Quotes 23 May

A pastor’s occupation is conscience-binding. And he should only bind the conscience of his hearers with the Word of God. It is not his political opinions, calculations, or best guesses that call into existence the things that are not and then give order to this glorious new creation. - Jonathan Leeman, How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in a Divided Age (Thomas Nelson, 2018)p.(150)

If you want an outwardly engaged church, you must continually emphasise the fact that the church’s upward engagement, not its outward engagement, is ultimate. (159)
- Jonathan Leeman, How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in a Divided Age (Thomas Nelson, 2018)p.

In the fourth grade, when a cruel teacher humiliated
me in front of the class for something I hadn't
done, I learned I was a fool to expect this world
to give me a fair shake.  It was a hard lesson for
I wanted to believe everyone was like my dad--good,
fair and just.
When that same teacher, three weeks later, made fun
of the little girl in the next aisle because she
wet her panties in class, I knew from then on
not to expect justice or kindness from the world.
It's not that I don't get upset when I'm cheated,
slandered, ignored, misunderstood or used--and then
cast out.  But at least I know what to expect.
When a kid stops whining, "But it isn't fair," and
realises this is an unjust world, he has matured.
--Jamie Buckingham (1932-1992)
      _The Truth Will Set You Free_ [1988], Chapter 9

Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.” They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfil God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.- Catechism of the Catholic Church