Catholicism and “Same Sex” Marriage

Defending Natural Law and the Common Good

Why Are We Here?

• Post Christian West w/ Protestant Legacy – enshrinement of the individual

• Moral relativism

• Rights vs. responsibilities

• Rejection of Humanae Vitae

• Denial of Natural Law

Refuting Moral Relativism

• Values vs. laws

• Values are culturally relative? No – societies can err and no society had completely opposite value systems

• Society conditions values? No- society conditions opinions not truth

• Objectivism breeds intolerance No – if all values are subjective, so is tolerance. Or he is presupposing objective values about tolerance or being intolerant by imposing subjective values on others

• Values must be subjective because they can’t be discovered by science, senses or mathematical reasoning No – premise itself is self contradictory

The Natural Law

• Catechism para. 1954-1960

• “expresses the original moral sense which enables man to discern by reason the good and the evil”

• Principle precepts in the Decalogue

• Present in the heart of each man

• Universal in precepts

• Authority extends to all men

• Immutable and permanent throughout history

• Basis for civil law

Homosexuality

• Catechism para. 2357-2359, 2396

• Psychological genesis largely unexplained

• Scripture and Tradition declare acts are intrinsically disordered (Gen 19:1-29, Rom 1:24-27, 1 Cor 6:10, 1 Tim 1:10)

• Contrary to Natural Law

• Close sexual act to gift of life

• Do not proceed from genuine affective and sexual complimentarity

• No unjust discrimination

True marriage

• Catechism para. 2366-2391

• “physical intimacy of the spouses becomes a sign and pledge of spiritual communion”

• Twofold end- good of spouses and transmission of life

• Fidelity (2364-2365) and fecundity (2366-2372)

Is Homosexuality Genetic?

• Data is inconclusive (3 studies flawed)

• Identical twin research and natural selection seem to refute idea

• Fruit fly mutation research points to possibility but how about baboon “mating” patterns?

Is homosexuality environmental?

• Possible hormonal imbalances during pregnancy

• Peer same sex issues during formative years

• Overbearing mother/absent father

• Sexual abuse

• Success with reparative therapies especially when patients accept authentic magisterial teaching

Problems with Same sex unions/marriages

• Redefining marriage

• Fidelity issues

• Fecundity impossible despite in vitro techniques

• Poor environment for raising children including lack of complementarity, transient parental relationships, no data to support healthy upbringing

• Don’t contribute in a positive way to the development of the human person in society

CODF document Jun 3 2003 on homosexual unions

• Nature of marriage

• Positions on unions

• Arguments from reason (reason, biological and anthropological, social order, legal order)

• **Positions of Catholic politicians**