Evangelization & Homosexuality

[Brother Adam]

From St. Paul Street Evangelization:

 

 

Module 2: Homosexuality

Lately, everywhere you go, it seems as if there is a mind set of “homophobia-phobia”.  Those who understand God’s words on homosexuality are becoming more afraid of being labeled as, “homophobic”.  Even those who have a great deal of experience with this lifestyle are pressured to keep silent on making other’s aware of negative effects of this lifestyle.  It seems as if it is becoming increasingly difficult to change the hearts and minds of those who support same sex marriage, but I can assure you, it is indeed possible.  I am a witness of what the Holy Spirit can do.  I grew up with a gay father, and I was once was a very vocal supporter of gay rights and adoption of gay couples.  Once I knew the TRUTH, everything in life finally made sense, but of course was turned upside-down.  Hopefully I can give some insight on some of the biggest arguments for same sex marriage and  homosexuality, based on my own experience.

 

When I describe to others my father’s depression, which I witnessed throughout his life, many will claim it was due to his life living with discrimination.  This is a very poor argument, because he was a middle class white male, who I never witnessed being discriminated against in public or with family.  In his daily life, no one would have would have known he was openly gay unless he was showing public displays of affection with his partner.  He was depressed because of his lifestyle, because it leads to death.  Sexual release without life created, disease (he had HIV), even the ability to have actual sex with someone you are attracted to, and the very worse, going against God’s will.  It is common courtesy, for a homosexual or heterosexual, that you don’t grope, make out, or engage in borderline sexual activity in public.  This claim of discrimination is quite offensive to those who are discriminated based on something visible that cannot be changed; race, handicap, gender, etc.  My father was free to do as he wished in his own home. He was also equal to everyone else, because he could marry someone of the opposite sex, just like everyone else.  We must be kind to everyone, no matter what they are struggling with, but if there are those who condemn the homosexual lifestyle I bet there are just as many, if not more, who condemn me for being a Catholic.

 

When we quote Scripture, those Christians who support same sex marriage will claim that, “times have changed”, or “that’s not what God meant”.  The first claim would imply that God is ignorant.  When Jesus walked among us, he knew and loved all of us, even if we were not on Earth while he was.  Jesus is God, and God knows all.  Jesus knew about homosexuality, because it’s mentioned in the Bible  (Rom. 1:26–27, 1 Cor. 6:9–10, 1 Tim. 1:8–10, Jude 7, and in Genesis).  If he wanted there to be a time where this lifestyle was acceptable,  He would have told us!  The second claim, “that’s not what God meant” is just another typical Protestant claim, such as their understanding of true presence in the Eucharist.  Taking bits Scripture out of context and giving yourself the authority to interpret what it means is not something God wants us to do.  This is what his Church is for.  Bringing up Old Testament law, such as temple sacrifices or consumption of pork is a big go-to for atheists.  They point out how there was, “old law” and how unusual some of the things were, so they lump condemnations of homosexuality in there with these, “silly old laws”.  They seem to ignore that the New Testament is clear on what Jesus taught about homosexuality, since it’s reiterated several times.

 

Many supporters of same sex marriage claim that it’s natural because it’s found in the animal world.  Yes, dogs do engage in homosexual behavior, but it’s more for establishing dominance, not creating a lasting bond between the two.  There are animals who eat their young and kill their mates after mating, so it must be natural for humans too?  We are not wild animals, therefore we should never be comparing ourselves to them.  There is also no way to engage in homosexual sex.  They can call it sex, but it’s not.  It’s also very unnatural just on the pure fact that engaging in this activity causes physical damage (mostly with homosexual men) to the body and spreads disease.  God did not intend for sex organs to be used in this way, and it is obvious in biological observations.  According to the Family Research Council, the lifespan for homosexual men is 20 years less than that of a heterosexual.  My father passed away at 52, which is around the average age for many studies done on this.

 

Another argument for same sex marriage is that everyone should be able to commit to someone they love.  This implies that those attracted to dogs or little children should also be able to marry them.  I know this sounds harsh, but this is what this thinking leads to.  Before 1975, the APA listed homosexuality as a mental illness and much of the world agreed with this.  How could things change so drastically?  Our media and entertainment have desensitized us to this lifestyle and it will only be a matter of time before other groups push their way in.  There is already a popular reality show on polygamy.  This is an easy way to push an agenda, by taking people living the lifestyle and make us sympathize with them.  For example, “Oh, that John guy seems like such a nice guy.  He can’t help it that he loves little children.  God must have made him that way and it’s not his fault”.  I know many times we are talking about two consenting adults, not children, but there used to be a time where homosexuality was frowned upon.  So, were our grandparents, great grandparents and ancestors bigots?  There used to be laws (and there still might be in some states) that outlaw homosexuality, so that you could be arrested for it.  While I agree that this treatment of homosexuals is wrong, you can see how serious a matter it used to be.  Marriage has always been known as a permanent bond between a man and a woman, who would bear offspring.  A man and a man can not do this.  A woman and a woman can not do this.  It’s not bigotry, it’s biological.

 

One of the biggest arguments for same sex marriage, is that homosexuality is not a choice.  This implies that one has absolutely no control over their sexual urges and when they aren’t even expecting it, they are engaging in sex with someone of the same sex!  Unfortunately, this way of thinking has taken over our society and is an excuse for promiscuous sex with heterosexuals as well.  People in our society have begun to believe that sex is a bodily function as important as breathing.  If sex is seen as something sacred, people would not behave in many of the ways that they do.  Pope John Paul II’s, “Theology of the Body” does a wonderful job of explaining God’s plan in regards to sexuality and is what really helped me to better understand the teachings of the Church.  There are people who have same sex attraction, but if we love them, we would want them to be close to God.  Love is not using someone for your own sexual desires, or seeing them as a sexual object.  If we love someone, we tell them the truth.  We don’t harass, intimidate, or judge their soul, but we tell them the truth and continue loving them.

 

The last argument that I’ll comment on, is that homosexuals have the right to adopt.  I used to think this way.  I considered myself  “normal”, even though I suffered depression for much of my life and had years of counseling.  To say two men can’t adopt, would mean that maybe I was somehow affected by it, which I was, but I didn’t want to admit it.  I lived with my mother much of the time, who also had relationships with different men over time.  So, my mother wasn’t modeling a good heterosexual relationship either.  Yes, there are horrible households where children are abused, malnourished, and uncared for.  This doesn’t mean that it makes it ok to knowingly place a child in a home with a homosexual couple, or a single person, who cannot give a child what he or she deserves, a mother and a father.  It’s that simple.  As a child grows, they learn by observation.  When there are not proper gender roles present, the child is deprived.  There are homosexual couples who are having “their own” children, but the child is told that two women are their mothers, and they have no father.  This is a lie and must be very confusing to children growing up in this situation.

 

Unfortunately, we have to understand that no matter how much we know Scripture or pray, we will be attacked for our beliefs.  Satan is real, and has been successful in convincing many that sin is ok.  There are a few suggestions that I would give to someone discussing same sex marriage and/or homosexuality with someone.

1. Keep in mind that who ever you are talking to probably knows someone who has same sex attraction.  Our society  not only condones this behavior, but promotes it.  So, we must be sensitive that whoever we’re speaking to may feel personally attacked when you are discussing this topic.  If someone would have condoned homosexuality to me before I knew the truth, I would have been very defensive and throw out the, “well, my dad is gay and I’m fine”.
2. Promote chastity and modesty.  Stick to discussing the design of the family that God has for us.  “Theology of the Body” is a wonderful source.  Once one understands God’s plan, homosexuality no longer makes sense.
3. Tell the person to pray about it.  This is what brought me to the truth.  I left the faith for awhile, mostly due to Church teaching on this issue.  I wanted to come back, but prayed for God to help me understand.  I gained the wisdom, but He also gave me a lot more that I wasn’t expecting.  I desired to know more and read what the Church taught for myself, but only when I was ready.  I would have never thought I’d have the faith that I do now.  All the glory is to be given to God.
4. Pray for them.  Ask them to pray with you, for the Holy Spirit to come upon them and to enlighten them.  Pray for understanding.
5. Explain how you deeply care about homosexual people, that’s why you want them to understand how they can be happy.  They will never be happy living in a homosexual lifestyle.  I’ve seen first hand how many living this lifestyle abuse drugs, alcohol and are not monogamous (even if they have a “partner”).  No one wants their loved one to contract HIV, be depressed or die young.  It seems as if pulling someone away from a homosexual lifestyle is equivalent to getting someone off drugs, especially in society today.  For me, it was too late.  The only way I can help my father now is to pray for his soul.
6. Assure the person that you’re talking to that the Church welcomes these people, because they are loved, but God doesn’t like the sin.

As long as you have planted a seed, God can help it grow.  When there aren’t many who are willing to speak up against homosexuality today, you may be the piece of truth someone needs to come to full understanding.

 

Written by Angela Van Haitsma a Catholic home school mom and St. Paul Street Evangelization editor.(c) 2013 St. Paul Street Evangelization. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

[cappie]

True, very thoughtful article coming from a different country and maybe from a different perspective: I wrote elsewhere............

 

The Bible is very clear that God loves everyone, and welcomes all into his family, the church, through faith in Christ, whatever our gender, class or race and, we might add, sexuality. We do need to keep stressing that.

 

But we also need to recognise the fact that the Bible is consistently negative about homosexual sex, and, indeed, about any sex outside heterosexual marriage. The Bible presents only two alternatives: heterosexual marriage or celibacy. Celibacy, whether deliberately chosen as a vocation or reluctantly accepted as a circumstance, is hard. But when tempted to self-pity, I remind myself that that’s true, not just for those attracted to the same sex, but for all who remain single despite longing to be married or those who, for whatever reason, are denied sex in their marriages.

 

While homosexual sin must always be resisted, the circumstances which often accompany same-sex attraction should be accepted as a context in which God can work. There is, without doubt, a difficult aspect to those circumstances, such as, for example, the frustration of not being able to experience the intimacy of a sexual relationship or a feeling of isolation because of the sense of being different. They can nonetheless be viewed in some senses positively, because of a recognition that God is sovereign over them and can work in and through them for his glory, the good of others and our own growth into the likeness of Christ.

 

This perspective should transform how we view all the difficult circumstances in our lives. We’re not called to a super-spiritual positivity which denies the frustration and pain; nor are we to embrace a passivity which spurns any opportunity to change our situation. But we are to recognise the loving hand of God in all we experience and see it as an opportunity for service, growth and fruitfulness.

 

Finally, I believe that  it’s important to recognise that very often God’s power is seen, not by him removing our temptations and difficult circumstances, but by giving us the strength to persevere and live for him in the midst of them.

 

This is (amongst other things) what I try to share... :unsure:

 

[Kateri89]

This was a great read :)

[4588686]

Yawn. It's becoming increasingly difficult to change hearts and minds because your religion is a lie and people are becoming increasingly intolerant of adults with imaginary friends telling everybody else what to do.

#realtalk

Edited May 25, 2013 by Hasan

[CatholicsAreKewl]

Yawn. It's becoming increasingly difficult to change hearts and minds because your religion is a lie and people are becoming increasingly intolerant of adults with imaginary friends telling everybody else what to do.

#realtalk

 

Have you not seen the banana video yet? STOP EMBRACING IGNORANCE.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z-OLG0KyR4

[Chestertonian]

Yawn. It's becoming increasingly difficult to change hearts and minds because your religion is a lie and people are becoming increasingly intolerant of adults with imaginary friends telling everybody else what to do.

#realtalk

 

Not sure if fighting bigotry with bigotry is the way to go here.

[Brother Adam]

Yawn. It's becoming increasingly difficult to change hearts and minds because your religion is a lie and people are becoming increasingly intolerant of adults with imaginary friends telling everybody else what to do.

#realtalk

 

It's not difficult at all. As we give lay Catholics the language to speak to others it is becoming increasingly easier.

[Brother Adam]

Have you not seen the banana video yet? STOP EMBRACING IGNORANCE.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z-OLG0KyR4

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEfp7um-ONk

[CatholicsAreKewl]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEfp7um-ONk

What is this? An argument for atheism?

[4588686]

Not sure if fighting bigotry with bigotry is the way to go here.

 

 

What did I say that was bigoted?

[Chestertonian]

What did I say that was bigoted?

 

Was kinda hoping you'd see the hypocrisy in your post and apologize. Since you don't, I'm going to save us some time:

 

my post: definition of bigotry

your post: stubbornly deny any elements of bigotry in your post

my post: I forgot that it's not possible for people to be bigoted towards Catholics

your post: Catholics are the bigots, not me

 

 

 

 

[Chestertonian]

Sorry for my contribution in derailing this thread. I'm leaving now to avoid derailing it any further.

[CatholicsAreKewl]

Sorry for my contribution in derailing this thread. I'm leaving now to avoid derailing it any further.

 

Stop interrupting our fruit videos. 

[4588686]

Was kinda hoping you'd see the hypocrisy in your post and apologize. Since you don't, I'm going to save us some time:

 

my post: definition of bigotry

your post: stubbornly deny any elements of bigotry in your post

my post: I forgot that it's not possible for people to be bigoted towards Catholics

your post: Catholics are the bigots, not me

 

 

There was intentional irony in my use of the term 'tolerance.'  But there was no bigotry in my post.  Point to something specific.   

[dominicansoul]

I love St. Paul Street Evangelists, I pray for them every single day and contribute to them to help their apostolate.  There is a branch working on campus here at my University.  Their fruit can be seen at Mass!  We've never had such crowds at daily Mass before! :)

 

 

Great read!