THE PACQUIO-LGBT CONTROVERSY IN THE LIGHT OF ‘BIBLE ALONE’ TENET OF PROTESTANTISM By Lordinel Grajo

This is my personal (and therefore subjective, fallible) analysis of Pacquiao-LGBT issue in light of Protestantism’s tenet of Sola Scriptura. My Christian friends, some Catholics but most of whom are Born Again Evangelicals, keep on posting verses from the Bible to prove that homosexuality is wrong. It seems to me that they are thinking, “look, it’s in the Bible!” and then that’s it, “we are right and you are wrong, end of story”. I’m not saying this approach is wrong, but I think it is insufficient. This is because in my observations, many LGBT are decidedly religion agnostic, meaning they call themselves spiritual but not religious. They believe in God but against religious teachings. If all that matters is being good, then they don’t want to be told what “being good” means. Hence, it’s easy for them to dismiss things even if you quote hundreds of Bible verses. Hence it’s easy for them to call someone “bigot” or “judgmental” even if that person has some sense in what he is saying.

Now, what does this situation has to do with Protestantism? In cases like this, I think, Protestantism will always fall short. Having a Bible alone at hand is insufficient. Yes you can quote hundreds of verses from the Bible to prove your point, but what is it for me? Can I rely on the verses you are using? Can I rely on your interpretation? Can I even rely on your Bible, in the first place? What I mean is that in these issues, Bible-alone doctrine is insufficient because Bible-alone works only for those who already believe in the Bible in the first place. Bible is powerless against secular, modernist, atheistic, agnostic, or irreligious issues, who put the very credibility and inspiration of the Bible in question. The idea “you must believe in this teaching because it’s in the Bible” simply seems nonsensical for those who do not believe in the Bible to begin with.

On the other hand, the Catholic Church has all its means to bring a homosexual person back in Christ’s fold. We have the Magisterium and Catechism to guide us how to relate to LGBT properly and at the same time stand firm to Church’s teachings without forcing homosexuals to swallow Bible verses. We have saints whom the homosexuals can imitate. We have celibate priests and nuns who can show that chastity and sacrificial love is possible. We have “good works” (along with faith) which enables us to reach out to homosexuals even if they don’t want to listen to us. We have the sacraments at our disposal. We intercede for them in our prayers. We have Theology of the Body. In other words, the Catholic Church has all the means to reach out to those people who doesn’t even believe in the Bible’s credibility in the first place. Of course, it still comes down on how effective we will be in using these gifts at our disposal. But in these situations when forcing Bible verses into the mouths of unbelievers seems heartless, Catholics have more to offer to sinners that just Bible verses.