{"id":6454,"date":"2011-08-03T09:35:12","date_gmt":"2011-08-03T16:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/?p=6454"},"modified":"2011-08-06T09:40:27","modified_gmt":"2011-08-06T16:40:27","slug":"bishop-matthias-reaffirms-orthodox-teaching-on-homosexuality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/2011\/08\/bishop-matthias-reaffirms-orthodox-teaching-on-homosexuality\/","title":{"rendered":"Bishop Matthias Reaffirms Orthodox Teaching on Homosexuality"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bishop
Bishop Matthias<\/figcaption><\/figure> Beloved Clergy and Faithful of the Diocese of the Midwest,
\nChrist is in our midst!<\/p>\n

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error <\/strong>which was due.\u201d (Romans 1:24-27)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In light of the ongoing discussions and debates about \u201csame sex marriage\u201d, I felt the need to address our faithful concerning this issue. Although it would appear to me that the Church doctrine and Scripture has been clear about this issue, there are those who \u201ctwist\u201d the Scriptures and the Canons of the Church to fit their own needs. We have always believed that the interpretation of Scripture lies within the framework of \u201cHoly Tradition\u201d and the experience and interpretation of the Holy Fathers before us. Who are we to interpret the Scripture outside of this Sacred Tradition? Only those, who do not have the light of Christ, will interpret Scripture to their own ends.<\/p>\n

In the above passage from Romans, St. Paul writes that because of the \u201clusts of their hearts,\u201d they exchanged the truth of God for the lie. Society and our culture is trying to sell us the \u201clie,\u201d that \u201cgay marriage\u201d is a right and that it is a natural thing. This could not be further from the truth! An error is a delusion. The delusion that St. Paul refers to is the belief that homosexuality or an \u201calternative life-style\u201d is acceptable. It is unnatural and unacceptable to God! As with all sins, Christ forgives the sinner who repents. If there is no repentance though, or admittance of sin, there can be no forgiveness. The words of the Prophet Isaiah apply here, \u201cThe look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe is them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.\u201d<\/em> (Isaiah 3:9)<\/p>\n

Our society challenges the beliefs of Christ and the Church. They not only justify the sin, but they expect that this sin become acceptable. It is not! His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, shared in his pastoral letter concerning this issue the affirmations, principles and guidelines that the Orthodox Church in America proclaimed nearly twenty years ago. They are as follow:<\/p>\n