Sydney Anglicans say same-sex desire ‘an inclination toward evil’
The Sydney Anglican Diocese has produced a new doctrinal statement on homosexuality that says the mere desire for same-sex sexual intimacy is contrary to God’s will, “an inclination toward evil” and something from which Christians seek to be liberated.
“Scripture is clear that same-sex sexual desire and same-sex sexual behaviour are contrary to God’s will and contrary to created nature,” the paper said. “The desire for same-sex sexual intimacy is an inclination toward evil, has of itself the nature of sin, and is deserving of God’s wrath.”
“Sinful desires are sinful. It’s not just the doing of sin that’s sinful, the desiring of sin is sinful,” he said. “There are not godly ways of expressing same-sex sexual desire. There’s no opportunity there, there’s no open door … It’s contrary to nature from the get-go.”
The doctrinal statement and its implications for pastoral care will be of interest to the government as it prepares a bill to ban so-called conversion practices. The Australian Christian Lobby is vowing to fight the bill and appointed a new state director in NSW, Joshua Rowe, who started this week.
“Probably in our culture, which absolutely priorities the self, that sounds harsh. But this is basic Christian doctrine,” he said.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydn...5dx1o.html
The Sydney Anglican Diocese has produced a new doctrinal statement on homosexuality that says the mere desire for same-sex sexual intimacy is contrary to God’s will, “an inclination toward evil” and something from which Christians seek to be liberated.
“Scripture is clear that same-sex sexual desire and same-sex sexual behaviour are contrary to God’s will and contrary to created nature,” the paper said. “The desire for same-sex sexual intimacy is an inclination toward evil, has of itself the nature of sin, and is deserving of God’s wrath.”
“Sinful desires are sinful. It’s not just the doing of sin that’s sinful, the desiring of sin is sinful,” he said. “There are not godly ways of expressing same-sex sexual desire. There’s no opportunity there, there’s no open door … It’s contrary to nature from the get-go.”
The doctrinal statement and its implications for pastoral care will be of interest to the government as it prepares a bill to ban so-called conversion practices. The Australian Christian Lobby is vowing to fight the bill and appointed a new state director in NSW, Joshua Rowe, who started this week.
“Probably in our culture, which absolutely priorities the self, that sounds harsh. But this is basic Christian doctrine,” he said.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydn...5dx1o.html
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"