My letter of response

Here is how I propose to respond to the letter I referred to below:

Thank you for your letter commenting on my sermon. I appreciate your heart-felt concern for my welfare and the welfare of the congregation. And, given the scripture you provided in your letter, I understand the concern you have for your own welfare.

Although your letter does not say so directly, it assumes that same gender relationships are sinful and that those who engage in such are, therefore, sinners. Also implied in your letter is that all persons who engage in same gender relationships are to be condemned by the Church and all Christians. This implication is certainly supported by a considerable segment of popular opinion. But it is not the only opinion on the subject, even within the Church.

I have followed the debate in the Church regarding the sinfulness of same gender relationships for some time. I have tried to understand both sides of the argument. At present, I have formed no clear opinion for myself. Also, I have not received any clear direction from God about this matter, except as to the treatment of persons so engaged. After reading all that I can find on the subject, I am not qualified to say whether the engaging in same gender relationships is sinful or not. As with all issues of human behavior, I believe that ultimately the answer is between God and the person so engaged.

Now to the matter of sin and the treatment of sinners in the Church. The Apostle Paul tells us that we “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” The Catholics categorize sins as being either venial or mortal, depending on their severity. I think that the Bible teaches that there is no distinction between levels of sin. Again, the Apostle Paul tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” Man has created laws that categorize criminal behavior as misdemeanors, felonies and capital crimes. But these categories are man made. In God’s eyes all sin is a capital offense. Whether the sin is a “white” lie, infidelity, murder, drug abuse, ill treatment of a child, or same gender relationships, sin is sin and “the wages of sin is death.”

This is certainly one of the theological strains in the Old Testament where salvation is seen in the righteousness of man, or the ability of each man to keep the commandments of God. But the truth of the matter, as Paul tells us, is that we cannot do that. We cannot, no matter how hard we try, faithfully and consistently keep God’s commandments.

We all deserve the punishment for sin. But...yes, thanks be to God, there is a but. “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.” You see, I believe that when God became man in the person of Jesus, he realized that we poor mortals could not resist the temptations of sin. And because he loved us so much, he himself provided a different way to righteousness than by our own efforts. He, in fact, made it a gift such that “even while we were sinners, Christ died for us.”

He died for sinners. He died for murderers, drug addicts, adulterers, speeders, spouse abusers, liars and gays and lesbians. And he came to earth to save sinners. He also came to demonstrate through his own life how we should treat our fellow men. There is a passage in Luke 7:36-50 and another in John 8:1-11 that illustrates how Jesus treated sinners. He treated them with compassion. He treated them with acceptance. He did not condone their actions, but he forgave them.

You see, I believe that all men are children of God, even the vilest of sinners. And I believe that because we are all His children and part of his creation, that we all should treat one another as we should wish to be treated. The second commandment following the greatest is that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. To me, this means acceptance. It does not mean condoning sinful behavior, but it does mean loving people with the love of God (1 Corinthians 13.)

Yours truly,