A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics

New book offers guidance to those struggling with same sex attraction August 11, 2010

In light of my post yesterday on the gay outreach program at Seton, I found today a book review by Matt Abbot at RenewAmerica of a new book released by an orthodox Jew discussing the Torah (much of our Old Testament) and its views on homosexuality.  The book is intended to provide a clear interpretation of the many Biblical prohibitions on homosexuality, as well as providing guidance to those with same sex attraction in leading a chaste, continent life.  A review of this book has been written by Fr. John Harvey, founder of COURAGE, which I referenced yesterday.  Mr. Abbot quotes the review, which I excerpt below:

In his book Light in the Closet, Arthur Goldberg presents the teaching of Torah Judaism concerning homosexuality and the kinds of behavior it commands. A Torah scholar of Orthodox Jewish theology and a certified counselor who works with men and women struggling with sexual confusion, the author demonstrates his grasp not only of psychological theory but also of pastoral practice.

I shall consider first Goldberg’s view of gay activists’ efforts to destroy not only Torah morality but also the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church on homosexual practices. He points to false teachings circulated by gay activists that persons with same-sex attractions (SSA) are born that way, will always remain that way, and cannot get rid of same-sex attractions: “Central to the propaganda behind such travesties is the pseudo-scientific postulate that a gay gene exists and that therefore homosexuality is biologically fated” (47). He recommends, as do I, a book by Neil and Briar Whitehead titled My Genes Made Me Do It: A Scientific Look at Sexual Orientation (Lafayette, LA: Huntington House Publishers, 1999). It strongly repudiates the premise of “biologically fated.”

Goldberg describes well the homosexual activist agenda found in the Kirk and Madsen manifesto published in 1989 (After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Loathing of Gays in the 90s [New York: Plume]). Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen were masters of deceit strategy — making use of subliminal perception and clever terminology to change the attitude of the American public concerning homosexual persons from one of hostility to one of benevolence. Goldberg also quotes Rabbi Samuel Dresner, a distinguished author, congregational rabbi, and professor of philosophy who well understood their strategy:

The Homosexual Activist Movement launched the most successful public relations campaign in the history of the nation and in little more than a decade homosexuals have moved from pariahs to cultural heroes. During this period Americans have not only come to accept homosexuality as an inevitable phenomenon in our society, but also as a legitimate ‘lifestyle’ deserving of affirmation as well as tolerance. (28)

These gay strategists anticipated that the legitimization of the homosexual lifestyle would ultimately be made “without society ever realizing that it had been purposely conditioned to arrive at a conclusion that it thinks is its own” (50–51). In his book Light in the Closet, Arthur Goldberg presents the teaching of Torah Judaism concerning homosexuality and the kinds of behavior it commands. A Torah scholar of Orthodox Jewish theology and a certified counselor who works with men and women struggling with sexual confusion, the author demonstrates his grasp not only of psychological theory but also of pastoral practice.

I shall consider first Goldberg’s view of gay activists’ efforts to destroy not only Torah morality but also the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church on homosexual practices. He points to false teachings circulated by gay activists that persons with same-sex attractions (SSA) are born that way, will always remain that way, and cannot get rid of same-sex attractions: “Central to the propaganda behind such travesties is the pseudo-scientific postulate that a gay gene exists and that therefore homosexuality is biologically fated” (47). He recommends, as do I, a book by Neil and Briar Whitehead titled My Genes Made Me Do It: A Scientific Look at Sexual Orientation (Lafayette, LA: Huntington House Publishers, 1999). It strongly repudiates the premise of “biologically fated.”

Goldberg describes well the homosexual activist agenda found in the Kirk and Madsen manifesto published in 1989 (After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Loathing of Gays in the 90s [New York: Plume]). Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen were masters of deceit strategy — making use of subliminal perception and clever terminology to change the attitude of the American public concerning homosexual persons from one of hostility to one of benevolence. Goldberg also quotes Rabbi Samuel Dresner, a distinguished author, congregational rabbi, and professor of philosophy who well understood their strategy:

The Homosexual Activist Movement launched the most successful public relations campaign in the history of the nation and in little more than a decade homosexuals have moved from pariahs to cultural heroes. During this period Americans have not only come to accept homosexuality as an inevitable phenomenon in our society, but also as a legitimate ‘lifestyle’ deserving of affirmation as well as tolerance. (28)

These gay strategists anticipated that the legitimization of the homosexual lifestyle would ultimately be made “without society ever realizing that it had been purposely conditioned to arrive at a conclusion that it thinks is its own” (50–51).

Holy smoking gun!  In truth, this planned, coordinated activism with regard to acceptance of homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle, and homosexual acts as essentially benevolent, has been known for some time.  As the commercial say, though, but wait, there’s more!:

Chapter three contains Goldberg’s analysis of the steps involved in this strategy and its insidious rejection of Torah, Christian morality, and natural moral law. Goldberg shows how the gay-activist strategy portrayed the homosexual person as a victim of prejudice and violence. Their strategy showed films of brutalized gays and how they needed protection by society. They say: do not strut our gay pride publicly lest we undermine our victim image. Allow homosexual persons to portray themselves as victims of circumstances who did not choose their orientation any more than they chose their height or skin color. Kirk and Madsen want homosexual persons to cling to the “born that way” theory — even though the authors themselves recognize its invalidity (58). Goldberg points out how Kirk and Madsen revealingly admit that “sexual orientation, for most humans, seems to be the product of a complex interaction between innate predispositions and environmental factors during childhood and early adolescence“

Well, duh.  Does anyone not understand this on some level? 

The review is quite long, but I recommend you take the time to read all of it, for it highlights two things: that acceptance of homosexual orientation as benign and homosexual acts as, at least, tolerable, is deadly to a right relationship with God.  This is not my opinion, this is the doctrine of the Faith, supported by numerous passages from Sacred Scripture.  Secondly, this review highlights Fr. Harvey’s adherence to the doctrine of the Faith, showing that Seton would be better served by a gay outreach program associated with COURAGE, and not with New Ways Ministry.

I should add that this book is presented from an Orthodox Jewish perspective.  Jews face the same internal struggles in their religion/culture that Catholics face: that is, “reform”  movements that seek accomodation with the world, and are very willing to dump traditional doctrines of Faith and values in order to conform more ot the world.  So, even though this book is written by a Jew and primarily for a Jewish audience, I think it has great applicability to Roman Catholics, especially those who strive to live their lives in accord with the defined doctrine of the Faith.  The book can be  obtained here.