BALÁZS BIRTALAN

Shall They Be Put to Death?

(The Homosexual Person and Christianity)

– Contents and the main thesis of the Hungarian edition, in English –

          Shall They Be Put to Death?
 The Homosexual Person and Christianity 
            the title-page of the book

Copyright © Balázs Birtalan

First edition: Cartafilus Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary, 1997.

(216 pages)


The thesis to be proved in the book

The man or woman with exclusively and irreversibly homosexual orientation developing independently of his/her free intentional choice is a creation of full value whom God created with His deliberate will to what he/she is; neither their sexual orientation differing from the usual, nor living it in an adequate way (stable, closed, monogamous partnership in which, beside the mutual spiritual self-giving, bodily union also takes place regularly) is to be counted as an occasional sin or a permanent condition of sin, so a believer of such condition of life can be given sacramental absolution based on the moral norms analogous to his/her heterosexual brethren living in the sacrament of marriage, and they can participate in the eucharistic community as a full citizen of God’s Kingdom and an expectant of salvation.



Table of Contents


INTRODUCTION   (5 pp.)


I. WHY DO WE HAVE TO SPEAK ABOUT IT?

I.1. THE SITUATION OF THE HOMOSEXUAL   (8 pp.)
I.2. IS HOMOSEXUALITY A PRIVATE MATTER?   (3 pp.)


II. PHENOMENOLOGY OF HOMOSEXUALITY

II.1. CHARACTERISTICS OF HOMOSEXUALITY   (14 pp.)
II.1.1. Deficient and/or erroneous approaches
II.1.1.1. (Pederasty)
II.1.1.2. (Transsexuality, transvestitism)
II.1.1.3. (Male prostitution)
II.1.1.4. (Promiscuity)
II.1.1.5. (The mistaken identification of homosexual inclination and relationship)
II.1.2. Actual features of homosexuality
II.1.2.1. The exclusiveness of the inclination
II.1.2.2. The irreversibility of the inclination
II.2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOMOSEXUAL INCLINATION   (9 pp.)
II.2.1. Seduction?
II.2.2. Wrong upbringing?
II.2.3. Biological determination?
II.2.4. So…?
II.3. CLASSIFICATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY   (17 pp.)
II.3.1. Disease?
II.3.2. Unnatural?
II.3.3. Abnormal?


III. WHAT DOES THE REVELATION SAY?

III.1. THE CONCEPT OF THE REVELATION. – WHAT CAN IT SAY AT ALL?   (9 pp.)
III.1.1. Definition – The object of the Revelation
III.1.2. The closing of the Revelation
III.2. A DETAILED EXAMINATION OF THE REVELATION   (66 pp.)
III.2.1. Statements of the Magisterium of the Church
III.2.1.1. Solemnly submitted, infallible decisions
III.2.1.2. Not solemnly defined, but infallible truths of faith
III.2.1.3. Non-infallible documents of the Magisterium of the Church
III.2.1.3.1. Gaudium et Spes
III.2.1.3.2. Persona Humana
III.2.1.3.3. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
III.2.1.4. The moral of the statements of the Magisterium of the Church
III.2.2. Examination of the Holy Scripture
III.2.2.1. The “prohibitive pericopes”
III.2.2.1.1. Old Testament passages
III.2.2.1.1.1. Gen 19:1–11
III.2.2.1.1.2. Lev 18:22; 20:13
III.2.2.1.2. New Testament passages
III.2.2.1.2.1. Rom 1:26–27
III.2.2.1.2.2. 1Cor 6:9; 1Tim 1:10
III.2.2.2. The final moral of the “prohibitive pericopes”
III.2.2.3. “Sed contra…”
III.3. SUMMARY OF THE EXAMINATION OF THE REVELATION   (2 pp.)


IV. JUDGMENT OF HUMAN ACTS

IV.1. THE BASIC CONFLICT   (2 pp.)
IV.2. THE HUMAN ACT   (9 pp.)
IV.2.1. What is a human being?
IV.2.2. What is an act?
IV.3. BASICS OF THE JUDGMENT   (13 pp.)
IV.3.1. The law of the New Testament: Jesus Christ
IV.3.1.1. Unfolding the Law of Love
IV.3.2. Truth sets us free
IV.4. ASPECTS OF THE JUDGMENT   (7 pp.)
IV.4.1. The decision situation
IV.4.2. Distinctio spirituum
IV.4.3. Examining the conscience
IV.5. THE MORALITY OF HOMOSEXUALITY   (5 pp.)


V. HOMOSEXUALITY IN GOD’S PLAN OF CREATION

V.1. WHAT HAS BEEN LEFT OUT FROM THE EXPLANATION OF THE ORIGIN… [on possible demonic influence]   (5 pp.)
V.2. TRADITIONAL CHRISTIAN PROPOSALS ON THE CONDUCT OF A HOMOSEXUAL PERSON   (7 pp.)
V.2.1. “Change”
V.2.2. “Live in abstinence”
V.3. AN ALTERNATIVE IN THE NAME OF LOVE   (4 pp.)
V.4. GOD’S PLAN   (16 pp.)
V.4.1. Glorification of God
V.4.2. How should humans glorify God?
V.4.3. Homosexuality created by God?
V.4.4. Purposes of human sexuality
V.4.4.1. Purposes of heterosexuality
V.4.4.2. The necessary purpose of homosexuality
V.4.4.3. The contingent purpose of homosexuality
V.5. WHAT IS TO BE DONE?   (2 pp.)
V.6. JUDGMENT OF HOMOSEXUAL MONOGAMOUS RELATIONSHIPS   (2 pp.)


CONCLUDING IDEA   (2 pp.)

GLOSSARY   (11 pp.)

ABBREVIATIONS   (1 p.)

USED BIBLIOGRAPHY   (5 pp.)