Much like a quarterback suddenly tackled from behind by a player from the opposing side, the claim that God has rejected Israel and replaced the nation with the church represents a blindside attack on the integrity of Scripture.
The problem in Sodom was due more to the widespread acceptance of homosexuality than it was to the existence of homosexuality.
The election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as head of the Catholic Church has quickly become a huge public relations triumph for the Vatican. Pope Francis has gained admirers by reaching out to the common man and approaching his job with a level of humility unseen in the modern age.