PORTSMOUTH, England, September 11, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) – Another British bishop has come to the defense of Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg who received strong backlash last week after saying on national TV that he took “seriously” Catholic teaching on homosexuality and abortion.
Portsmouth Bishop Philip Egan said it wasn’t surprising that Rees-Mogg was the target of backlash from those who despise Catholic sexual teaching. When their lifestyle is challenged, he told the Catholic Herald, they “lash out, full of rage” as a way of justifying their situation.
“Like with a drunk, you can’t reason with them,” he said.
Bishop Egan went on to describe how the rejection of sexual morality opens one up to demonic influence.
“When on matters of sexual morality, people do not espouse chastity, they open themselves to deep-seated forces within. They can even unwittingly allow the Evil One to bind himself like a serpent tightly around their hearts,” he said.
The bishop added that often when this point is reached people miss out on the beauty of Church teaching and its path to human fulfillment.
“Sadly, as a consequence, they never hear how much Christ and His Church loves them and wants to lift them up to nobler, more beautiful and more fulfilling way of life,” he said.
Rees-Mogg was attacked in the media after his comments on Good Morning Britain on Thursday. He said that marriage was a sacrament, that life was “sacrosanct,” and that he took the teachings of the Catholic Church “seriously.”
The Catholic MP said that life begins at conception, that abortion was “morally indefensible” and he was personally opposed to it even in cases of rape and incest.
Abortion supporters and gay “marriage” advocates jumped on the Member of Parliament with charges of bigotry and extremism, saying he had abhorrent views.
But Shrewsbury Bishop Mark Davies and others defended Rees-Mogg and praised his statements.
“I think we should all be grateful for the integrity of politicians like Jacob Rees-Mogg who fearlessly speak of those Christian convictions on which our society was built,” Bishop Davies said.