Gay marriages

THEY are now talking about gay or same-sex marriages in the US, Canada and in many parts of Europe. I hope the aberration does not get into our country. But who can say?

With some of our congressmen and senators batting for things like reproductive health, family planning, safe sex, contraception, sterilization, gay rights, sex education, etc., we have reason to fear homosexual marriages will be introduced here sooner or later. They belong to the same school, you know.

It's amazing that things long known to be a no-no are proclaimed to be the right thing to do now. There's a lot of noise being made: publicity, machinery and network are revved up to their highest gear, oodles and oodles of money flow in torrents and exchange hands.

With these, it is hoped what is false and wrong can have an appearance of truth and correctness. It's the same devious trick used before different kinds of people.

Don't be naïve about this. Don't think that what's involved is just some kind of natural phenomenon of people waking up to reality or understanding reality better now.

Powerful and evil forces are at play. They are out to change the world according to their vision.

Yes, it would look like all of a sudden a bolt of enlightenment has struck many people these days. They tell us we have been mistaken all along. Or that we have been stuck to the past. It's now time to move on. How crazy of us not to realize!

There's a lot of talk about rights and freedom that now are screaming for due recognition. This argument could be behind the disturbing development of naming an openly gay bishop in the Episcopalian Church in the US recently.

There's a loud claim a new maturity is now being attained, one freed from the hang-ups of the past, like Church and religious influences. There's a new gospel that is being spread!

That's why we have to be duly alarmed and properly prepared to handle this possible scenario. We are in wicked times. Common sense, not paranoia, tells us to be prepared and even to anticipate things.

For this, one very useful material could be the document issued by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith last June 3 with the approval of the Pope.

Entitled, "Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons," it's a short, easy-to-read guide for the lay faithful, especially the politicians, when faced with this issue.

To me, the document is a reminder of something elementary and basic. There should have been no need for it.

At least, the document summarizes once again -- and in clear, very understandable terms -- the reasons marriage can only be between a man and a woman, why legalizing same-sex marriage destroys the very nature of marriage.

It also tells us why legalizing homosexual marriages actually harms persons, society and culture in general. Also, why there is no need to legalize homosexual unions. Certain tolerance can be made if they cannot be avoided.

The document also transmits the same Christian attitude one should have when faced with the issue of homosexuality. Compassion with the homosexual person should always be blended with the defense of the whole truth about human sexuality.

In this regard, there's a point there that may be worthwhile quoting because it talks about how tolerance toward this phenomenon on homosexuality should be lived. I would like to end with this quotation.

"Moral conscience requires that, in every occasion, Christians give witness to the whole moral truth, which is contradicted both by approval of homosexual acts and unjust discrimination against homosexual persons.

"Therefore, discreet and prudent actions can be effective. These might involve unmasking the way in which such tolerance might be exploited or used in the service of ideology, stating clearly the immoral nature of these unions.

"These may mean reminding the government of the need to contain the phenomenon within certain limits so as to safeguard public morality and, above all, to avoid exposing young people to erroneous ideas about sexuality and marriage that would deprive them of their necessary defenses and contribute to the spread of the phenomenon."