Attending Get-Together for Homosexual Couple

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Not - by all the Pharisees …
Rainbow cake 😮
 
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Eddie18 said:
Yes, I know of clergy who have recommended people breaking ties even with their own children over such matters. The child needs to know how serious the situation is and that they are going to lose their soul. The parent in such a situation however should make sure it’s clear to their child that they love them and will accept them back should they give up their vice. A parent would do the same for any horrific sins, such as if their child was a murderer or rapist.
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😱

This is just so wrong on so many levels.

Being a parent means you take the risk of loving someone unconditionally, being their emotional and spiritual safety net in times of trouble – for the rest of your/their life. You cannot be picking and choosing when you love them.

Telling a gay adult child you will be there for them if they ever decide to come back around to what you approve of is the quintessential definition of conditional love. I think it profoundly disordered – especially as a Christian parent – to even consider this course of action!

Adult children choosing a lifestyle outside of Church teaching happens all the time. Apparently all those parents should cut off all ties to their children, because in some undefined clergy’s opinion the Church (starting with the “domestic church”) is only for the holy, and not for the sinners.

Personally, I don’t give a rat’s rear end what Fr Whose It from St Someone Parish says about teaching someone “how serious the situation is” – there is no way in hell or on earth that I will ever shun my son because he chooses to be something of which I disapprove!

That includes if he comes out as gay, or decides he’s actually a giraffe, or leaves the Church to become a Buddhist monk, or commits theft or rape or murder. Of course I will not enable him to sin – but he will never question that I will be at his side, loving him in whatever way that needs to be put into action.

Those clergy of which you speak are WRONG.

[takes deep cleansing breath]

Rant over.

I have housework to get done now.
 
If they’re in church - at least their repented- sinners ❤️
 
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Eddie18 said:
The Church teaches that there are 2 reasons to avoid sinners. The first is that there is danger of you falling into the same sin, and second, if there are others who know about the reputation of the sinner, it may spread scandal for you to be seen with them.

Even if scandal is not a risk, Catholics shouldn’t be keeping bad company either way. Your pastor may provide dispensations based on the situation.
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So if other people at work see me – who many know to be a devout Catholic – going on a walk at lunch everyday with my two friends (an atheist who’s an ex-Catholic, and an agnostic) they would be scandalized because I’m keeping company with people who don’t follow Church teaching???

I guess all Catholics should become like the Amish – isolating ourselves in communities that only welcome those who agree to follow the rules, and shunning and ejecting all those who stray from the rules.

No. Just no.
 
Many parents would never break ties with their beloved child even if the child was in prison for life for murder. Some would, but many wouldn’t, and don’t.

Likewise, many parents do not break ties with their beloved child who is leading a generally good and responsible life except for being involved in a romantic relationship, whether it’s same-sex or heterosexual, that does not conform to the Church and is therefore considered a grave sin. I am not gay but I committed a goodly number of grave sins, including sexual ones, in my younger days, and I am quite sure my mother would have never broken ties with me even if the Pope himself had appeared on her doorstep telling her to do so. (Which, by the way, I cannot imagine a Pope, or any sane priest, ever telling a mother.)

In any event, this is not about parents supporting a child, it is about someone outside the blood family who is a friend. It is in a different category.
 
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Theo2 said:
If I can’t associate with sinners, I have to stop going to church.
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Seagull said:
If they’re in church - at least they’re repented- sinners ❤️
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Not necessarily. I’ve known of plenty of people who attend mass, even regularly, who do not follow Church teachings regarding marriage, fornication, and other activities which are clearly sinful, and they make no apologies for continuing their actions.

Yet there they are in the pews every Sunday, thanks be to God! In time, and with God’s grace, I pray they will come around.

Don’t assume that everyone in mass on a Sunday are “repented sinners.” If someone says we cannot be in the presence of sinners because of scandal, then we absolutely would need to stay away from church – if not because of the unrepentant sinners, then because we might contaminate the holy ones by our presence.
 
See the quote I just posted a few minutes ago from the Summa Theologica. It is approved by the Catholic Church. I did not write it myself, St. Thomas Aquinas did.
 
As I said, I am not here to convince anyone.

I asked that you respect my opinion. You are not doing so; you are arguing with it.

I will respect your opinion by being the bigger person and not arguing back at you.

Have a nice day.
 
I just reached out to a local priest. (Not my parish priest because that would go something like: “Who are you to judge them. They are children of God and you should treat them with respect by attending the event. Etc…”) The priest gave some good advice in my opinion:
  • Dont go if your conscience dictates you not to go. Invoke St. Thomas Moore. If you went to a 4th of July BBQ or other dinner/get together with these men, it would not be a support of their sin. Tell your parents a priest told you these things. Your judgement is about actions not on their souls. Actions must be judged but souls are for God. If your parents threaten you with punishment, tell them you’ll suffer it for the greater glory of God.
 
Gertabelle, let us simply pray that those who make big speeches about shunning their children either do not have any children or are lucky enough to have children who either don’t commit any big sexual sins, or manage to completely hide said sins from their parents.

It is pointless to argue with someone who thinks he’s so right that he would endorse committing such harm upon his offspring. Prayer is the only constructive response.
 
While I completely agree with you following your individual conscience, which is pretty much what I said in the first line of my post, you biased the results by not selecting your parish priest who you know would say something in particular that you didn’t want to hear.

You will get widely differing advice about this even from priests. Which is understandable; priests are struggling with this whole issue too (pray for them, and for the Church).

Your own conscience is saying you are uncomfortable with going. So don’t go.
 
Eddie18 said:
See the quote I just posted a few minutes ago from the Summa Theologica. It is approved by the Catholic Church. I did not write it myself, St. Thomas Aquinas did.
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This one, yes?
Eddie18 said:
From the Summa Theologica:

“The weak should avoid associating with sinners, on account of the danger in which they stand of being perverted by them. But it is commendable for the perfect, of whose perversion there is no fear, to associate with sinners that they may convert them. For thus did Our Lord eat and drink with sinners as related by Mt. 9:11-13. Yet all should avoid the society of sinners, as regards fellowship in sin; in this sense it is written (2 Cor. 6:17): “Go out from among them . . . and touch not the unclean thing,” i.e. by consenting to sin”
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I ain’t perfect, but at my age I have a fairly good idea what tempts me, what doesn’t, and what to do when I experience temptation. So I know which “sinners” might lead me into sin, and which ones will have no influence on me. If I cut myself off from my lesbian colleagues for fear that they might contaminate me, that certainly is not going to bring them closer to conversion. :roll_eyes:

By the witness of my life, and the experience of the love of Christ through me, I hope to win souls for Him that He may be loved. St Teresa of Calcutta once said, “It is not enough for us to say we love. We must put our love into a living action.” Bit difficult to do that if we’re never around anyone.

I’ll leave the last word to you. I seriously have to get going on the housework!
 
Tis_Bearself said:
Gertabelle, let us simply pray that those who make big speeches about shunning their children either do not have any children or are lucky enough to have children who either don’t commit any big sexual sins, or manage to completely hide said sins from their parents.

It is pointless to argue with someone who thinks he’s so right that he would endorse committing such harm upon his offspring. Prayer is the only constructive response.
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Thanks, Bear. I’ll carry that bit of wisdom into my work and prayer today. :+1:t4:
 
It’s understood that we all commit sins and our parents still love us and support us. But here I am speaking of horrific sins that are habitually committed without stopping.

If your son comes home tonight and says he’s been murdering people on a regular basis, no parent in their right mind is just going to say, “You really need to stop doing that, but I love you, smooch”, then go on living as normal . Your son will just keep committing the same crimes if you don’t put your foot down. Just like when dealing with a disobedient child, your response as a parent needs to be firm for the child’s own good. I have seen many clergy take the approach I’m speaking of here, so I’m not just giving a wild opinion.
 
Eddie18 said:
It’s understood that we all commit sins and our parents still love us and support us. But here I am speaking of horrific sins that are habitually committed without stopping.

If your son comes home tonight and says he’s been murdering people on a regular basis, no parent in their right mind is just going to say, “You really need to stop doing that, but I love you, smooch”, then go on living as normal . Your son will just keep committing the same crimes if you don’t put your foot down. Just like when dealing with a disobedient child, your response as a parent needs to be firm for the child’s own good. I have seen many clergy take the approach I’m speaking of here, so I’m not just giving a wild opinion.
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That makes sense. If your child is a serial killer, he will continue to kill people if you don’t put your foot down and shun him… 🤔

In this case, the parents should probably call the police.
 
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As the quote states, if you are totally certain there is no fear of perversion on your part, by all means try to help the person. But you’ll notice the quote refers to those people as “the perfect”, and the majority of people are not perfect and will be susceptible to falling.
 
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