For Catholics, any sin is unacceptable

As a Catholic I am deeply offended by Julie Mulstein’s article in Sunday’s Herald (“Officials should know: People vote with dollars, too”), more so because Julie in many past articles has identified herself as also being Catholic. Regarding County Councilman John Koster’s vote against publicly funding the promotion of a concert by “the largest gay men’s chorus in the world,” Julie argues that Koster and all who agree with his vote are hateful, narrow-minded bigots.

Does that include God? – for it is the God who has condemned and prohibited homosexual sex as abhorrent sin. The Catholic Church teaches “Under no circumstances can they (homosexual acts) be approved” (CCC 2357). So according to Julie, the hundreds of millions of her fellow Catholics who happen to actually believe God and the Church are just narrow-minded bigots (not to mention all the Jews, Muslims, and Christians of other denominations who also believe God)?

Our Catholic Bible teaches this about tolerance and sin: If our brother sins, we’re to confront him privately. If he refuses to repent, we’re to bring a second person and confront him. If he stills refuses to repent, we’re to bring him before the Church. If he still refuses to repent, we’re to cast him out and have nothing to do with him. Why? Because publicly embracing those who embrace sin sends the message that their sin is acceptable, which in turn leads others to sin.

So, while our Catholic Church teaches compassion toward sinners (whatever the cause or motivation for their sin), it does not extend that compassion to endorsing sin. Spending tax dollars to promote an event by a group who uses its venue to widely advertise and popularize homosexuality is implicitly endorsing sin. John Koster did the right thing. Julie Mulstein, as a Catholic, should reconsider her position.

Bill Odell

Everett

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