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When Vanity Rages, Truth
Is Vanquished
Carmine Gorga
In the end, all that we have are
our opinions.1
Keep in mind that I have been officially
classified as a "remorseless logician,"2 because I base my
thoughts on fundamental principles of logic, and I like to follow the dictates
of those principles wherever they lead me.3
Even I have only opinions to
offer—what else can I tell you, for instance, as to why do I follow principles
of logic? It is my opinion that they are helpful.
Hence, I welcome the experience
of being exposed to any opinion.
Therefore, I thank the Rev.
Patrick Slyman for offering his opinions about homosexuality—and I thank
the Times and its editor, Ray Lamont, for publishing them.4
Indeed, I have come down with
the conclusion that I even have to applaud the policy of the Times to publish
online anonymous opinions. I believe it is better for us to express our
opinions any way we can than to keep them bottled up inside us. Then our
opinions tend to become explosive.
For this reason alone, I am all
for homosexuals coming out in the open. There are many benefits to this decision.
One is being true to oneself.
So, lets us talk about
homosexuality.
To start with, I am appalled at
the attempt to silence any such discussion.5 I believe the
discussion is very important for many people—both homosexuals and
heterosexuals.
For instance, I am surprised by
the example given by a group of clergy on Cape Ann.6 Instead of
engaging in serious religious and theological argument, the group has attacked
the intentions of Rev. Slyman as fostering hate.
I may be wrong, but I read his
column as discussing sin—not hate.
Certainly, if so many
representatives of our clergy believe that we cannot discuss issues of sin in
public any longer, they are entitled to their opinion; but they ought to say so
openly.
And then, preferably, they might
want to justify their opinion.
I
happen to believe that we are ready to discuss any and all issues.
Let
me express a conclusion that I have reached only now in the context of the
current discussion held on the pages of the Times:
Homosexuality
is not a sin.
I
find this conclusion quite revelatory and liberating. If prior to that moment a
son or a daughter had announced to me they were not heterosexual, I would have
been terrified not knowing what to do. Now I would embrace them as a gift from
God.
And I
believe that on this understanding we are ready to approach even more complex
issues such as this: When is homosexuality—as well as heterosexuality—a sin?
Indeed, I would implore our
clergy to give us their best knowledge as to why the Bible says that
homosexuality is an abomination. We might learn something in the process.
Indeed, the Rev. Rona Tyndall
has done just that; and I believe she has put us all on a positive learning
curve.7
In My Humble Opinion, our clergy
also ought to explain to us a question implicitly posed by Michael Cook: Why
does the Bible say that eating shellfish is an abomination?8
Perhaps, many in our clergy will
take refuge in their belief that they have satisfactorily dealt with such questions
in the past.
IMHO, that is not a good escape
hatch. Verities are verities just because they are true across the ages. Not
all of us have had the privilege of being exposed to all the truths uttered in
the past.
The task of the clergy, IMHO, is
to instruct anew the present generations. We are all hungry for truth.
Some other questions, which I
dare to pose only by assuming the possibility of thorough and dispassionate discussion
of hard-gotten information:
Are there people who engage in
homosexual acts only because this “alternative life style” is considered
fashionable?
What are the disadvantages of a
homosexual life style? I seem to hear only of advantages.
My other question is this. Are we all firmly keeping in mind the distinction between love and sex?
Two more thoughts. First, it is true that discussions of this distinction can be and indeed are very painful for some. However, there is no short-cut to living.
Living is so joyous, just because at times we all go through periods of incredible pain. To try to shield us from pain is in vain.
Speaking from that little bit of theology that I know, is not this God’s way? What else is the meaning of the “dark night” of the soul?9
The other thought is this. I have learned to run away from anyone who tells me that God Is Good.
What is the meaning of this widespread belief? Does it mean that we are free to do anything we want—and that God will assuredly forgive us?
.
To that, I rather prefer the position of skeptics and agnostics and atheists who, with varying degrees of conviction, maintain that there is no God.
Religious people, who tell us that God is good, tell us only a half truth.
And they make God either a fool or a buffoon.
On this basis I am tempted to say: God is NOT good.
God is also just.
PS—Feel free to tell me where my reasoning leads me astray; but, please, tell me why.
Notes
Carmine Gorga is president
of Polis-tics Inc., a community development organization in