Shawn,

The Church's teaching on marriage is clear, immutable, and infallible.

Marriage is between one man and one woman till death do us part. As a Catholic, you are bound to assent to this matter of faith and morals. Otherwise you find yourself in heresy.

The Church doesn't think anything about anything. The Church authoritatively teaches the Divine Truths that are revealed by God.

As for the degenerate behavior that today's society embraces, the Church's Teaching remains what it has always been. Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and grave sin. That doesn't mean we reject those persons who struggle same-sex attraction. Those who have this condition are called to celibacy and chastity; as are all persons who are not married. Sex outside of marriage is sin.

There is no such thing as same-sex marriage. Marriage is a covenant which can only be entered into by a man and a woman. Therefore homosexual sex acts are always sinful.

John

Hi, Shawn —

You asked:

• What does the Church think about our society evolving into a new chapter of humanity?

I think our Church leaders are disappointed that either:

• the faithful, in and outside the Church, have ignored the message of Christ and his Church and have decided to play personal pope. They have bought the satanic lie:
  
  
  If I want it and it feels good, then it is objectively good and true, even if it hurts other people and hurts American society and its Christian future.
  or
  
  
• that they, themselves [the clergy in the Church] have dropped the ball either through:
  • scandalous behavior
  • poor seminary training at the seminaries (and/or)
  • poor catechesis at the parish level (and/or)
  • poor softball homilies, because, from the pastors view: he doesn't want to hurt his parishioner's feelings but wants to be liked by them, therefore, they never talk about the hot topic issues.
    
    He puts financial stability before the faith of the Church.

None of these problems Shawn justify any Catholic playing personal pope or basically calling themselves a Catholic when they are really a Protestant.

You said:
I look at it as to each, their own as long as it is not causing any harm to others.

Shawn,

Life, itself, is such a great blessing for close to 99 percent of those Christians who live in America. The Christian ethos has always been, through the sacrament of Traditional marriage,
to give back to society that same blessing, We ourselves have received, the blessing of life. Homosexual unions say No to this. Their message is:

It's my life and body; and I'll do with it what I want.

First, this is not true. If it is, they should have no problem walking into oncoming traffic on a highway. If they are killed since it's their own body, they can just bring it back to life.

No logical person thinks this way; a Divine, loving Creator, who freely created their body and soul is assumed.

The end result of such selfish behavior is:

• Christian families with children decline
• Human life and Christian family life is de-emphasized as one among many choices rather than the premier great good for society and society's future.
• and the harm done to society is difficult to recover from.
  
  
• What harm?
  
  
  • a smaller Christian population in the future has few people to serve a much larger elderly generation of baby boomers.
  • a second harm to society is, as the Christian population rapidly declines,
    the Muslim population grows. Muslims value life and family. The problem
    is the root of their faith is Islam which means submission [to Allah and his Imams.] Islam does not respect an individual's free will.
    
    For example:
    to this date there are No Catholic Churches in Saudi Arabia! and if a Muslim converts to another faith, they are persecuted or sometimes killed.

When a Christian culture practiced by Christian citizens in any country is not present(due to a culture that accepts homosexuality as normal, for example), chaos, over time occurs. If that's not harm, I don't know what is.

• Allah is not God, nor is Mohammed who founded Islam in 600 A.D. in Saudi Arabia.
  
  
• Jesus Christ is True God and True Man, the Savior of the world, born in approximately 0 A.D.; He  found one Church on St. Peter and His successors in 33 A.D.:
  the Catholic Church.

You said:
I honestly believe we are just transitioning through a different outlook on religion and society is starting to realize this.  Just look at Europe and Mid-eastern Christianity, they are no longer the on the forefront, it too is fading away.

I disagree. I do agree we are transitioning but from a more moral society to a pagan society, just look at Europe.

Don't take offense at this, but my concern is you are thinking with your feelings, emotions, and based on what popular culture is telling you. In Jesus' time, popular culture said,

"Kill Him, Kill Him, Crucify Him, Crucify Him!"

Even if you decide to leave the Church, please continue to pray and be open to re-considering the Church's teachings.

The main stream media would want you to think the Catholic Church is:

• the Church of No!

It's not. Everyone's mind and body may be drawn to see the Church's view on sexual issues as:
the Church of No! but this is due to our fallen nature, concupiscence and an internal desire that strives to rationalize what is bad for us as something that is really good for us.

Instead it is:

the Church of Divine Logic and Love.

• Why?

Because every aspect of the Church's teachings can be logically understood as, for our own good and for our eternal salvation.

Hope this answers your question.

Mike

Hi, Shawn —

I heard that same T.V. clip and I have one question:

• Are you going to make decisions off someone who was never catechized correctly in the Faith?

If so, you're no different then Lutherans who put their faith in Martin Luther, a mere man, like Anne a mere woman.

Jesus was true God and true Man; The One who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

• Make sense?

Mike

Shawn,

There are two important truths to ponder:

1. We are not being true to ourselves unless we are true to God, and His natural law. Sometimes when people are true to their emotions they are being false to themselves.
   
   
2. There's an old saying: A little knowledge estranges man from God, and a lot brings him back. The more science and reason are perfected, the more reasonable theism and the claims of Christianity clearly become.

If you get the chance read Christian Apologetics by Kreeft and Tacelli. It would be very worth your while.

Peace,

Paul

Shawn —

I would suggest that you ask God, if He exists, to lead you to Him.

Mary Ann