"The difference between "heterosexual promiscuity" and "homosexuality" is not of category, but of degree."
I have often said, or defended the taboo on homosexuality, that they are not different. The commandment forbidding adultery means "having sex with anyone who isn't your wife (if you're a man, reverse for women obv)." That means
-Not outside of your marriage, with another woman if you are already married
-Not inside of someone else's marriage
-Not before marriage, even if you marry her later
-Not with yourself in masturbation
-Not with another man because that's missing all the components that would really define "sex" in God's plan, because it is not open to life, as the vows of Holy Matrimony include, so that's really just glorified mutual masturbation again
Therefore, living a gay lifestyle isn't any more of a sin than a hetero cheating on their spouse. But it is definitely a sin.
Also, love all of your pointing out the integrated self, including sexuality, into the universe, your social life as well as the earth, time, history, etc. Have you read "Theology of the Body (For Beginners)" by Christopher West? I think you'd really like it, the whole thing centers around these concepts, and makes sex sound so good that you want to put it in its proper place all the time. Chastity isn't "never having sex," it includes having sex with your spouse when you're open to children - that is in its proper place. You're allowed to love it.
Excellent question. So obviously if you're a hetero married couple, you can have all the sex you want, and if you're having trouble conceiving, or the wife is post-menopause and can't get pregnant, all the more so! lol This also goes for the natural phase of the menstrual cycle where a woman can't get pregnant either, about a week each month, then another 3-6 days two weeks after that, but it's different for every woman. I highly recommend researching Natural Family Planning, it's made huge gains in recent decades.
The key is working *with* nature, letting God lead. If God says Now is not the time for you to be able to be pregnant, great, His call. You can take advantage of this season and have sex without consequences because that's *His* call. I left off my list, this is why contraception is a sin too ("sin" remember meaning "a mistake," not "is evil," but is to be avoided regardless). Contraception *un*invites God from the act. Whereas in the cases of infertile or menopausal women, there's still technically room for God to work a miracle, if He had it in mind to give you a child then. As long as you weren't standing in His way, no foul. Sin really boils down to choosing your own will in lieu of allowing for God's.
I think the better question that raises is in vitro fertilization. The reason Catholics have reservations against in vitro is the same logic: God seems to have decided now is *not* the time for this couple to have a child, but they've decided to take matters into their own hands and force a pregnancy. There's a good chance this has unforeseen consequences, from unintended side-effects to the health of the mother or child(ren), down the spectrum to subtle psychological effects of framing the child(ren) as prizes or fertility as a commodity, dis-integrated from the frame of being a human who is in and part of the universe created by God.
Now, the next question that leads to is, if infertility seems unnatural, as in, a health defect, shouldn't it be remedied? If you say no in this case, why not say no in other cases? If someone has the flu, a naturally evolved virus, shouldn't we just let their immune system handle it without treatment, isn't that interfering with God's will? Great questions too, and at least the Catholic church teaches that no, there's nothing wrong with that. So where is the line drawn? I think it's drawn at conception, new human life. When it comes to saving a human life, put in the effort; when it comes to creating a new human life, let God decide. They've at least been crystal clear for 100 years, a new human life starts at the moment of conception, from the first cell, when sperm meets egg, which is why they consider abortion to be murder, as a baseline. There's some considerations for complicated pregnancies that endanger the life of the mother, but I think on children of rape, they're more hardline: No, a rape does not justify a murder.
Then of course there are even fuzzier rules at death... When to stop treatment, when to pull the plug, when to let God decide there's no saving this person? There are entire books written on these topics, there are cut and dry foundations, but then tons of nuanced conclusions about various complex scenarios. As long as the principles don't change though, you just need to make the best decisions you can and live with it. There's always confession if you feel like you made the wrong one, ha.
Thanks man.
Needed this today.
wow. gorgeous. thank you🙌🏽
Profound piece.
Ladies first...
Ladies and gentlemen...
oh jonny..
Thank you for this message!
Brilliant. Thank you. You must make a choice, there is no way out. You must face life. Avoiding this fact is certainly a vote for death.
I choose life. I walk away from the screen. Thank you
That is the definition of "commitment." Gotta be your idea, gotta choose it every day, and never stop choosing it.
pretty interesting and heartfelt writing. I think this is a nice place for young men to land - whatever this viewpoint is.
You are my favourite modern writer
"The difference between "heterosexual promiscuity" and "homosexuality" is not of category, but of degree."
I have often said, or defended the taboo on homosexuality, that they are not different. The commandment forbidding adultery means "having sex with anyone who isn't your wife (if you're a man, reverse for women obv)." That means
-Not outside of your marriage, with another woman if you are already married
-Not inside of someone else's marriage
-Not before marriage, even if you marry her later
-Not with yourself in masturbation
-Not with another man because that's missing all the components that would really define "sex" in God's plan, because it is not open to life, as the vows of Holy Matrimony include, so that's really just glorified mutual masturbation again
Therefore, living a gay lifestyle isn't any more of a sin than a hetero cheating on their spouse. But it is definitely a sin.
Also, love all of your pointing out the integrated self, including sexuality, into the universe, your social life as well as the earth, time, history, etc. Have you read "Theology of the Body (For Beginners)" by Christopher West? I think you'd really like it, the whole thing centers around these concepts, and makes sex sound so good that you want to put it in its proper place all the time. Chastity isn't "never having sex," it includes having sex with your spouse when you're open to children - that is in its proper place. You're allowed to love it.
How does this story work for heterosexual couples that aren’t capable of having children (due to, say, biological infertility or menopause?)
Excellent question. So obviously if you're a hetero married couple, you can have all the sex you want, and if you're having trouble conceiving, or the wife is post-menopause and can't get pregnant, all the more so! lol This also goes for the natural phase of the menstrual cycle where a woman can't get pregnant either, about a week each month, then another 3-6 days two weeks after that, but it's different for every woman. I highly recommend researching Natural Family Planning, it's made huge gains in recent decades.
The key is working *with* nature, letting God lead. If God says Now is not the time for you to be able to be pregnant, great, His call. You can take advantage of this season and have sex without consequences because that's *His* call. I left off my list, this is why contraception is a sin too ("sin" remember meaning "a mistake," not "is evil," but is to be avoided regardless). Contraception *un*invites God from the act. Whereas in the cases of infertile or menopausal women, there's still technically room for God to work a miracle, if He had it in mind to give you a child then. As long as you weren't standing in His way, no foul. Sin really boils down to choosing your own will in lieu of allowing for God's.
I think the better question that raises is in vitro fertilization. The reason Catholics have reservations against in vitro is the same logic: God seems to have decided now is *not* the time for this couple to have a child, but they've decided to take matters into their own hands and force a pregnancy. There's a good chance this has unforeseen consequences, from unintended side-effects to the health of the mother or child(ren), down the spectrum to subtle psychological effects of framing the child(ren) as prizes or fertility as a commodity, dis-integrated from the frame of being a human who is in and part of the universe created by God.
Now, the next question that leads to is, if infertility seems unnatural, as in, a health defect, shouldn't it be remedied? If you say no in this case, why not say no in other cases? If someone has the flu, a naturally evolved virus, shouldn't we just let their immune system handle it without treatment, isn't that interfering with God's will? Great questions too, and at least the Catholic church teaches that no, there's nothing wrong with that. So where is the line drawn? I think it's drawn at conception, new human life. When it comes to saving a human life, put in the effort; when it comes to creating a new human life, let God decide. They've at least been crystal clear for 100 years, a new human life starts at the moment of conception, from the first cell, when sperm meets egg, which is why they consider abortion to be murder, as a baseline. There's some considerations for complicated pregnancies that endanger the life of the mother, but I think on children of rape, they're more hardline: No, a rape does not justify a murder.
Then of course there are even fuzzier rules at death... When to stop treatment, when to pull the plug, when to let God decide there's no saving this person? There are entire books written on these topics, there are cut and dry foundations, but then tons of nuanced conclusions about various complex scenarios. As long as the principles don't change though, you just need to make the best decisions you can and live with it. There's always confession if you feel like you made the wrong one, ha.
Omg finally someone approaching sense. This is still naive though. Porn is so bad for teen boys. Omg we are retarded