7. Presuppositions
1.4 Historical perspectives on the Church's response to
In Aliens in the household ofGod, Corbett (1997: 162-171) presents the positive approach to various or diverse forms of sexuality in the mainline Church, in the past. He sees the
continued silent persecution ofhomosexuals as reflecting a total lack oflove and tolerance in the church's traditions. He observes that it is only in recent times that one tradition has become dominant, which can be characterised as "no sex outside marriage". This, he says is not what has been taught in all times and all places. Corbett goes on to observe that an understanding of the mainline Church's teaching over the centuries, even in Europe, is essential for the appreciation of the issues involved. He criticises theologians and church leaders who address the issues involved while being utterly ignorant of historical perspectives.
Corbett cites Boswell as an authority in this area, and Boswell's, Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality(1980) and Same Sex Unions in Pre-modern Europe (1994) as crucial to our understanding. Corbett admits the observation of some commentators who assert that Boswell has stretched his sources to yield conclusions that they can scarcely bear. Among these he cites an example that Boswell tends to assume the universal existence of"gay people" at all times and all societies, whereas, homosexuality as an orientation or state ofbeing has been conceptualised only within the last hundred years or so. Before this, Corbett notes that writers referred mainly to particular acts or styles of behaviour. "While this must be conceded", says Corbett:
I believe that he demonstrates the significant presence of same-sex desires, friendships and sexual practices throughout Western history and that his thesis stands: that intolerance of homosexuality is not an essential feature of Christianity itself but only became the dominant attitude after twelve hundred years of church history (Corbett, 1997: 163).
Corbett believes that this censorship ofcertain manifestations ofloving is new and that it can be supported by various illustrations from medieval times. One of the illustrations that Boswell (1980) and Corbett cites is a popular song by Burana, "Love is not a crime; if it were a crime to love, God would not have bound even the divine with love" (1997: 163).
Another such illustration, also cited by Corbett is from the writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas' Summa theologiae,who wrote that:
because of the diverse conditions of humans, it happens that some acts are virtuous to some people, as appropriate and suitable for them, while the same acts are immoral for others, as inappropriate to them (Corbett, 1997: 163).
The church was born into the post-classical Europe of Greece and Rome and accepted the positive values of this culture. Aristophanes considered homosexual desire as a "natural necessity", like heterosexual desire. Xenophon believed that homosexuality was part of "human nature", so that it was clearly both "normal" and "natural". Aristotle, who greatly influenced the theologians of the European Middle Ages also uses the word "natural" in this regard, also considered homosexuality to be unnatural.Itwas not uncommon for Roman emperors to be gay, most notably Hadrian, and interestingly enough, there was no distinction in Roman law at that time between heterosexual and homosexual matters. This was certainly a period for sexual tolerance. Apart from the instances of prostitution there were no records of the Church at large being discontented with homosexuality (Corbett, 1997: 163).
In the 5th and 6th centuries, feelings against homosexual practices grew as the empire declined.
In Visigoth Spain, the Roman Catholic Church refused to co-operate in the state-led suppression of homosexuals until it was forced to. Gays were prominent both among the military and the clergy (Corbett, 1997: 163).
Alcuin
IS
quoted by Corbett as saying to a friend:I think of your love and friendship with such sweet memories, Reverend Bishop, that I long for that lovely time when I may be able to clutch the neck of your sweetness with the fmgers of my desires ... how would I sink into your embraces ... how would I cover with tightly pressed lips, not only your eyes, ears and mouth, but also your every fmger and your toes, not once but many a time (1997: 163- 164).
Writings of this kind probably still exist in Christian Europe. The Middle Ages from the 10th to the 14th centuries certainly experienced openness, tolerance and acceptance in a relatively settled political climate. We must take note of a remarkable tradition during this era i.e. the blessing of
gay relationships. The earliest records of same-sex relationships come from the Eastern Church.
Nineteenth century historians refused to accept the evident homosexual nature of documents containing same-sex marital contracts.Itis evident that during this period, the Church accepted homosexuality as part of the range of human sexuality, and in moral terms, treated it no differently from heterosexuality (1997: 164).
As Europe became more politically volatile, there was tension between Christianity and Islam.
This gave rise to various groups of people becoming marginalised namely, Muslims, Jews, lepers, witches, heretics, and gays. The influential Reformation leaders like Luther and Calvin, for instance, tended to accept the more narrow and limited mores of the latter Middle Ages, especially in relation to sexual matters. It is from this time that one can date the popular misconception that the Catholic Church has only two attitudes to sexuality - marriage and celibacy. This stance has become a popular and more accepted (emphasis mine) traditional norm in the mainline Churches (Corbett, 1997: 162-166).
Today, the Catholic teaching [The Catholic Catechism, 1994: rule number 2359] continues to state that homosexual people are called to the state of chastity and calls them to approach perfection through self-mastery, by the support of disinterested friendships, prayer and sacraments.
Itis clear that the Catholic Church's traditional teaching on homosexuality is largely informed by what the Bible says, regardless of context, culture, scientific and medical findings (Hopcke, 1989: 4). This makes its pastoral concern for gay people sound shallow and uninterested.
As if some were aware of this seeming disinterested concern and even condemnatory stance of the Catholic Church towards the life style of gay people, individual clergy, church leaders and other church denominations have taken it upon themselves to take a stand and speak out in support of gay people and also to accommodate them in the church communities.
Among the mainline churches, the Anglican Church's teaching on homosexuality states that homosexual acts are unnatural. Scriptures used to back up this teaching are Genesis 2: 24; Mark 10: 6-8, and Ephesians 5: 31. These three readings talk about a life-long union between a man·
and a woman. In the same way, the Catholic Church's traditional teaching on human sexuality (Genesis 19: 1-29; Romans 1: 24-27; 1 Corinthians 6: 10; 1 Timothy 1: 10) presents homosexual acts as "acts of grave depravity"; that they are "intrinsically disordered"; that they are "contrary to natural law"; that they "close the sexual act to the gift oflife" and that they "do not proceed from the genuine affective and sexual complementarity". Thus, such acts cannot be tolerated by the Church (The Catholic Catechism, 1994: rule number 2357).
On the other hand, the mainline Churches acknowledge the fact that homosexual tendencies are deep-seated, and for that reason gay people cannot be neglected. In other words, these Churches accept that homosexual orientation in many men and women is not a matter of choice, and that for most ofthem it is a trial. For that reason, homosexual people must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. The Catholic Church goes on to state that every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided, as homosexual people are also called by God to play a role in God's salvific act (The Catholic Catechism, 1994: rule number 2358).