By Hilary White
MILAN, May 26, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – One of Italy’s most outspokenly dissenting Catholic priests, Domenico Pezzini, has been arrested for abuse of a male teenaged victim. Pezzini, a 73 year-old priest of the diocese of Lodi, was arrested Monday in Milan. Police also revealed that a large quantity of child pornography had been found after a search of Pezzini’s residence.
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When we sin against God, the devil gets a foot-hold into our life which leads to damnation. A few days ago, I got into a conversation with a guy from the church I attend about how the Word of God condemns homosexuality and that it was an "Abomination to God". This church friend told me that he was offended with what I had to say because "Jesus loves everyone".
I attempted to explain to him that Christians should follow Jesus and love everyone, but we should hate sin. The only defense that my friend could come up with was that "some people" are "born homosexuals" and that God had created them. I explained that God never created anyone into "SIN" that we all have a sin nature and that our Holy and Almighty God had nothing to do with someone who made the choice to become a homosexual. The devil is the master of lies and the “Great Deceiver” who plants doubt in the minds of God’s people to question His Word. My church friend did not agree with me.
We all need to get down on our knees and pray for our churches. Today's Christians have chased Jesus out of their churches and allowed the devil to become the head. Some of our Christian churches have watering down the Word of God, making it fit into the lifestyles of those who are still walking in darkness and who only come to church to feel "Warm and Fuzzy" These people do not want to hear what God has to say about Damnation and the place called Hell.
The time has never been so great for all “Born again” Christians to step up and defend their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Is Jesus still the head of your local church?
God's blessings. Lloyd
When we sin against God, the devil gets a foot-hold into our life which leads to damnation. A few days ago, I got into a conversation with a guy from the church I attend about how the Word of God condemns homosexuality and that it was an "Abomination to God". This church friend told me that he was offended with what I had to say because "Jesus loves everyone".
I attempted to explain to him that Christians should follow Jesus and love everyone, but we should hate sin. The only defense that my friend could come up with was that "some people" are "born homosexuals" and that God had created them. I explained that God never created anyone into "SIN" that we all have a sin nature and that our Holy and Almighty God had nothing to do with someone who made the choice to become a homosexual. The devil is the master of lies and the “Great Deceiver” who plants doubt in the minds of God’s people to question His Word. My church friend did not agree with me.
We all need to get down on our knees and pray for our churches. Today's Christians have chased Jesus out of their churches and allowed the devil to become the head. Some of our Christian churches have watering down the Word of God, making it fit into the lifestyles of those who are still walking in darkness and who only come to church to feel "Warm and Fuzzy" These people do not want to hear what God has to say about Damnation and the place called Hell.
The time has never been so great for all “Born again” Christians to step up and defend their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Is Jesus still the head of your local church?
God's blessings. Lloyd
22 comments:
Good post. It is only when we are "in Christ and lean completely on His merits that we can rest His salvation. Too many still come to God on their on merit, this is contrary to the gospel. ( I am reading a Luther's commentary on Galatians at the moment and Luther was so anti anything that promotes works salvation. You will find that the gospel offends and the Word offends even more those who choose to love their sin.
Blessings Simon
This just makes me sick.
I know that everyone sins... but it just seems so prevalent WITHIN the church.
The only rationale I can come up with is that *some* priests (the ones who abuse) *may* go into the priesthood in an attempt to prevent inappropriate/sinful sexual behavior. I have to rationalize it that way - to think they wanted God more than their desires of the flesh but were weak. Otherwise, it would just mean evil, ya know?
It's sad really... but it doesn't really allow me to have a lot of sympathy for the abusers.
Hello Lloyd,
I congratulate you for writing on this subject. It is relevant yet many may shy away and deny it. Then again, many like your friend think God accepts them...
Many Many homosexuals were NOT born like that. Many, were interfered with as children. The result being, confusion!
It is a sad state of affairs, however, we can choose Gods way or ours not just with a sexual preferance but in other areas also. Jesus gave his all for us, we don't have as hard a choice.
Bless you.
Thanks for your kind words on my blog.
Friends are always welcome and I am deeply happy when these friends come through Jesus.
Have a gorgeous and so blessed day !
Thank you for visiting and following me on my blog. I'm a Christ follower and I've been reading your posts and I appreciate you insights.
Looking forward to reading more.
Blessings
Tina
I'm so thankful for our church, and our Pastor. So many people are led astray by false teaching, or even have the Word watered down.
Thank you for the kind words you left on my blog. It is greatly appreciated. Your Blog is very interesting. We certainly share the same views on the subject of sexual immorality.
Nice post Lloyd. Christ clearly taught that he hates the sin, but loves the sinner. You're so right about people changing God's word to fit society, but God is the same yesterday, today and forever. That's what makes Him our "ROCK".
God Bless You,
Susan
Yes, we must stick to His word and not water it down just to make people feel accepted (sometimes truth hurts). And yes, it is possible to love the sinner completely and still not accept their sin even if they deny it is sin. I know I was "born" with a craving for alcohol and drugs; it is a family legacy and I do believe in both a genetic and environmental predisposition to certain behaviors (just like our inherited behavior of rebellion come down from Adam). None the less, I fostered those thoughts; I acted on those thoughts; and I caused all the subsequent damage. God doesn't hate me for it, He hates the sin and never condones it. Nor does He condone homosexuality or any other behavior that is against God no matter how much we feel we were born with it. I was born selfish, stubborn, and rebellious; that doesn't mean God meant for me to be that way. To submit to that line of thought would be the same as saying God wants people born with birth defects, cancers, diseases, etc; He does not! Regardless of were my sinful behavior came from, it is sin and never acceptable to our Holy God.
Amen. God does love the homosexuals,enough to send His only begotten Son to die for their sins, that through Him they might be saved, and change their ways of living.
For some of these very reasons, God brunt up two cities, Sodem and Gomorrah.The bible says the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. Its was sin then, and its still sin today, God changes not! Abraham could not find even ten righteous people, God said He would not destory it if he could find ten, but he couldn't.
As you said, we all need to get down on our knees and pray for our churches, even some don't see sin the way God sees it.
God bless
oh, Amen, Lloyd. I am so thankful that my husband is not afraid to preach the TRUTH from the pulpit. So many people want a watered down theology when the reality is SIN is SIN. We've worried too long about "hurting people's feelings". They think it's OK to hurt Christ, but not those who are going against His Word.
thanks for this awesome post!
Beth
God sees us as his children and when you think about it all of our sins are comitted after the age of about 13. We may have been adused before that time but being abused is not the same as willful sin. God sees us as his children so if you look inside yourself and see the real child inside you will see what God sees becuase of the covering of blood poured out by His son Jesus. God sees how His son Jesus was condemned in this world even though he had never sinned, how much more will we who have sinned be condemned by our fellow man, but God doesn't see that He sees His son's treatment and this gives Him a heart to have mercy on us. Jesus even loved Judas. Think about it, homosexuals also need love and acceptance in the same way I do and who am I to look upon another's sins when all the time I too am a sinned. No I'm not gay, just trying to be fair. God bless you my friend. Geoff.
I have heard one thing explained about homosexuality- Though there is no scientific reason to think that the gene is something folks are born with, there are some that could be disposed to attraction of certain types, it does not give license to express that any way they want.
Just as the heterosexual is disposed to be attracted to the opposite sex, doesn't mean we can express that outside the marriage bed any way we want.
Having certain desires does not give license to sin. Homosexual sin or hetersexual (and any list the Bible gives for sinful behaviors- and thoughts). Nice post.
Good post. It is so hard to change anyone's mind! You can only say the truth. God has to do the rest.
Very persuasive arguments can be made on the side of sinful behaviour, but those in the church should not fall for them and compromise their Biblically proven beliefs.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Great post! My husband and I were just talking about this topic. It's sad that people are fooled into thinking that one is "born" homosexual. Statistics show that many/most had dysfunctional relationships with their fathers or were abused in some way. Are people "born" adulterers? Thieves? Liars? Murderers? We are all born with a sin nature. Can we overcome any sin/temptation through the power of Christ? Absolutely! God loves homosexuals and it is because of that love that Jesus died for us all to cover those sins if we only accept His gift! I can't begin to understand what emotional/mental issues would cause someone to choose a gay lifestyle, but I can certainly pray that they find the loving truth through Jesus and become victorious over that sin!
And I totally agree that many churches are now "seeker friendly" and have lost sight of the power of the Gospel to heal and change lives. Churches must address the sin issue for seekers to know they need forgiveness that is only offered through Jesus! Otherwise, what's the point? I'm not okay, you're not okay, but that's okay with God! There IS absolute truth to show us right from wrong.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, too!
Please be careful not to make the assumption that individuals with same-sex attraction are more likely to commit sexual abuse. The majority of the research (and there is a good deal) confirms the opposite.
The behavior of this priest, Domenico Pezzini, is deplorable and disgusting. He has perpetrated one of the worst possible crimes possible, and should be denounced in the strongest terms.
At the same time, let us recognize that most sexual abuse against children is committed by heterosexual men.
Furthermore, molest and rape of children is no less likely to happen "within the church" than elsewhere.
Finally, there are far more heterosexual child abusers in church than there are people with same-sex attraction.
Why do we spend so much energy on homosexuality and so little time "outing" the pedophiles on our membership rosters? They're not only risking eternity in hell, but they're taking little children with them. How often do we preach on that?
But, don't take my word for it. Do the research (no, not internet research, get your hands on legitimate peer-reviewed literature).
My mother (now aged 84) is a Roman Catholic, but has not practiced for many years (tho' now occasionally attends the little service in the retirement complex where my parents now live). When there was the controversy in the UK press recently over child sex abusing priests, her retort was ‘Oh that’s always gone on – it’s just when we were kids we daren’t say anything – who’d believe us?’. And of course it is true. What is shocking is when abuse happens at the hands of someone in a position of trust. And it is no use getting smug and thinking this is a RC problem – there is evidence of child sex abuse in children’s homes run by Christians of many denominations.
For some reason, I find this post distasteful, not because of the subject matter (which, let’s face it, is distasteful), but because an alleged (and let us remember he has NOT been convicted yet!!!!) paedophile priest is seen as the platform for which to discuss homosexuality. Paedophilia and homosexuality are totally different forms of sexual behaviour.
Contentious issues aside, it should be borne in mind that the most likely person to sexually or physically abuse a child is one or both of the child’s parents. In Britain about 90 children are murdered each year (far, far fewer per capita than the US); only about 7 of those children will not know their killer and most will be killed by a parent. Hence it is important not to get smug about people’s sexual preferences making for ‘better’ people. Statistically, a child is most in danger within the family!
The following is the last paragraph from something I have just posted on my blog concerning homosexuality (see: http://problemwithrelgion.blogspot.com/2010/06/boring-subject-of-homosexuality.html) it seems apt to repeat it here...
“There can be little doubt that homosexuals fulfil a laudable role for your average, Bible-Loving-Christian (BLC): they are visible symbols of the need for redemption of society. Yet it is seldom many of these BLCs turn the same degree of attention upon themselves and this is the real problem. Your average homosexual, who is also a Christian, is not stupid, nor have they any less ability to read the Bible than your typical BLC. If a homosexual Christian decides to modify the intention of the handful of Scripture verses that MAY pertain to homosexuality, then it is likely they have done so with the same care and attention that many of their fellow parishioners have done with regard to divorce, usury, taking out life insurance, deciding on life saving medical treatment, contraception, investments, paying tithes etc. The fact there is a paucity of organisations, websites and blogs decrying these thorny problems (and they are indeed thorny issues, if you take your Bible seriously!) perhaps notes that what is really going on is the age old need for one human being to feel morally superior over another. As such they do great harm to the Gospel and (more likely) great harm to themselves and the society of which they are a part... It is time for these souls SO concerned about the morality of their neighbour to learn to mind their own business; they may just find that scrutinising their own lives as much as they delight in the scrutiny of others may indeed benefit themselves and wider society. One thing is certain, two thousand years of Christianity have demonstrated that ‘great plans’ for wider society come to nothing (except lynchings and burning people at the stake); it is only by example Christians can really act as ‘salt and light’. If bleating on about homosexuality is the best they can do, then the future of Christianity looks bleaker than ever...”
Regards:
S.
I agree with "Problem" that the issue of homosexuality and pedophilia are different and we must be careful to not lump them together; however, there are also many times where it seems legitimate sometimes if the offender is a man who did stuff to little boys.
It seems that Problem thinks it is wrong for people to disagree with homosexuality-that they are somehow looking down on another- that they never (or rarely) reflect on their own sinfulness.
Problem is- Problem does not take his own advice. He could easily be seen as looking down on those who judge homosexuality wrong. He judges the judgemental-he is somehow even better than those vs homosexulity.-
The truth is that if someone claims to be a christian, their lives must reflect it. And that goes for those who profess to be homosexual and openly pursuing homosexuality.
Problem could also tell himself to mind his own business, it seems. He should not question those who are questioning the morality of homosexuality.
And I think it is silly to think that folks dealing with the issue of homoesexuality as "the best they could do". I highly doubt that most true (or BLC) Christians spend most of their time dealing with homosexuality, but since it is such a prevelant issue in today's culture, it seems legitimate to bring it up.
And as it has been said, we must point folks to the cross for forgiveness of their sins...The thing is, many homosexuals think there is no sin in sleeping with the same sex. And as we see in our churches more and more, it is not a sin that we care about preaching against...with the ordination of openly gay priests, and pastors.
Amy asked: Why do we spend so much energy on homosexuality and so little time "outing" the pedophiles on our membership rosters?
---I think a big reason is that you don't have pedophiles openly claiming that there is nothing wrong with their behavior. Not in the same way you have gays doing this. Also, you would not accept the excuses of someone who used the same excuses for pedophilia that are often used for homosexuality.
"I was born a pedophile" "I can't help who I love". Even IF those things were true, we would say you cannot act on those feelings or desires, just like we expect someone with same-sex attraction and someone who is not married.
We also have the sexual predator websites you can check up on, and more churches these days are running fingerprints of any who work with children in ANY capacity (that is at my church, anyway).
If pedophilia ever becomes as acceptable in the future, the Church ought to be on the forefront of speaking out against it, no matter how many people think it's okay.
I think tactically we have missed it on this issue many times, but it seems that it is better than tacit approval by silence.
D.B.,
I am not talking about convicted offenders. I'm talking about men (and occasionally women) who molest and rape their own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. These people often think that they are behaving lovingly. Sometimes they think they are comforting the child, spending special time with them, or teaching them valuable information. I'm not making this up.
Some feel guilty, others don't. Some are pedophiles (are only attracted to children) and others fall into the behavior for other various reasons.
Running fingerprint checks won't show you whether or not the man who sits next to you on Sunday morning molested his daughter on Saturday nights. I know, I know, "Not in my church." Don't fool yourselves.
I agree that we need to address all sin and the problem of sinfulness, but our pulpits are disgracefully silent on some issues while over-interested in others.
Amy,
I agree that fingerprinting will not completely help, but it does provide a safeguard against these people and any time we can put a barrier is always good.
I think my original point still stands- We speak out against homosexuality because people are becoming "out and proud" and not ashamed of the behavior. They are trying to make it a normal thing and that is the problem.
We don't speak out against pedophiles because it is so obviously wrong, like homosexuality used to be. And we don't have people flaunting their "love" for the young.
Incidentally, most churches don't even use the pulpit to speak against homosexuality unless it comes up.
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