Church Preaching Against Gays - How Often

[FrederickOz]

I think that the Catholic Church hardly ever mentioned the subject of homosexuality until the prospect of gay marriage came up. If this can be proven to be the case then it would be easy to point out that the church was not homophobic, but instead only speaks to protect marriage.

Does anyone know of any electronic tools that could let you see the subjects discussed by the pope over the past 30 years?

 

[Corki]

Google

 

[Nigel7]

Church Preaching Against Gays - How Often

The Catholic Church does not “preach against gays”. It preaches against sin. It is as much against sinful heterosexual lifestyles (sex outside of marriage, for example) as it is against the homosexual lifestyle.

A gay person can be every bit a good Catholic as a straight person. It’s all about turning away from our sin, whatever the nature of our disordered sexual temptations may be.
We are all called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Christ and His teachings, regardless of our sexual orientation.

 

[ilySHJ]

In over 50 years, I’ve never heard anyone - neither layman nor priest nor religious - preach against gays. Never, not once.

 

[bzkoss236]

The Catholic Church does not “preach against gays”. It preaches against sin. It is as much against sinful heterosexual lifestyles (sex outside of marriage, for example) as it is against the homosexual lifestyle.

A gay person can be every bit a good Catholic as a straight person. It’s all about turning away from our sin, whatever the nature of our disordered sexual temptations may be.
We are all called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Christ and His teachings, regardless of our sexual orientation.

Amen!

And Homophobic means a fear of homosexuals, which I’m sure most people don’t have, especially not the Church, which is on a mission of love. As stated, a gay person (meaning a person who suffers from same-sex attraction) can be just as good a Catholic as a straight person. We are accepting of gays, but not the “gay lifestyle” (i.e. sex outside of marriage).

 

[Aboveallbereal]

In over 50 years, I’ve never heard anyone - neither layman nor priest nor religious - preach against gays. Never, not once.

I am a 47 year old man and I can honestly say I cannot recall one instance of hearing preaching or homily devoted to “being against gays”. Often I have heard talk of sacrifice, love, duty, endurance etc but never to my recollection gays.

The reality is that it is secular society that is obsessed with the Church and its refusal to accept secular moeurs and norms in this area and secularists only ever focus on the Church on matters sexual thus the notion prevalent in the culture that Christians are obsessed by gays…we are not. they are.

 

[RPRPsych]

The Catholic Church does not “preach against gays”. It preaches against sin. It is as much against sinful heterosexual lifestyles (sex outside of marriage, for example) as it is against the homosexual lifestyle.

A gay person can be every bit a good Catholic as a straight person. It’s all about turning away from our sin, whatever the nature of our disordered sexual temptations may be.
We are all called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Christ and His teachings, regardless of our sexual orientation.

Very well said.

This has become an issue only because our current society is obsessed with sex and sexual practices.

All of us have our crosses to carry.

The alcoholic is tempted by alcohol.
The short-tempered person can easily turn violent or verbally abusive.
The homosexual (or gay, if you will) suffers from same-sex attraction.
And, of course, a heterosexual man or woman can be tempted to adultery, pornography, fornication, masturbation, and the like.

All of these are mortal sins. It’s just that, for political reasons, the “gay rights” movement (a sad misnomer) pretends that “gay persecution” is the only moral or social evil in today’s world.

 

[_Abyssinia]

The Catholic Church does not “preach against gays”. It preaches against sin. It is as much against sinful heterosexual lifestyles (sex outside of marriage, for example) as it is against the homosexual lifestyle.

A gay person can be every bit a good Catholic as a straight person. It’s all about turning away from our sin, whatever the nature of our disordered sexual temptations may be.
We are all called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Christ and His teachings, regardless of our sexual orientation.

Well put

 

[Seeker1961]

I really haven’t experienced preaching against gays from Priests, but I’ve heard PLENTY of it from my fellow Catholics. They’ve covered it quite well.

 

[rossum]

I think that the Catholic Church hardly ever mentioned the subject of homosexuality until the prospect of gay marriage came up. If this can be proven to be the case then it would be easy to point out that the church was not homophobic, but instead only speaks to protect marriage.

Does anyone know of any electronic tools that could let you see the subjects discussed by the pope over the past 30 years?

You might want to look at different countries when the laws against homosexuality were being repealed. What was the Church’s stance on repeal of the various sodomy laws around the world: for repeal, against repeal, neutral?. Gay marriage did not even become an issue until after the anti-sodomy laws were repealed (1967 in the UK).

rossum

 

[Bill_7154]

I think that the Catholic Church hardly ever mentioned the subject of homosexuality until the prospect of gay marriage came up. If this can be proven to be the case then it would be easy to point out that the church was not homophobic, but instead only speaks to protect marriage.

Does anyone know of any electronic tools that could let you see the subjects discussed by the pope over the past 30 years?

I don’t think that Priests or Nuns or Bishops spoke about homosexuality much over the years, at least in recent times. But I am certain that members of the Church have done so and continue to do so. And when they do, I think it is rare for them to speak of loving the person who identifies as homosexual in a real meaningful way. I think there are (know there are) some Catholics that are homophobic and or dislike homosexuals and also one’s that appoint themselves as people to preach against homosexuality. IMO that is better left to God. Homosexuals are not unaware that the Catholic religion is against homosexual acts nor are they ignorant of what the bible says about homosexuality.

God Bless,
Bill

 

[Bill_7154]

I am a 47 year old man and I can honestly say I cannot recall one instance of hearing preaching or homily devoted to “being against gays”. Often I have heard talk of sacrifice, love, duty, endurance etc but never to my recollection gays.

The reality is that it is secular society that is obsessed with the Church and its refusal to accept secular moeurs and norms in this area and secularists only ever focus on the Church on matters sexual thus the notion prevalent in the culture that Christians are obsessed by gays…we are not. they are.

I agree with this. Many gays and non gays are against the Catholic Religion, make jokes about it, and under the umbrella of being anti-Catholic they enjoy brining up the priests that were sued for doing wrong things with kids and the Church being against homosexuality and it telling people gays are going to hell which is not helpful to gays. This common belief becomes generalized IMO and they numerous positive things the Church does for individuals and families, even if they do not believe in God, gets left out of their perspective alltogether. This will also turn people who are religious but not Catholic to form negative opinions about the Catholic Faith, which is a shame.

God Bless,
Bill

 

[Captain_America]

I’ve never heard the Church preach against gays. … OP, have YOU heard this anywhere?

The point is that homosexuality really is a developmental disorder with an addictive sexual basis. The “intrinsically disordered” phrase is often taken to be “mean” (and Americans must NEVER be mean!), but it’s a concise way of saying this. I doubt many practicing homosexuals feel happy with it.

The Church is the world’s largest funder of AIDS treatment; consistently the view the Church has toward homosexuals is one of love, of the kind of love Christ showed us to have toward all sinners. The phrasing here is “hate the sin, love the sinner”; this pretty much sums it up.

 

[Sarcelle]

I really haven’t experienced preaching against gays from Priests, but I’ve heard PLENTY of it from my fellow Catholics. They’ve covered it quite well.

Not surprising.

That does not mean that the Church is anti-gay. It means individual Catholics may be anti-gay. The question is if they are, are they obeying or going against Church teachings?

 

[Sarcelle]

Disagreeing with someone’s lifestyle and/or opinion does not equal hate.

 

[Bill_7154]

Disagreeing with someone’s lifestyle and/or opinion does not equal hate.

Of course it doesn’t. There is a wide spectrum of views of someone’s (in this instance gays) lifestyle. It goes from celebrating it and promoting it at every oppportunity to being neutral about it, to disagreeing with it, all the way to hating. Catholics, other Christians, individuals from other religions, and athiests all fall somewhere on that spectrum.

I think honesty is important. Some Catholics/Christians disagree with a homosexual lifestyle. Within that group some stay silent on the issue while being open to having close friends who are gay, some stay quiet and would not befrend a homosexual, some actively speak out against it, some hate the lifestyle but don’t speak out against it, some hate the lifestyle and homosexuals themselves, etc…

I think it is wrong for individuals to generalize homosexuals as all being super nice people who do a lot for their community or whatever and also think it is wrong to generalize homosexuals (by those who view the lifestyle as wrong) being viewed as being against their lifestyle but loving them as children of God because some people clearly dislike homosexuals themselves and some people hate them.

God Bless,
Bill.

 

[ilySHJ]

Of course it doesn’t. There is a wide spectrum of views of someone’s (in this instance gays) lifestyle. It goes from celebrating it and promoting it at every oppportunity to being neutral about it, to disagreeing with it, all the way to hating. Catholics, other Christians, individuals from other religions, and athiests all fall somewhere on that spectrum.

You’re accurate that virtually every person of any faith or no faith would fall somewhere on this spectrum. But that’s a truism - true in every instance no matter what the topic - true whether we discuss vegetarianism or Martians or homosexuality.

I think honesty is important. Some Catholics/Christians disagree with a homosexual lifestyle. Within that group some stay silent on the issue while being open to having close friends who are gay, some stay quiet and would not befrend a homosexual, some actively speak out against it, some hate the lifestyle but don’t speak out against it, some hate the lifestyle and homosexuals themselves, etc…

Catholics in good standing follow the Church’s teaching that a homosexual lifestyle is a danger to ones immortal soul.

I think it is wrong for individuals to generalize homosexuals as all being super nice people who do a lot for their community or whatever…

Generalizing - a mainstream media specialty - news, movies, shows, …

… and also think it is wrong to generalize homosexuals (by those who view the lifestyle as wrong) being viewed as being against their lifestyle but loving them as children of God because some people clearly dislike homosexuals themselves and some people hate them.

Your exact meaning might’ve gone over my head, but where do you meet these “haters”?

In six different states, from California to the mid-Atlantic, I’ve lived and moved in Catholic circles from liberal to conservative. NEVER have I heard Catholics speak uncharitably about gays. Even in private conversation, no one is making unkind remarks.

The Church’s teaching: Love the sinner without embracing his sin.

God Bless,
Bill.

God bless you, too!

 

[CopticChristian]

I think that the Catholic Church hardly ever mentioned the subject of homosexuality until the prospect of gay marriage came up. If this can be proven to be the case then it would be easy to point out that the church was not homophobic, but instead only speaks to protect marriage.

Does anyone know of any electronic tools that could let you see the subjects discussed by the pope over the past 30 years?

Fred,

Where is it you find that a defense is needing for a charge of homophobia of the Catholic Church?

 

[Bill_7154]

I think that the Catholic Church hardly ever mentioned the subject of homosexuality until the prospect of gay marriage came up. If this can be proven to be the case then it would be easy to point out that the church was not homophobic, but instead only speaks to protect marriage.

Does anyone know of any electronic tools that could let you see the subjects discussed by the pope over the past 30 years?

I agree with you. I think ‘the church’ gets blamed because of the actions of one or more individuals (Kathy, who is Catholic said something not appealing to some gays so “the church is talking bad about gays”)

Peace,
Bill

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

I think that the Catholic Church hardly ever mentioned the subject of homosexuality until the prospect of gay marriage came up. If this can be proven to be the case then it would be easy to point out that the church was not homophobic, but instead only speaks to protect marriage.

Does anyone know of any electronic tools that could let you see the subjects discussed by the pope over the past 30 years?

While priests don’t say much about it this forum loves to talk about it, I’ve seen 40 concurrent threads about it before.

The Catholic Church does not “preach against gays”. It preaches against sin. It is as much against sinful heterosexual lifestyles (sex outside of marriage, for example) as it is against the homosexual lifestyle.

A gay person can be every bit a good Catholic as a straight person. It’s all about turning away from our sin, whatever the nature of our disordered sexual temptations may be.
We are all called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Christ and His teachings, regardless of our sexual orientation.

I love how you belittle them

Very well said.

This has become an issue only because our current society is obsessed with sex and sexual practices.

All of us have our crosses to carry.

The alcoholic is tempted by alcohol.
The short-tempered person can easily turn violent or verbally abusive.
The homosexual (or gay, if you will) suffers from same-sex attraction.
And, of course, a heterosexual man or woman can be tempted to adultery, pornography, fornication, masturbation, and the like.

All of these are mortal sins. It’s just that, for political reasons, the “gay rights” movement (a sad misnomer) pretends that “gay persecution” is the only moral or social evil in today’s world.

You forgot masturbation and divorce which the Catechism also calls “inordinata” and both of which have been normalised.

I really haven’t experienced preaching against gays from Priests, but I’ve heard PLENTY of it from my fellow Catholics. They’ve covered it quite well.

Doesn’t it just make you feel wonderful too hear people using words like f** or f*****?