One of the results of this confusion of the methods of psychology with spirituality is that too many people judge what it means to be a person, and an individual, in purely psychological terms.
Recently, on some sites on line (Catholic Bandita-a great site; and others) there has been a discussion of homosexuality, including lesbianism, as a disorder which is "intrinsic". I, for one, took exception to this definition and wrote a short answer to a post. Here is something similar to what I put on the blog, but I want to develop this idea from here.
Firstly, intrinsic disorder is a medical term for a protein absorption and amino acid dysfunction. As to homosexuality, the soul and spirit are disordered. She should not be using the term "intrinsic".
Object disorder is not intrinsic disorder.
When the CCC states that homosexuality is an inclination, which is objectively disordered, this does not mean intrinsic. Intrinsic means that something has a quality or state of being by nature, by being part of the essential human being.
If a person states this, they are declaring two things: one that people are born with a sinful nature which is not redeemable; and two, that one must be homosexual by the fact of being, which the Church has never stated.
Tendencies toward sin, or even weaknesses in body and soul are not intrinsic but results of Original Sin, removed in baptism and giving the person a chance to be a child of God, as I wrote yesterday
Objective means outside one's being but real, such as an objective perception or objective view; we sin objectively against God's commands,and a disorder which is objective can be changed, (I can objectively become more holy, for example)
wherein an intrinsic one cannot be, by definition.
Now, carrying on from here, I want to ignore political discussions, a la Maritain and others, on the distinction between the person and the individual.
Not that I disagree with those discussions, but that is not the focus of this post.
As most of you know, I have been writing on perfection here for over a year.
One of the reasons I have done this is to clarify the goal of our person-hood. the real end of our journey here on earth. Only the perfect see God. We have been told by Christ Himself that we must be perfect even as our Heavenly Father is perfect.
Becoming perfection is the call to each person in the world, and most intimately, to the Catholic who is baptized and confirmed.
So, taking the end of our existence, which is to be with God in a state of perfection, this means that we allow God to perfect us.
That is one of the reasons why I have written on this over and over and over.
What has this to do with a comment on "intrinsic disorder"?
After baptism, when each one of us is made a child of God and heir of heaven, we are intrinsically changed forever. We are in God's Life, we are partakers of His Nature. We have the Indwelling of the Holy Trinity.
Here is a passage and then I want to look at a second one.
For the forgiveness of sins . . .
1263 By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.66 In those who have been reborn nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God.
1264 Yet certain temporal consequences of sin remain in the baptized, such as suffering, illness, death, and such frailties inherent in life as weaknesses of character, and so on, as well as an inclination to sin that Tradition calls concupiscence, or metaphorically, "the tinder for sin" (fomes peccati); since concupiscence "is left for us to wrestle with, it cannot harm those who do not consent but manfully resist it by the grace of Jesus Christ."67 Indeed, "an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules."68
1265 Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte "a new creature," an adopted son of God, who has become a "partaker of the divine nature,"69 member of Christ and co-heir with him,70 and a temple of the Holy Spirit.71
1266 The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification:
- enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues;
- giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit;
- allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues.
Thus the whole organism of the Christian's supernatural life has its roots in Baptism.
- enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues;
- giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit;
- allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues.
Thus the whole organism of the Christian's supernatural life has its roots in Baptism.
OK, now we are on the same page with regard to our nature being bound to the Divine Nature of God.
If you cannot accept that, do not bother to read on...but if you do, prepare yourself for joy.
The CCC continues a bit farther in this section:
An indelible spiritual mark . . .
1272 Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.83 Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated.
Each one of us is changed forever in baptism. We are intrinsically like Christ and we are called to become more and more like Him.
St. Bernard's quote, which those of you who read this blog know by heart, is that we were made in the image and likeness of God, but lost the likeness. Baptism, and sanctifying grace restores the likeness.
Do we sin? Yes. Do we have tendencies to sin? Yes. Are some of these tendencies severe? Yes.
But these are NOT who we are in Christ. And, to say so is, simply, heresy. To say that instrinsically we are wedded to serious disorders is to deny the grace, the efficacy of baptism.
This ideal of perfection does not come without pain and suffering. God gives us all crosses, which are either the results of our sins repeated and repeated, or other reasons, But, we do not have to identify with our sins.
This is one reason I have never been peaceful with some people labelling themselves homosexual or lesbian. To do so is to identify with an "objective disorder".
What does the CCC mean by that? Here is the well-known passage:
Chastity and homosexuality
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
An important distinction is being made here: one, the actions are intrinsically disordered,that is, these are evil. Actions can be so against nature that the essential nature of the act is always, without distinction, evil.
This is a hugely important distinction. All sin is extrinsic. We all fall short of perfection.
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
We must not identify with sin or evil tendencies or object disorder. We are more than those. We are made in the image of God and we have been given His likeness in baptism.
In the old catechism, those who were unbaptized were called "slaves of Satan". That is still not intrinsic, as all humans are made in the image and likeness of God-but the unbaptized are not children of God or heirs of heaven, except by an exceptional grace. They are not walking in grace.
2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
And for your comfort, more on the baptismal seal.....
1273 Incorporated into the Church by Baptism, the faithful have received the sacramental character that consecrates them for Christian religious worship.84 The baptismal seal enables and commits Christians to serve God by a vital participation in the holy liturgy of the Church and to exercise their baptismal priesthood by the witness of holy lives and practical charity.85
One is not doomed to a life of serious sin.
1274 The Holy Spirit has marked us with the seal of the Lord ("Dominicus character") "for the day of redemption."86 "Baptism indeed is the seal of eternal life."87 The faithful Christian who has "kept the seal" until the end, remaining faithful to the demands of his Baptism, will be able to depart this life "marked with the sign of faith,"88 with his baptismal faith, in expectation of the blessed vision of God - the consummation of faith - and in the hope of resurrection.
Perfection leads us to that Blessed Vision....
Next week, I shall write about integrity in person-hood.