lost and meanings have been changed, depending on the translator's understanding of the original text... then he needs a serious reality check.

Try describing an event which happened a few weeks ago and I'm sure you would not be able to get all the details down. Now try writing about an event that happened a few hundred years earlier, and you can see where this is going.

Does it ever occur to you why we hear the Bible stories over and over again, and yet, we only learn about - just an example - gravity only once in our lives? Is it possibly because some things are well within the boundaries of reason, whilst others in the scriptures are so absurd that the only way we accept them is by hammering them repeatedly in our heads from an early age?

The Bible may have a few good lessons, but it's not a book to be taken literally. We are taught from a very young age that it is The Book, and this is not questioned. But when reason comes into it, it really is just another book. Just because something consoles you, it doesn't make it any more real.

For the Bible Tells Me So

Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate?

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival, Dan Karslake's provocative, entertaining documentary brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture, and in the process reveals that Church-sanctioned anti-gay bias is based almost solely upon a significant (and often malicious) misinterpretation of the Bible.

As the film notes, most Christians live their lives today without feeling obliged to kill anyone who works on the Sabbath or eats shrimp (as a literal reading of scripture dictates). Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families -- including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson -- we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child.

Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.

http://www.forthebibletellsmeso.org

Reflections

I never wanted to be gay in the first place, but I know it was there inside me. I spent most of my years acting and hiding my feelings from family and friends hoping that this feeling inside me will leave me in peace.
My sexuality is a mixer of madness, I wanted to be what is the norm or what they say it is the norm, trying to hide my real self.

I suffer because i need to experience true love the way my mind and my body
needs, no I decide to deny the love that is my right just to please society, my family but most of all the church. I loved God from the very first moment. I didn't want to upset him, to go against his will.

Without the love that I feel inside me it is like living in darkness, dying in my solitute.

Anon

God, Bells, Pride and LGBT by Mario Gerada

Possessing God

The debate on LGBT issues, the Catholic Church, human rights and human rights violations makes one wonder, to say the least. Being an openly gay man whilst at the same time an openly practicing Roman Catholic puts me in a strange position, a sort of contradictory one; a very uncomfortable position.

Often I participated in religious groups. Even though they were primarily prayer groups, issues were often discussed, or rather one preacher explained the intricate matters of certain issues, amongst them ‘homosexuality’.

During such meetings, one very uncomfortable fact was that one has no other option than to listen to what is being said, irrespective of whether it is correct or not correct, if it is scientifically based or opinion based. One has to listen to ‘The Word of God’ according to ******, take it or leave it.

What was more uncomfortable during such meetings was very simply that I, a gay man was present, and this preacher was there talking about me and describing me in ways which were simply incorrect notwithstanding the fact that the preacher himself was fully aware of my presence. Of course, this was quite contradictory to Christian love and charity which of course was being preached at the same time.

I must admit that I was often tempted to stand up and shout out loud – ‘Hey I am here, I am gay and what you are talking about does not reflect my life, what you are talking about are not the real gay issues which are of concern to us LGBT’. I must admit this is one of my regrets in life, of not having done so!

I would like to move directly to the point that I would like to make. Moving from one religious circle to the next I have noticed one very similar pattern in these circles, that of a false belief of ‘our group’ - ‘Possessing God’! I myself might have been tempted or have fallen into this sinful understanding of God too.

During meetings, especially those of the Renewal of the faith, of which I belonged for two or three years, we often witnessed the Holy Spirit at work. These were very powerful and touching experiences, which also left an impact on all of us, including myself. However, I could observe a tendency where suddenly the Holy Spirit – God, became some sort of possession. It seemed that in such groups there are very clear, and well articulated formulas on who is God, how to please Him, how to offend Him, how to call Him down, do’s and don’ts etc.

Being an uncomfortable outspoken pink sheep, I often raised the gay issue in such circles. However this was never an issue to be discussed, or explored. My own personal experience and witness was always not so important or not relevant or ‘not coming from God’, (notwithstanding that I was often profoundly touched by the Holy Spirit, as witnessed by a number of people). No one was ever interested to see what the Holy Spirit was doing. No, the main issue was to fit me in their own understanding of homosexuality and convince me that I was objectively disordered, also insinuating that possibly through enough praying over I might also be healed, as some before had been. If not these are the club’s rules, good bye and thank you very much. Of course it was not said so directly, but I happen to have a brain, as objectively disordered as it maybe, yet it functions.

Without sounding like the poor victim who had to suffer so much, I also probably did not address the issue in a tactful manner. I also chose to leave even though such meetings were beautiful and profound experiences of prayer and in reality no one asked me to leave either. Maybe if I was patient enough to wait, people might have been more ready to discuss this truth which as Alison says, seems to be emerging.

However I decided to step out of it all. I decided to move in a different direction and choose other ways of living my faith, whilst remaining a practicing Catholic. I hope this is in accordance to God’s will, but probably I will get to know about this after my death and not before; so many risks need to be further taken, adventure waiting.

I often ask myself, ‘What am I doing?’, ‘Why am I taking this on?’ ‘Am I on the right track?’, ‘Am I misleading people?’

However upon reflecting on such issues I find myself looking back. When I reflect on my own faith journey I realize that through all this mess I got to know more and learnt to love more this person who is and who we call God. Often the work I do on the LGBT Catholic issue leads me to emotions of anger, frustration, disappointment, disillusionment, and even hurt. Sometimes I also feel an urge to distance myself from this Church, the bride of Christ-Pure love and yet seems to be so insensitive and at times so cruel towards us LGBT. Such emotions usually last for a couple of days, a couple of weeks at the most. Usually I find myself again in His Eucharistic presence, crying silently; His love, peace and reconciliation sorting it all out for me.

Amidst my anger, hurt, passion, enthusiasm, ideals, disillusionment and disappointments, I always experience Him as the constant faithful peaceful lover, who somehow is not overly bothered by such issues but primarily bothered for my well-being and the well-being of our relationship. The rest follows, everything is back into perspective.

In this entire struggle, debate and fighting, He reveals Himself as the one who brings peace, love and reconciliation; as the wild one, who cannot be possessed or confined; as the one who is not predictable. His love is beyond our understanding, our structures and our safe institutions.

I believe that as LGBT people, our search for truth will help humanity to better understand God – maybe to move one step closer. I just hope we can go through all this difficult path with peace in our hearts; His peace, which He maintained throughout all His struggles, even in the face of His condemnation and death.

And the Bells were ringing…

Friday the 6th of July, Gay Pride Malta! The banner ‘Gay Rights Human Rights’ the rainbow coloured balloons, the noise, the cheering, the whistles. Not too many turned up, as it was rightly reflected upon, the numbers show that a number of LGBT people are still scarred to ‘come out’ in public and be seen. It shows that a vast number of LGBT still live in fear, trying to hide who they are. Possibly a number of LGBT could not turn up because of other commitments and various reasons.

As for me, even though I am ‘out’, participating in Gay Pride and being on the front row, holding the banner was yet another ‘coming out’. It is an experience which helps one to grow, to feel free as a human being, to feel true and honest about one’s own self, with oneself and society at large.

During Pride there was one ‘magical’ moment which captured my imagination. The route had to be slightly changed due to road works; we turned, walked past St. Paul’s Church. As we walked, coincidently [obviously] the Church bells started to ring in festive tones. People started cheering, and make further festive sounds, shouts and cries. It was a stolen moment possibly a God-incidence? It lasted only for few seconds – Church bells, celebrating LGBT people.

For that short moment [seconds] it felt like the Church bells were symbolizing a Church who openly loves us, a Church who is ringing its bells to celebrate who we are, to celebrate us as children of the living God. For those few seconds it felt like the Church was reminding people to stop prejudice, fear and abuse towards LGBT people and transform that into love, acceptance and festive communion. It felt like those bells were reminding the world of its past atrocities towards the LGBT, and the present ones still happening in many countries around the world. For a moment it felt that all prejudice, all fear, all atrocities, all violence are part of a distant past, that only needs to be remembered so as not to fall into those hellish traps again. Now we are all living peacefully together, celebrating each other as the mystery we are, as God’s children, brothers and sisters walking together.

Alas, they were seconds of frivolous dreaming, and the bells were not ringing for us, not for any LGBT person who suffered or is suffering now in Malta or in any other country around the world. The bells were not ringing for those LGBT who are contemplating suicide to encourage them and remind them that they too are children of the Living God, that they too are loved and welcomed in society and the Church.

The bells were ringing, but not for us. Gay Pride carried on marching towards Parliament. There it was concluded. But for a moment we could frivolously dream.


Conclusion

'They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people's shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!'
Mt 23: 4

Homosexuality not a choice (2) by Albert Gauci Cunningham (Times of Malta, July 16, 2007)

Joseph Aquilina decided to reply or even better react to a letter I had written whose sole aim was to praise a person by the name of James Allison who in an interview with this newspaper demonstrated true Catholic credentials. Of course his reaction, although predictable, was somewhat shocking and full quotes meant to demonise people who lead a different lifestyle.

I will not go into the merits of Bible quotes. I will instead comment on Mr Aquilina's statement that homosexuals choose to be so and that it is an immoral and sinful act. This is an insult to the millions of gay people around the world, to their parents, brothers, sisters, collegues and friends.
This "fact", as Mr Aquilina seems to want to put it, is not scientifically proven and to date there have been no cases of gay people waking up one morning and deciding that they had had enough of guys. Gay people, like heterosexuals, pass through tough times; they pass through happiness, family loss, relationships, break-ups, successful careers, sorrow and laughter, and having people like Mr Aquilina insult us as he did really does not help.

As I said before I know little of Bible quotations but I know that I never had the cake and eaten it in my life.
Mr Aquilina was not there when I passed through very difficult times when I was accepting who I really am, neither was he there when I was bullied at school or when people made fun of members of my family because of my life.

I forgave these people because I know that they don't know any better and if their parents were like Mr Aquilina I could have actually expected much worse!

Mr Aquilina's insensitivity knows no boundaries and he has no compassion; in fact he tells us that receiving Holy Communion if you are gay is profane... well in that case I committed a major profanity two weeks ago when I received Communion at my grandmother's funeral! And before Mr Aquilina even thinks of writing in his arrogant, patronising style - that he will pray for me or any other gay person - let me state from now: a big no thanks!

Homosexuality not a choice (1) by Bernard Muscat, Malta Gay Rights Movement (Times of Malta, July 16, 2007)

Joseph Aquilina (The Bible And Homosexuality, July 7) joins the long list of people who build their case against homosexuality almost entirely on the Bible. He kicks off "wisely" by saying that gays choose their sexual orientation and opt to "live that lifestyle". I would really like to hear from Mr Aquilina about the time when he chose to be heterosexual, assuming he is, because since I am being told I chose to be gay, I am assuming the gentleman equally chose to be straight, much in the same way in which I chose to be right-handed as opposed to left-handed, right?

Various quotes from the Bible are then presented to us in list form. Some of them have no connection to his argument, while others tell us that the Bible dislikes homosexuals, disapproves of gay people's love for their partners and considers gay relationships "vile". Keeping this in mind, Shakespeare himself once said: "Even the Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose."

Mr Aquilina is one of those who find a text which seems to support their prejudice and spend the rest of their life quoting it. On exactly this point, Rev. Mel White said: "Even when we believe Scripture is without error, it's a risk to believe our understanding is without error."

Moreover, the Bible is a book about God - not a book about human sexuality. Since Mr Aquilina is so fond of quoting random texts from the Bible to support his cause, maybe he also agrees with other Biblical texts, such as Deuteronomy 22:13-21, which says that if a bride is not a virgin, she is to be executed by stoning immediately. Or Leviticus 18:19, which forbids a married couple from having sexual intercourse during a woman's menstrual period. If they so do, they are to be executed. Let's not take the Bible literally, shall we?
As gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, we are unnatural, Mr Aquilina accuses. To counter this flawed argument with proof and research, during the last three decades, organisations such as the American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organisation have stated definitively that homosexual orientation is as natural as heterosexual orientation, and that homosexuality is not a matter of individual choice.

The Bible and Homosexuality...from the point of view of an atheist

I'm an atheist, but before that I was a Catholic, so I remain pretty familiar with the Bible etc. Just thought I'd drop a note. To those of you who think that the Bible invariably condemns homosexuality, I suggest that you read the story of David and Jonathan. I believe it is the most beautiful love story in the whole Bible - and it is between two teenage guys who meet and fall deeply, madly in love. Of course, conservative Christians would never dream of accepting the possibility that this love was anything other than platonic and brotherly love. Well.... read it for yourself and see. Of course the Bible story does not speak of sex between these two kids (in fact it never speaks about sex between anyone), but it does mention lots of intimacy and intense, burning... and very physical... love. If that's platonic love, then Hustler is published by the Franciscan nuns. That is not to say that the Bible does not condemn homosexual acts in other places - at least between men. It does... in the same chapters where it similarly condemns eating oysters, picking up sticks on Saturday, wearing clothes made of mixed fibres, or touching a woman who is menstruating. It is, as I remember it, precisely this complex code of laws (Jews make the total to be 613 laws), that Jesus streamlined into two simpler rules - love one another and love God as yourself - and neither of those two translates into a prohibition of homosexuality. There is only one place where the Bible condemns something linked to homosexuality - "man lying with man, as with a woman". Lesbians get a free pass. However many other chapters are - incorrectly - cited as condemnations of homosexuality. By far the best known is in Genesis - the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, in this story, God decides to destroy the two cities before the bit where the inhabitants want to have sex with the attractive newcomers. He sends the angels to destroy the cities, not to find out how evil they are (Gen 19:12). He doesn't destroy just those men who exhibited a homosexual orientation, he destroyed everyone and everything - men, women, children, even the animals and trees (Gen 19:25). Of course, even if the attempted sex act were related to the destruction, anyone will realise that this would not have been mere sex. This was rape - the inhabitants intended to rape the newcomers, so if a sex act is being condemned, it is rape - homosexual or otherwise. Even if an analysis of these two chapters did not suffice to prove that homosexuality was unrelated, we have the Bible itself which tells us so - via the prophet Ezekiel. In Ezek 16:49-50 he gives us a list of the reasons why Sodom was destroyed: "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen." Hmmm... arrogant? unconcerned and refusing to help others? Now why does that remind me of homophobes more than homosexuals? Another chapter that is frequently quoted - mainly because it's found in the New Testament, is the letter to the Romans. In this, Paul witnesses a group of people worshipping idols. Paul writes that as a direct result of their idolatry, God gave them a sudden, irresistible sexual attraction towards the same sex. That doesn't sound anything like ordinary homosexuality to me. In fact Paul makes it sound like a punishment for their idolatry. Of course, for it to be a punishment they would have to be heterosexuals, who suddenly find themselves engaged in rather embarrassing activities which go against their sexual nature. If any of them were gay it would have counted as a reward - suddenly everyone's gay too! In truth, many old "pagan" faiths had a healthy element of sex in them, and they had no issues with same-sex acts. What Paul witnessed was probably one such religious orgy, which for some reason stuck in his head. In another two chapters of the New Testament (again, in Paul's letters not the gospels), we find a list of people who will not enter heaven. Apart from adulterers, thieves, and so on, we find two words: Arsenokoites and Malakos. Being part of a simple list of words there is nothing in the text which tells us what they mean. Invariably, they are translated as homosexuals, sodomites or similar terms. The truth is, however, nobody knows exactly. Arsenokoites appears to be a new word coined by Paul himself. Certainly we have no earlier occurrences of the word in any Greek text. It is made of two words - "man" and "bed". In later writings, it has been used to mean anything from homosexuals to male prostitutes (with male or female clients). Malakos, on the other hand, means soft. It is generally used to describe clothes or pillows, but when used for persons it can mean anything from an effeminate person, to someone who refuses to fight in a war or defend his principles. The early translators had to translate these words to something so they chose to use it to condemn homosexuals, and for centuries gay people have been beaten around the head with these chapters as a result.

Jesus went directly against many of the older rules and laws found in the Bible, while at other times he repeated and reinforced others. He taught about many things, including lots about adultery. Yet on homosexuality he didn't utter a word. Not a single syllable. Compare that to the many times he speaks about adultery, or divorce, or many other matters and it's clear that either he considered it a very minor matter, or it was one of those rules that he considered to be replaced by the two new principles. Paul is a different matter. His views on anything related to sex were, shall we say, rather extreme. He said that people should not marry any more unless they really couldn't help it (I Cor. 7), because he was expecting "the end" imminently. Had his followers followed that advice, Christianity would have died a very early death.

The Bible is a big book, written over a period of centuries by many different hands, after which it was hand-copied for generations before a Roman emperor set up a committee to vote on which bits to include and which to declare heretical. It is therefore not surprising that one can pick and choose verses from this book and use them to support just about any argument or position. It has been used both to support and oppose war, slavery, antisemitism, even the holocaust. It is for this reason that one must be wary of accepting an argument merely because it is "based on the Bible".

RC

God Loves Gay People too by John Fenech (Times of Malta, July 13, 2007)

Surely there can be no argument about whether God hates homosexuals. God created all of the human race, and all of the wonderful variations within it. As God loves all of his creation, he therefore loves homosexuals.

The only hate which is directed at homosexuals comes from their fellow humans.

A Vain Battle of the Quotes by Clayton Mercieca (Times of Malta, July 13, 2007)

With reference to the letter by Joseph Aquilina (The Bible and Homosexuality, July 7), which condemns homosexual people with citations from the Bible, I cannot stress enough how oppressive such letter reacts towards LGBT people and their families.

I read the letter in question after coming from a three-day spiritually directed retreat and whereas usual I just let such a letter be ignored, I could not simply let this one pass by. I am a homosexual person myself but cannot see how this limits me to practice my Christian beliefs and values and be loved by God unconditionally. My lifestyle in general consists of doing voluntary work, working as a caring professional, helping out groups and attending a Christian group and above all sharing my life with my life partner who I love very much. My question to all those people who see LGBT people as unfit to be part of the Kingdom is - what am I doing wrong to be treated as a lesser human being and unworthy of a Divine Love? Moreover I ask these people, if human beings who err and make mistakes like my family, my friends and colleagues can genuinely love me for who I am, how does this God who is so loving and passionate can simply push me away from His arms?

I am not going to open any ‘battle of the quotes’ here. Simply, I want to point out that the Bible should be used as a means for empowerment to ALL people and not as a means of oppression hence the Good News. Women were oppressed so much throughout these centuries mainly because they were portrayed as the bearers of sin starting from the very beginning with the fictitious Eve, all the way in the old Testament to the New one with Mary Magdalene as a prostitute when in fact if one reads carefully the new testament she was never mentioned to be one. I used to agree with Marx’s saying “Religion is the opium of the people” because I used to think of God as an ageless, Gandalf-looking, close-minded old man sitting on a big cloud who shuns all those who do not fit in the box of saints. However if we only try to think God as much more than that, we will then start seeing things with an open heart and mind. I may have not given any answers and arrived to no conclusions, but if we want to live in a world with no wars and no violence, let’s start by exercising acceptance (as Christians should do) towards those who are already in pain for being judged and condemned.

Quoting the Bible (2) by Debbie Toson (Times of Malta, July 10, 2007)

I would disagree with Joseph Aquilina's statement that sexuality is not a choice.
I didn't choose to be heterosexual because the Bible or my peers say I should be - that's just the way I was born - likewise for someone who is gay.

Mr Aquilina quotes "And God does not make mistakes". As we are all aware, the version of the Bible we read today is only the interpretation of a translator who would have been more than capable of making mistakes. Would he not agree that following the Bible word for word is not necessarily a good thing - as proven by various extremists who cause harm to innocent people today?

Quoting the Bible by Alexander Vella Gregory (Time of Malta, July 10, 2007)

It seems that once more we are subjected to yet another homophobic sermon by someone who uses the Bible as justification for their argument. In the letter The Bible and Homosexuality (July 7), Joseph Aquilina proceeds by quoting extensively the first chapter St Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Forgive me for pointing it out, but the texts he quoted do not refer to homosexuals but to idolaters, a fact which I have verified with the New American Bible, and the Bibbja published by the MUSEUM. Surely these two sources are as authoritative as Bibles get.

I will not go into the whole argument of whether God hates homosexuals, but I will point out that contrary to what Mr Aquilina thinks, homosexuals do not lead any particularly different lifestyle. Sure, there are homosexuals who lead a decidedly flamboyant and hedonistic lifestyle, just as there are heterosexuals who lead such a lifestyle. It may come as a surprise to Mr Aquilina, but homosexuals work across all levels of society. There are gay mechanics and lesbian models, and there are transsexual clerks and bisexual bank managers. As for choice, no sane person would choose to be homosexual; not with all the rampant homophobia around. The choice lies not in whether you are gay or straight, but in whether you want to accept it or not.

Furthermore, it would be hypocritical of the Catholic community to use the Bible to justify homophobia. No self-respecting theologian would take the Bible ad letteram. There are hundreds of social issues which were deemed unacceptable in Biblical times, which are now refuted by the Church. The Pentateuch is replete with laws regarding slavery, the segregation of menstruating women, and the prohibition of certain food. St Paul, the Apostle so dearly quoted by Mr Aquilina, has an extensive passage on women's subjugation to males (1 Cor, 11 2 -16). So is Mr Aquilina suggesting that we bring back slavery and revoke women's rights?

As for Adam and Steve/Eve, the point of that parable is not "And on the sixth day God created heterosexuality" but "God created humanity in his own image". Somehow, homophobia, or indeed another form of prejudice, does not seem to fit in with the Catholic doctrine of God the Almighty and All-loving Father.

The Bible and homosexuality by Joseph Aquilina, Ontario, Canada (Times of Malta, July 7, 2007)

Because James Alison (Interview: No Straight Matter, June 16) loves the Catholic Church and attends Mass it does not make him a good Catholic or a good Christian (A True Catholic, Albert Gauci Cunningham, June 22).
First of all, if a person practises homosexuality he is going contrary to what God says and expects. It is unnatural and against Christian principles. And to participate in receiving Holy Communion is profane.

Gays were not born that way, they chose to live that lifestyle. God did not create Adam and Steve, He created Adam and Eve.

I suggest that Mr Gauci Cunningham reads the whole chapter of Romans Chapter 1 of the Bible. It's all there. And God does not make mistakes.

"Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." (Romans 1: 21).

"And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things." (Romans 1: 23)

"Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanliness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves." (Romans 1:24).

"Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator, who is blessed for ever." (Romans 1:25)

"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. (Romans 1:26)"

"And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was met." (Romans 1:27)

"Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1:32)

The job of he who loves the Church is to bear witness to the truth. The truth is in the Word of God and not in man's understanding.

Homophobia!

Love is not defined by color, creed, or gender!

I am the person who has to hide what this world needs most, love.
I am the prostitute working the streets because nobody will hire a transsexual woman.
I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights.
We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time.
I am the mother who is not allowed to even visit the children I bore, nursed, and raised. The court says I am an unfit mother because I now live with another woman.
I am the boy who never finished high school, because I got called a fag everyday
I am the girl kicked out of her home because I confided in my mother that I am a lesbian.
I am the man who died alone in the hospital because they would not let my partner of twenty-seven years into the room.
I am the foster child who wakes up with nightmares of being taken away from the two fathers who are the only loving family I have ever
had. I wish they could adopt me.
I am not one of the lucky ones. I killed myself just weeks before graduating high school. It was simply too much to bear.
We are the couple who had the realtor hang up on us when she found out we wanted to rent a one-bedroom for two men.
I am the person who never knows which bathroom I should use if I want to avoid getting the management called on me.
I am the domestic-violence survivor who found the support system grow suddenly cold and distant when they found out my abusive partner is also a woman.
I am the father who has never hugged his son because I grew up afraid to show affection to other men.
I am the home-economics teacher who always wanted to teach gym until someone told me that only lesbians do that.
I am the woman who died when the EMTs stopped treating me as soon as they realized I was transsexual.
I am the person who feels guilty because I think I could be a much better person if I didnt have to always deal with society hatingme.
I am the man who stopped attending church, not because I don't believe, but because they closed their doors to my kind.
I am a warrior for my country serving proud, but can't be my true self because gays aren't allowed in the military.
I am the person ashamed to tell my own friends I'm a lesbian, because they constantly make fun of them.

I am the boy tied to a fence, beaten to a bloody pulp and left to die because two straight men wanted to "teach me a lesson" -- This is the boy, Matthew Shepard. On October 7, 1998 Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson lead him to a remote area east of Laramie where they demonstrated unimaginable acts of hate. Matthew was tied to a split-rail fence where he was beaten and left to die in the cold of the night. Almost 18 hours later he was found by a cyclist who initially mistook him for a scarecrow. Matthew died on October 12 at 12:53 am at a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. KILLED BECAUSE HE WAS GAY!!!---IF YOU BELIEVE THAT HOMOPHOBIA IS WRONG... REPOST THIS AS "HOMOPHOBIA."

What is life like...

'Gay by Nature; His Children by Grace; Citizens of the Kingdom through Love' by Mario Gerada

On the occasion of 2007 Gay Pride’s March organized by MGRM ‘Gay by Nature; Proud by Choice; Equal by Right’, Drachma is launching its blogspot: www.drachmalgbt.blogspot.com. Drachma’s blog is a space for LGBT persons, their families and others interested to witness, share information and experiences. Drachma’s blogspot is a place for dialogue. We encourage all interested to send Drachma any material, information, poetry, articles, links, etc. on drachmalgbt@gmail.com.

Drachma reserves the right to publish any material we receive.

Background Information

Drachma: is a group of Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgender people who meet to pray together. Drachma is a Catholic group who welcomes all.

Quotations for your perusal

'They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people's shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!'
Mt 23: 4

‘Despite persecution, suffering, even tragedy, gay men and women continue to endure, to hope, to rise again and to make festival. Showing us all that life has a meaning if we are foolish enough to believe in it.’
Fr. Richard Woods www.domcentral.org/rwoods

“The rainbow flag, symbol of gay pride. Contrary to popular belief, the rainbow flag is not a sign of being proud of one's sexual orientation; that would be akin to having pride in having blue eyes or being left-handed. Rather, it is pride at having not only survived, but thrived in a world which more often than not is a hostile place…It is pride in being a good and moral person and standing up for what one believes in, it is pride in knowing that you are able to love, it is pride in having found someone with whom to share my life, and in knowing that that love is a thing of beauty. It is.......pride, in the name of love”
Anonymous

If you would like to cover this event or to obtain further information, kindly contact me on 79342328 or drachmalgbt@gmail.com or mariogerada@gmail.com.