Friday, September 14, 2012

Sex and the Roman Catholic church

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Richard Sipe has written a trenchant and brief challenge to the Roman Catholic establishment. Entitled, "On Sex and Reformation in the Catholic Church," Sipe's piece throws down a common-sensical but blunt gauntlet supported by contrasting views from the Vatican and those who find Vatican policies rigid and unrealistic. In summary, he states:

  1. Masturbation is not intrinsically evil.
  2. Contraception is not intrinsically evil either inside or outside of marriage.
  3. Certainly condoms should be used if effective in avoiding disease, especially the HIV virus.
  4. Gay orientation is not an intrinsic disorder.
  5. Homosexual love is not intrinsically evil.
  6. Marriage between same-sex partners is not intrinsically evil.
  7. Neither scripture nor theology unalterably dictates that women are intrinsically disqualified from the sacrament of priestly ordination.
Now let's get down to some serious discussion and dismiss the apodictic stance that sex is intrinsically evil and current church teaching is unalterable.
Why are we, concerned followers of Jesus—and priests—afraid to discuss human realities?
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3 comments:

  1. will you remove yourself from the zen blog; this tripe that is recycled over and over and over again is tiresome. Whatever issues you clearly have with the Catholic church shouldn't be hoisted upon any poor soul who simply wants to read about zen.

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  2. Dear "anonymous" -- I have not attached myself to the zen blog. It is the other way around and I have no control that I am aware of for removing myself. I can sympathize with your distaste, but "this tripe" is simply one of many things that catches my attention on MY blog. I grant that much of what the Catholic Church involves itself in is pretty icky. So it goes in the realm of Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi. :)

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  3. Since when is zen not about life? Chop wood, carry water but ignore the events around you?

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