In an videotaped interview, Bishop Raúl Vera López, a Mexican friar of the Dominican Order and bishop of the Diocese of Saltillo, gave a scathing interview which he said “homophobia” is a mental illness.
He seems to be saying that homosexuality comes from a situation where a person’s hormones are not lined up with their anatomy. I’m not really sure what he means by that at all. But he seems to think it’s all well and good.
He recounts a story about a mother who was worried about her son hanging out with homosexuals. He blamed her. Yup. That’s what he said, at least according to the translation on the video. “Blame yourself for it because that’s the way your son developed in your womb.”
“Why would I immediately think a gay or lesbian person is perverse or depraved the moment they approach me?,” he said. “That’s how people who are homophobic react. It’s a mental illness in which you see gays as depraved and promiscuous. You have to be sick in the head for that.”
According to New Ways Ministry, a pro-LGBT website, Bishop Lopez was summoned to the Vatican in the past to discuss his views on issues relating to homosexuals but no sanctions were forthcoming.
August 26, 2013 at 7:07 am
According to New Ways Ministry, a pro-LGBT website, Bishop Lopez was summoned to the Vatican in the past to discuss his views on issues relating to homosexuals but no sanctions were forthcoming.
You've got to be kidding me! (sarcasm off)
In less than five years, the bishops will drop their opposition to same-sex marriage. Bet on it.
As I said on another thread, SS Paul, Peter and James predicted mass apostasy in the "last days" (which we've been in since St. Peter quoted Joel at Pentecost), and St. John reinforced the argument in the Book of Revelation.
I suggest you all start doing a serious study of the epistles and Revelation.
August 26, 2013 at 7:10 am
Besides, if homosexuality is a genetic phenomenon, then how can anyone be "blamed" for it. Genetics are out of human control, cloning notwithstanding, to the extent that humanity can delete unwanted genes, at this time.
Bishop Lopez can't have it both ways, though he's trying his damnest.
August 26, 2013 at 8:34 am
Mass apostasy like during the Arian controversy, the Nestorian controversy, Islam, the Albigensians, the Reformation…
I suggest you grasp the basic fact about the Book of Revelation: to the extent that it is about the future of the Church (which is only one of the things it's about), it does not refer to any particular event in history, but to a phenomenon that would be a perennial experience of Christians. In the same way, its passages about antichrist, mainly allegorized descriptions of Emperor Nero ("666" is written "caesar neron" in Aramaic numerals), are descriptions of all "antichrists", all persecutors of the Church; there is no single antichrist.
As for whether homosexuality is genetic, it may be, though there's no conclusive evidence it is. Psychopathy, psychosis, and alcoholism all are. Same-sex attraction is, after all, a mental disorder—no sane animal wants to mate with anything but a member of the opposite sex, that's what "mating" is for—and therefore may arise from neurological abnormalities, chemical imbalances, or physical or emotional trauma. So what? We blame psychopaths for what they do. We blame people with family histories of alcoholism who drink. We blame psychotics who go off their meds.
August 26, 2013 at 1:45 pm
There may be many reasons for homosexuality. Socialization. molestation. genetics. or developmental errors due to all the female sex hormones polluting water sources. Whatever these reasons are, and there probably isn't just one, the person is good. The act of sodomy is a sin. You cannot whitewash this simple fact. I a in the catechism. The argument is not much of one. If you aren't Christian, then you figure it out for yourself with whatever world view you have today because tomorrow it may change. The Truth won't. The Truth can't. What separates a person from God then, now and forever will always be the case. Yet another clear case of "hate the sin, love the sinner"
August 26, 2013 at 7:33 pm
I listened in Spanish. Bishop Vera was correct about some things. He said that homosexuals are human beings who need love and acceptance and not condemnation.
What he also said: homosexuals are born that way. The mother is to blame because ssa is hormonal. He never mentioned behavior as opposed to attraction. He talked about a lot of things that he has no expertise to talk about. He left out basic doctrinal teaching. After all that, he was speaking to a Mexican audience who hear things from a very different cultural construct than Gringos, so don't hyperventilate over that, but it isn't really very orthodox as far as I understand the teaching of the Church.
August 27, 2013 at 1:52 am
I don't think it was terribly unorthodox; most of its errors were scientific rather than doctrinal.
And I wish people would quit pretending, on either side of the issue, that if homosexuals were born that way it would mean they weren't responsible for their actions. Psychopaths and alcoholics are born that way.
August 27, 2013 at 5:02 am
I can't help it. My homophobia is genetic. It's the way God made me.
This bishop suffers from homophobia-phobia. It's a mental illness in which you see homophobics as sick in the head. You have to be depraved and promiscuous for that.
August 27, 2013 at 1:44 pm
Why is he blaming anyone if he truely believes there is nothing wrong. This Bishop is not making sense. Furthermore there is NO genetic markers for homosexual behaviour. It is an acquired behaviour not a genetic condition. For him to say the child developed that way in the womb is clearly untrue. There are always variants in personalities. Some men can be very soft and sentimental and even appear very feminine. That has nothing to do with sodomy. Certainly perverts try to claim that these traits are homosexual so that they can feed off the males who fall into those catagories. I will happily bet you that if you did a survey amoung men who engage in homosexual behaviour the rampantly perverse will not be the "softer" partner. I know plenty of happily married family men who exhibit strong feminine characteristics. This Bishop is feeding a lie.
August 28, 2013 at 5:24 pm
I WANT TO KNOW THE PROCESS (yes, I'm shouting) THAT GOT US SO MANY SCREWED UP NUT CASE BISHOPS !!!!
August 29, 2013 at 4:24 pm
PLEASE keep me posted on what he says…he had ONE or TWO valid point…BUT calling it "the mothers fault" there you go, he's become "motherphobic" or intolerant, or a biggit…! no way….a sinner is not born degraded, he CHOSES to live a degrading life, if a HOMOSEXUAL or a HETEROSEXUAL decide to be promiscuous, and not repent THEN they are becoming degrading of their natural call which is to be a Saint.