Temples

of the Holy Spirit.

    Catholics have a lot of rituals involving body motions and movements. I use to call it the 'stand up, sit down, fight fight fight' liturgy. When you walk into a church you can bless yourself with water by making a sign of the cross after dipping your finger in the holy water font or baptismal font. This is supposed to remind you of your baptism- a lifelong sealing of sorts.
   Then liturgy opens with a sign of the cross where the entire church at the words "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" make a cross from their forehead to their heart to each shoulder, covering your entire torso in the cross essentially. Then when the part of scripture (the bible) is read that is called 'the gospel' (Matthew, Mark, Luke John) before the reading everyone makes a small cross on their forehead, then again over their mouth, then again over their hearts. This symbolizes a pledge to keep God's word which you are about to hear forever on your mind, on your lips and in your heart. There are various points in the service where you kneel in reverence. More classical traditions have you bowing at the creed portion when everyone recites that Jesus came down from heaven and was born by the holy spirit of the Virgin Mary. These are signs of reverence, but they are more than that. They are mini-consecrations. They are supposed to dedicate onself, one's whole body, and essentially the mind, the lips and the heart for the work of the Lord.

   Physical bodies are significant in scripture. They are not accidents - they are part of who we are.
They are called the Temples of the Holy Spirit. Worship happens in them. Praise of God happens through them.

   That is why the Catholic church has an understanding of 'righteousness' that involves correct and incorrect use on earth of bodies. Not because they don't love everyone, but precisely the opposite. They revere everyone as having capacity of being vessels of the Holy Spirit. They have consecratable function.

  You wouldn't pour orange juice down your car gas tank would you? That is because you respect the function of your gas tank and know that it operates maximally with gas and anything else will corrode it and eventually your engine. It is possible to pour orange juice down your engine-but is it wise?  You can make a cake with ingredients everyone knows, but if  you throw a leg of lamb in the cake is it going to rise the same or taste the same? Is it even still cake?

   It is like that with things like catholic teachings on abortion, or gay marriage.
It's not a kill-joy attempt to depress anyone. It's the opposite- its the attempt to bring the maximum joy through the most efficacious intended use of one's body.

There is such a thing as righteousness on earth. It's not an 'everything goes' sort of concept. The body is revered and respected as something which has a purpose on earth. One perhaps higher than society at large even contemplates.