Sells,

I found this to be an excellent expose of what happens in some churches and you highlight the Catholic Church and the Vatican:

<<It is impossible for the Church to maintain its position on sexual acts now that the sexual activities of priests towards minors and the concentration of same sex attracted men at the highest offices of the Vatican has been revealed. It has been caught out denying its own impossible precepts.>>

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Your own Anglican church has been exposed with the revelation that 'The data shows that 1,115 complaints of child sexual abuse were received by the church between 1980 and the end of 2015, involving 22 of the 23 Anglican dioceses in Australia. Those complaints were made by 1,082 survivors against 569 named and 133 unnamed perpetrators.

'The alleged abuse took place at the hands of 285 laypeople and 247 ordained clergy. The royal commission has referred 84 alleged perpetrators to police, four of whom have been prosecuted and 23 are still under investigation (The Guardian, Australia Edition, 17 March 2017), http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/mar/17/royal-commission-reveals-scale-of-child-sexual-abuse-in-anglican-church

The Newcastle Anglican bishop, Greg Thompson, resigned, 'saying he was threatened after revealing sexual abuse by clergy....Thompson has told the inquiry people of power and influence provided a protection racket during decades of abuse by clergy and lay people in the diocese. He said the criticism, threats and harassment had taken a toll and he had security installed in his home because he did not feel safe', http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/mar/16/newcastle-bishop-resigns-saying-he-was-threatened-after-revealing-abuse-by-clergy

Peter,

You stated: <<It is not the rich and powerful who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who grieve, the persecuted, the meek, the pure in heart etc.>>

I agree, according to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-8), http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+5%3A3-10&version=NIVUK

Notice what you did in your article. You turned to Scripture to determine who will enter the kingdom of heaven. That's an excellent place to begin.

But what do you do with morality and ethics for same-sex couples? You turn to political correctness to define your position: <<The Church has done us a disservice by not differentiating behaviour that is rightly illegal in common society, based on harm done to others, from loving acts between same sex attracted couples. It has alienated those who have experienced genuine marital breakdown and who want to make a new life.>>

You go further: <<It is impossible for the Church to maintain its position on sexual acts now that the sexual activities of priests towards minors and the concentration of same sex attracted men at the highest offices of the Vatican has been revealed.>>

I find the behaviour of the priests to be despicable. Your call for the Church to change its position on sexual acts is like calling for me to stop eating tomatoes because I found some rotten ones in the bag.

When will you take a strong stand in support of the teaching of Scripture over PC?

The biblical position will not change, in spite of Sells' promotion of a PC view.

Scripture shows how hollow your view is before God: 'Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God' (1 Corinthians 6:9-11), http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Cor+6%3A9-11&version=NIVUK

Deputy
I like the idea of soft places in the church for people to land. As an Anglican I have no argument with the structures even though I have suffered under them. I found that the Uniting Church that went with a flat structure of interlocking councils meant that no one was really in charge, and I suffered from that system as well. Bishops can be inept, councils subject to group think, so take your pick.
Peter

Not-Now.Soon,
I totally agree with you. We certainly should help the drug addicted, thieves,, adulterors etc not to continue their destructive behaviour. However, we are in a new place as regards the same sex oriented. We have found sexual orientation is deeply embedded within the human psyche and cannot be "cured". The church is quite right to walk a different path to that outlined in scripture when loving same sex practice and relationships are concerned, just as we do on some gruesome OT texts that recommend stoning of sinners. Content is all in this. In NT times innate same sex orientation was not recognised and was interpreted as against the will of God because it subverted his creation. We now know that the same sex attracted can live in loving and creative partnership and that to deprive them of that would condemn them to lives of loneliness and frustration. They would live incomplete lives.
Good to hear from you.
Peter

OzSpen,
I take exception to your suggestion that I cling to PC rather than scripture. The difference between us is not between scripture and PC but our different ways of interpreting scripture. For my part, you cannot simply import the moral dispositions from scripture into our time. You certainly do not do that but only cherry pick the verses you think support your case. If you read Damascus you will find out what the ancient world, Judaism included, prescribed for so called sinners.

To Sells.

It's good to hear from you too. Hope you're doing well.

Look at homosexuality from a different angle instead of about it being a sin like stealing is a sin. Because I don't think we're going to agree with eachother on that. Instead regardless of it being a sin or not, and regardless if it can be cured, homosexuality still has issues. Some both glaringly bad, and equally ignored. I'd compare it to poverty or alcoholism in this way, because both of those have church support to help out. Either to get out of the negative atmosphere (such as AA trying to help people walk away from their drinking issues), or in general trying to help those in need that can't get out of their situation so easily, (such as homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and food donations for the poor).

With homosexuality though there are four glaring issues to look at. Health, because people are not made that way so disease and cancer are much more common among active homosexuals. Domestic abuse, because that too is more common among homosexuals, perhaps programs like the ones to protect battered wives and to help them to not return to the same abusive relationships. And last is both the atmosphere of drugs and casual sex. Both of those should be recognized for the harms they do and how they aren't supported in the bible. If there was a focus on seeking secure and healthy relationships within homosexual communities, instead of open relationship (even among married homosexuals), then that would be a start. But if there was more out there to actively fight drug use and drug culture in homosexual groups then that would be a huge element to show kindness.

With most of these issues, an attitude of absence and accept loneliness, is better then trying over and over again getting into a unhealthy relationship, hoping this time it will be better.

If the church looks at homosexuality and tries to welcome them, then it should do so with a compassionate motivation instead of just a blanket acceptance of the lifestyle.