260/265–339/340) wrote of God "having forbidden all unlawful marriage, and all unseemly practice, and the union of women with women and men with men". 215) rebuked heathens for worshipping gods who indulged in debauching of boys. Greenberg cites it as an example of early Christian writings that were "unequivocably opposed to male prostitution and pederasty-probably the most visible forms of homosexuality in their time". The early 2nd century treatise the Didache (which influenced thinking by early theologians) includes in a list of commandments: "You shall not corrupt boys." David F. This was in stark contrast to Greek and Roman attitudes towards same-sex relations including the "(usually erotic) homosexual relationship between an adult male and a pubescent or adolescent male" that is called pederasty. The Catholic Church's position on homosexuality built on scripture and developed in substance from the teachings of the Church Fathers. The relationship between the Catholic church and the modern day LGBT community has been difficult, especially during the height of the AIDS crisis.Įarly Church Influence of the Church Fathers The Spanish Inquisition tried nearly a thousand individuals for sodomy, where near 500 cases were of sodomy between persons, with only a few cases where the couple were consenting homosexual adults. By the Middle Ages, the Catholic clergy increasingly encouraged the pious to hunt out those committing homosexual acts, and to hand them over to secular authorities for punishment. Initially, proscriptions against " sodomy" were aimed simply at ensuring clerical or monastic discipline and were only later widened in the Middle Ages to include laymen. Ĭanon law regulating homosexual activity has mainly been shaped through the decrees issued by a number of synods, starting from the 4th century Council of Elvira. These were in stark contrast to contemporary Greek and Roman attitudes towards same-sex relations which were more relaxed. The position of the Roman Catholic Church with regards to homosexuality developed from the writings of Paul the Apostle and the teachings of the Church Fathers. The Christian tradition has generally proscribed any and all noncoital genital activities, whether engaged in by couples or individuals, regardless of whether they were of the same or different sex. For broader coverage of this topic, see Catholic Church and homosexuality.
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