Homosexuality
Catechism #2358-2359:
The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

Men and woman complementarity, Catechism #2333
“Physical, moral and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. The harmony of the couple and of society depends in part on the way in which the complementarity, needs and mutual support between the sexes are lived out”.


The Third Way from Blackstone Films.


Help accompany someone with same-sex attraction
How-to-accompany

Seven Things I Wish My Pastor Knew About My Homosexuality
Our-children-need-to-know-that-nobody's-gay
Not-Born-that-Way

Homosexuality-a-new-approach-is-needed
Testimonials of healing
Does-the-church-hate-persons-with-same-sex-attraction? -Register
Love does not lie -Jeff Mirus
Caring, inclusive and afraid: A Case study -Jeff Mirus
How-parents-should-respond-to-a-child-“coming-out
Defense of Marriage USA bishops.
Sexual Identity Crisis  Benedict XVI

Faithful Catholics Threatened by world and from within.
Same Sex Attraction Stats
What-happens-when-the-gay-rights-movement-influences-laws

Gender Theory, transgender
Prominent-gay-atheist:transgenderism-is-a-lie
Gender Theory, What Church Teaches

Same sex unions / Defense of Marriage
Why two of same sex cannot marry -Fr. Jordi Rivero
10 reasons why homosexual "Marriage" is harmful
Jesus Marriage and Homosexuality

Same sex unions, why not 
-Catholic Answers
Defense of Marriage
-Bishop Cordileone
Nature of Marriage
 -Cardinal George of Chicago
Same sex unions chart to explain

Book: "Living the Truth in Love" Edited by Janet Smith and Fr. Paul Check. Ignatius Press.

Support for those seeking chastity 
Same same attraction can be changed  exgaystudy.org. This fact is often denied to satisfy the gay culture.
Courage
Narth The only organization of psychologists that believes that homosexuality has environmental causes and that change is possible.
Parents-guide-to-prevent-homosexuality
CD
What has the Church to offer to those with same sex attraction
Pastoral care for same sex attraction
Coming-out-the-Catholic-way.aspx
Young People with same sex attraction
-Canadian Bishops, 2011

Testimony of those who turned to Christ
I am more than my sexuality -Testimony of one who turned to Christ
A woman with same sex attraction

Adoptions, same sex
Raised by same sex "parents", Dawn's testimony
Growing up with two moms

Testimony of Women Raised by Same Sex Partnership
Dear-gay-community-your-kids-are-hurting

 

All unchaste behavior is sinful, not just homosexuality.
-Fr. Jordi Rivero
God our Father has a perfect plan for our lives. We all has some tendencies that work against His plan and we all need to trust God and die to ourselves so that we can be born to a new life. If we obey His revealed plan for our lives, we will grow in true love. But if we do not, we will be fooled to believe that we are loving when in truth we are being selfish. This is so of all unchaste behavior, whether it is pornography, masturbation, prostitution, fornication, contraception, adultery or homosexuality. They are all motivated by a desire for sexual fulfillment outside God's plan for love and life. This has been true always and will always be because the truth does not change by popular opinion.

We will be under increasing pressure not only to tolerate but to support sinful behavior. 

¨By announcing their proclivities publicly, "open" homosexuals are not only telling others that they have accepted themselves as active homosexuals; they are insisting that others accept them on that basis, as well. What otherwise would be the reason for openly declaring their sexual proclivities?¨ -crisismagazine

In face of this difficult times we cannot forget the Lord's command to LOVE even those who persecute us. We should lovingly support persons with same sex attraction who are seeking to be chaste. They need us more than ever because the culture will be pressuring them to yield to their attraction. They need brothers and sisters who LOVE them and support them in their struggle. 

It is not enough to hold the Catholic position. We need to understand it and be able to explain it. We should know the following and be able to teach it:

 Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 2358 and 2359

The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

 

The future of humanity at stake
"In addition to a clear goal, that of leading young people to a full knowledge of reality and thus of truth, education needs settings. Among these, pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman. This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself."  -Benedict XVI. Full text

-"Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder."  -Cardinal Ratzinger, 1986 Letter on Pastoral Care of Homosexuals, written to the Bishops of the Catholic Church.

-Having same sex attraction is not a sin. Engaging in such acts is. Every human being has passions and desires that, if acted upon, would be sinful.  For example, any sexual behavior outside of marriage is sinful. These are opportunities to show our love for Christ by overcoming our desires.

-The origins of same sex attraction are debatable. But the cause does not determine the moral value of an act.

-Just because something comes from nature does not mean it is good. Earthquakes come from nature. Some people are born blind. These things are part of the brokenness of the world and not part of the goodness of creation. God does allow them and if we carry the cross they represent we can grow in virtue.

-Same-sex attraction is disordered. It does not mean the person is evil. We don't say a a man born blind is evil but we do say blindness is a disorder of the eye.

-Celibacy lived in Christ is a blessing and all those not called to the blessing of holy marriage (one man and one woman) are called to it.

 

Reflections of a Catholic celibate homosexual

Where are all these bigoted Catholics I keep hearing about? When I told my family a year ago, not one of them responded with anything but love and understanding. Nobody acted like I had a disease. Nobody started treating me differently or looking at me funny. The same is true of every one of the Catholic friends that I’ve told. They love me for who I am.

Actually, the only time I get shock or disgust or disbelief, the only time I’ve noticed people treating me differently after I tell them, is when I tell someone who supports the gay lifestyle. Celibacy?? You must be some kind of freak.

Hooray for tolerance of different viewpoints. I’m grateful to gay activists for some things — making people people more aware of the prevalence of homosexuality, making homophobia less socially acceptable — but they also make it more difficult for me to be understood, to be accepted for who I am and what I believe. If I want open-mindedness, acceptance, and understanding, I look to Catholics.

Is it hard to be gay and Catholic? Yes, because like everybody, I sometimes want things that are not good for me. The Church doesn’t let me have those things, not because she’s mean, but because she’s a good mother. If my son or daughter wanted to eat sand I’d tell them: that’s not what eating is for; it won’t nourish you; it will hurt you. Maybe my daughter has some kind of condition that makes her like sand better than food, but I still wouldn’t let her eat it. Actually, if she was young or stubborn enough, I might not be able to reason with her — I might just have to make a rule against eating sand. Even if she thought I was mean.

So the Church doesn’t oppose gay marriage because it’s wrong; she opposes it because it’s impossible, just as impossible as living on sand. The Church believes, and I believe, in a universe that means something, and in a God who made the universe — made men and women, designed sex and marriage from the ground up. In that universe, gay marriage doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t fit with the rest of the picture, and we’re not about to throw out the rest of the picture.

If you don’t believe in these things, if you believe that men and women and sex and marriage are pretty much whatever we say they are, then okay: we don’t have much left to talk about. That’s not the world I live in.

So, yes, it’s hard to be gay and Catholic — it’s hard to be anything and Catholic — because I don’t always get to do what I want. Show me a religion where you always get to do what you want and I’ll show you a pretty shabby, lazy religion. Something not worth living or dying for, or even getting up in the morning for. That might be the kind of world John Lennon wanted, but John Lennon was kind of an idiot.

Would I trade in my Catholicism for a worldview where I get to marry a man? Would I trade in the Eucharist and the Mass and the rest of it? Being a Catholic means believing in a God who literally waits in the chapel for me, hoping I’ll stop by just for ten minutes so he can pour out love and healing on my heart. Which is worth more — all this, or getting to have sex with who I want? I wish everybody, straight or gay, had as beautiful a life as I have.

I know this isn’t a satisfactory answer. I don’t think any words could be. I try to make my life a satisfactory answer, to this question and to others: What are people for? What is love, and what does it look like? How do we get past our own selfishness so we can love God and our neighbors and ourselves?

It’s a work in progress.

Steve can be found at www.stevegershom.com

More info

Medical Downside of Homosexual Behavior; 2003. >>>

The Homosexual Person; John Harvey OSFS, 1987. >>>

APA Ignored Evidence that Homosexual Behavior is Part of Psychiatric Disorder Says Noted Psychiatrist, 2005. >>>

Federal Distortion of Homosexual Footprint (Ignoring Early Gay Death?)2007. >>>

Homosexual Unions Last Only 1.5 Years >>>

The Truth About Homosexuality. >>>

Same Sex Relationships are not the Equivalent of Marriage >>> 

 

Love Crucified