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A Bold Study

By the Church of England

The Moral Welfare Council of the Church of England recently issued bold "interim report" on THE PROBLEM OF HOMOSEXUALITY which is surely the most forthright statement on the subject ever to come from a Church body.

It is headline news when any Church agency allows that homosexuals per se are neither immoral nor unnatural, and that many homosexuals have been valuable members of society.

Distinguishing between homosexuality as a condition and those sex acts to which the homosexual may be tempted, it was affirmed that "the condition itself is morally neutral." The homosexual was urged to avoid such sinful acts, turning for strength to Him "who is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity."

While many students of the subject will undoubtedly look on some elements of this analysis as scientific oddities, it is essential that this study strip bare almost all current points of attack on the homosexual, save only the scriptural argument that God set one sole purpose for sex, making sinful by definition all sex acts not serving this purpose. The predisposition of Christian dogma remains the only standing argument against the general acceptance of the homosexual in society.

During all the furore stemming from such headlined cases as those of Field, Gielgud, Montagu and associates, Colerick and Ingram, a group of Anglican clergy and doctors (who bear sole responsibility for the present report) have been carrying out this study under the auspices of the Church's Moral Welfare Council. The present. privately circulated pamphlet is in the nature of a preliminary report, to be followed by more thorough studies.

While insisting that homosexuality is a "generally unalterable" condition usually caused by unsatisfactory family life, homosexual acts are condemned for deflecting the "activity of the sexual organ from its proper end."

As to the current English law:

"... In no other department of life does the State hold itself competent to interfere with the private actions of consenting adults .. Such interference would only be warranted if there were proof that homosexual practices between males gravely affect society. Even if this were true, it could with justice be maintained that fornication and adultery threaten the well-being of society still more seriously."

"... It has been suggested that homosexual practices make a man of less use to society by rendering him secretive, undependable and nervous. In reality, however, these defects of character are due, not to homosexual practices, but to the fears of punishment and blackmail engendered by the law..."

"... A woman prostitute is liable to a maximum fine of 2 pounds: a male prostitute may be fined or imprisoned for 2 years as a 'rogue and vagabond." "

... There is no doubt that as long as the present law exists many a normal man who would like to offer an invert the ordinary friendship he craves for dare not take the risk..."

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"... It is against the British conception of sociological principle to use the law in such a way to create an aggrieved and selfconscious minority which becomes the centre for dissatisfaction and ferment. . ."

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