From the beginning Christians denounced the Jews. They had killed their Lord, refused to recognize Him as the Messiah, and joined in persecuting the new religion. These and other such accusations fed Christian history right up to our time with righteous intolerance. Finally, in the wake of the Holocaust, Christian leaders are accepting Judaism. What seemed like Tradition turns out to be a changeable relationship to a different social and political world.
As analyzed in a previous article, Christians interpreted Scripture to condemn homosexuality. Using this as background the Church Fathers, various popes, and church councils continue their attack on this “unnatural vice.” In this article I explore the reasons given for this antagonism. On examination they have no more certainty as Tradition than did those denouncing Judaism. With new information, deepened understanding of human sexuality, and personal growth we may in time find the Church accepting gays and lesbians as well as Jews as our brothers and sisters under God.
