Sun Feb 5, 2023, 02:52 PM

Pope, Anglican, Presbyterian leaders denounce anti-gay laws

Source: AP

By NICOLE WINFIELD hour ago

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis, the head of the Anglican Communion and top Presbyterian minister together denounced the criminalization of homosexuality on Sunday and said gay people should be welcomed by their churches.

The three Christian leaders spoke out on LGBTQ rights during an unprecedented joint airborne news conference returning home from South Sudan, where they took part in a three-day ecumenical pilgrimage to try to nudge the young country’s peace process forward.

They were asked about Francis’ recent comments to The Associated Press, in which he declared that laws that criminalize gay people were “unjust” and that “being homosexual is not a crime.”

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalizes homosexuality, 11 of them with the death penalty. LGBTQ advocates say even where such laws are not applied, they contribute to a climate of harassment, discrimination and violence.

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14 replies	Author	Time	Post
Pope, Anglican, Presbyterian leaders denounce anti-gay laws (Original post)	Omaha Steve	Feb 5	OP
Nice to see churches condemn hate.	Irish_Dem	Feb 5	#1
Not all hate	Farmer-Rick	Feb 5	#10
True. Their hatred of women and basic rights.	Irish_Dem	Feb 5	#11
Well that's a positive position for a change.	LakeArenal	Feb 5	#2
New Pope incoming in 3..2..1...	Runningdawg	Feb 5	#3
Looks like the Pope wants it both ways	Warpy	Feb 5	#4
He actually clarified his statement.	Lunabell	Feb 5	#5
Your anger is blinding	PlutosHeart	Feb 5	#6
This is a very hopeful sign. Thank you, gentlemen	Hekate	Feb 5	#7
This clearly undermines the	J_William_Ryan	Feb 5	#8
Good point. I hope this gets some leverage, as you suggest.	TheRickles	Feb 5	#9
While still demonizing trans people? I call BS, Mr Pope.	NullTuples	Feb 5	#12
Countering the injustice of laws that criminalize homosexuality is doing God's work, imo.	summer_in_TX	Feb 6	#13
K&R	Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin	Feb 6	#14

Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 03:03 PM

Irish_Dem (35,470 posts)

1. Nice to see churches condemn hate.

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Response to Irish_Dem (Reply #1)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 07:57 PM

Farmer-Rick (8,318 posts)

10. Not all hate

They are still big supporters of forced birth. Too bad they can't stand against criminal penalties for women and doctors who want to stop forced birth.

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Response to Farmer-Rick (Reply #10)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 08:00 PM

Irish_Dem (35,470 posts)

11. True. Their hatred of women and basic rights.

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 03:03 PM

LakeArenal (25,772 posts)

2. Well that's a positive position for a change.

Edit: TWJWD. That’s what Jesus would do.

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 03:05 PM

Runningdawg (4,160 posts)

3. New Pope incoming in 3..2..1...

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 03:15 PM

Warpy (106,419 posts)

4. Looks like the Pope wants it both ways

he's railed against the sin of homosexuality but doesn't want laws against it? Why doesn't that extend to women's health care?

That's some blind spot, covering half the human population, the half he was always encouraged to see as temptation and nothing more.

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Response to Warpy (Reply #4)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 03:38 PM

Lunabell (4,070 posts)

5. He actually clarified his statement.

He is against fornication. But, he did not clarify whether married gay couples are ok. I do think he is trying. I'm not a roman catholic, I'm an atheist. But, I give him credit for trying.

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Response to Warpy (Reply #4)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 03:38 PM

PlutosHeart (318 posts)

6. Your anger is blinding

what significance this has.

Breath...

I follow what Franics does and indeed he has made plenty of statements in support of women's right regarding health care as well as statements against abuse.

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 03:49 PM

Hekate (82,736 posts)

7. This is a very hopeful sign. Thank you, gentlemen

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 04:00 PM

J_William_Ryan (1,497 posts)

8. This clearly undermines the

‘argument’ made by private business owners that public accommodations laws prohibiting discrimination against gay and transgender patrons ‘violates’ their Christian faith.

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Response to J_William_Ryan (Reply #8)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 04:18 PM

TheRickles (1,405 posts)

9. Good point. I hope this gets some leverage, as you suggest.

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Feb 5, 2023, 11:16 PM

NullTuples (5,052 posts)

12. While still demonizing trans people? I call BS, Mr Pope.

Countries don't criminalize being gay but not being trans; it's all based on the same sexism & misogyny.

This has the feel of a shell game / 3-card Monty.

What it is though is a subtle - if dishonest - attack on Islam nations, as if Christianity wasn't doing the same.

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Mon Feb 6, 2023, 01:38 AM

summer_in_TX (2,142 posts)

13. Countering the injustice of laws that criminalize homosexuality is doing God's work, imo.

Pope Francis has clarified his recent comments about homosexuality and sin, saying he was merely referring to official Catholic moral teaching that teaches that any sexual act outside of marriage is a sin.

And in a note Friday, Francis recalled that even that black-and-white teaching is subject to circumstances that might eliminate the sin altogether.

Francis first made the comments in an interview Jan. 24 with The Associated Press, in which he declared that laws criminalizing homosexuality were “unjust” and that “being homosexual is not a crime.”

As he often does, Francis then imagined a conversation with someone who raised the matter of the church’s official teaching, which states that homosexual acts are sinful, or “intrinsically disordered.”

“Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime,” Francis said in the pretend conversation. “It’s also a sin to lack charity with one another.”

So pleased and hope that the dialogue within all societies that have such cruel and unjust laws lead to swift changes. May there be more such moral growth and positive change in the Church.

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Mon Feb 6, 2023, 03:50 PM

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (96,944 posts)

14. K&R

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