‘they’ve moved forward” ?
But telling someone to consider celibacy rather than follow one’s natural impulses to enjoy life is a condemnation.
What does recommending celibacy to homosexuals or to anyone have to do with well being when that celibacy is just a denial of one’s happiness?
From my atheistic perspective, I agree with you.
From a religious person's perspective, it seems that condemning a person to a life of dissatisfaction is the lesser of two evils. It's better than condemning them to an eternity of fire and brimstone.
You don't think the church warns against performing homosexual acts with malicious intent, do you? I know it has a detrimental
effect, but the way I see it, the intent is the well-being of homosexuals. Again, the intent seems to be to help them get to heaven.
If life is just a transitory period in which God judges whether we're fit for heaven or hell, life is the time you have to be on your best behavior. You'll have plenty of time to enjoy yourself up in heaven when it's over.
Yes, they've moved forward. Baby steps. The idea that homosexual acts are an "abomination" is God's word. Therefore, unless people stop subscribing to the literal interpretation of the Bible, practicing homosexuality will always be a sinful act under the church.
It seems the church is saying: "It's okay if you're gay, but it's against God's word to practice" which is much more progressive than what it said 100 years ago.
If the fact will always remain that it's against God's word to practice, what is the church
supposed to say?
I don't see how it can evolve much farther on the issue.