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Question:
Is there anywhere in the Bible where Jesus condemns homosexuality?
Answer:
Remember first that Jesus and the Church distinguish between homosexuality—a psychological disorder for which a person does not bear guilt—and acting on that inclination, with the related acts always involving grave matter and, if done with full knowledge and full consent, constitute “acts of grave depravity” (the Catechism2357; see 2358-59, 1855-61).
Some argue that Jesus never condemned homosexual misbehavior, at least in what’s recorded in the Gospels. Yet Jesus refers to his heavenly Father’s moral judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah on two occasions (Matt. 10:12-15, 11:23-25), a judgment that stemmed from the inhabitants’ seeking to have sex with two angels whom they thought were men (Gen. 19:1-11). The term describing homosexual misbehavior—“sodomy”—is derived from this historical event recorded in the Bible.
Proponents of “same-sex marriage” also miss some very fundamental points about Jesus and his ministry. Remember that Jesus is Jewish and therefore tells us that he comes to fulfill the law, not abolish it (Matt. 5:17-18), which includes affirming authentic marriage (Matt. 19:4-6). Recall too that homosexual acts are presented in the Old Testament as intrinsic moral evils that are thus always condemned as morally wrong.
In addition, the Church recognizes that there is Scripture and Tradition, and so there is no doubt that Jesus otherwise made clear his opposition. We know this in two ways. Jesus commissions the apostles to teach everything he had commanded (Matt. 28:18-20). First, this teaching became known as “the apostles’ teaching,” included in which were St. Paul’s teachings on homosexual sex. Not only was Paul not corrected by the other apostles, his teaching became part of the New Testament.
Second, St. Paul’s teachings are a clear example of how Jesus said he would send the Holy Spirit to lead his Church into all truth, in this case reaffirming and further elucidating this fundamental moral teaching (see John 16:13). To argue otherwise is to unwittingly concede that Jesus failed to do what he says he would do regarding all truth, and that the Holy Spirit consequently led the Church into formal error regarding the New Testament canon. In addition, we also have the extra-biblical testimony of the early Church, another example of sacred Tradition at work.
If you know someone who is struggling with same-sex attraction, we highly recommend the Catholic apostolate Courage, including its powerful documentary Desire of the Everlasting Hills, which you can view online for free.
Continued below.
Why Jesus Doesn’t Need to Speak About Homosexuality
Question:
Is there anywhere in the Bible where Jesus condemns homosexuality?
Answer:
Remember first that Jesus and the Church distinguish between homosexuality—a psychological disorder for which a person does not bear guilt—and acting on that inclination, with the related acts always involving grave matter and, if done with full knowledge and full consent, constitute “acts of grave depravity” (the Catechism2357; see 2358-59, 1855-61).
Some argue that Jesus never condemned homosexual misbehavior, at least in what’s recorded in the Gospels. Yet Jesus refers to his heavenly Father’s moral judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah on two occasions (Matt. 10:12-15, 11:23-25), a judgment that stemmed from the inhabitants’ seeking to have sex with two angels whom they thought were men (Gen. 19:1-11). The term describing homosexual misbehavior—“sodomy”—is derived from this historical event recorded in the Bible.
Proponents of “same-sex marriage” also miss some very fundamental points about Jesus and his ministry. Remember that Jesus is Jewish and therefore tells us that he comes to fulfill the law, not abolish it (Matt. 5:17-18), which includes affirming authentic marriage (Matt. 19:4-6). Recall too that homosexual acts are presented in the Old Testament as intrinsic moral evils that are thus always condemned as morally wrong.
In addition, the Church recognizes that there is Scripture and Tradition, and so there is no doubt that Jesus otherwise made clear his opposition. We know this in two ways. Jesus commissions the apostles to teach everything he had commanded (Matt. 28:18-20). First, this teaching became known as “the apostles’ teaching,” included in which were St. Paul’s teachings on homosexual sex. Not only was Paul not corrected by the other apostles, his teaching became part of the New Testament.
Second, St. Paul’s teachings are a clear example of how Jesus said he would send the Holy Spirit to lead his Church into all truth, in this case reaffirming and further elucidating this fundamental moral teaching (see John 16:13). To argue otherwise is to unwittingly concede that Jesus failed to do what he says he would do regarding all truth, and that the Holy Spirit consequently led the Church into formal error regarding the New Testament canon. In addition, we also have the extra-biblical testimony of the early Church, another example of sacred Tradition at work.
If you know someone who is struggling with same-sex attraction, we highly recommend the Catholic apostolate Courage, including its powerful documentary Desire of the Everlasting Hills, which you can view online for free.
Continued below.
Why Jesus Doesn’t Need to Speak About Homosexuality
