Conservatism Blamed for Gay Teen Suicides

[St_Francis]

I’m not a teen, but I would like to make an important point.

I’ve been cursed with same-sex attractions. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the worst things that could happen to a person, being cursed with same-sex attractions.

The hateful attitudes shown by conservatives towards homosexual persons doesn’t help, believe me. As far as I’m concerned, I bear the trifecta of being persona non grata in the Catholic Church:

1. Cursed with SSA
2. Public employee/union member
3. Not a Republican.

Why, I should be cursed with book, bell and candle right now and declared anathema maranatha! After all, I’m completely worthless and of no use to God, His Church or this country. Maybe I should be dead. I know it would make a lot of conservatives happy.

Oh, and the only reason I haven’t jumped in front of a train or something…I believe hell awaits on the other side.

Consider the teaching of the Church, which is that we are to be kind to everyone. we are to accept the person even as we reject his sin, which we are not to assume or judge in any case.

If one considers the difference between Catholic theology and Protestant theology, one will see a huge difference. Protestant theology is that people are basically evil, that we can do nothing about the state of our souls, and that there are the elect, those favored by God, are “blessed” in this life with material goods and a great life and are predestined to go to Heaven.

Catholic theology is totally different. First, we are in charge of the state of our souls, we can progress by accepting and using God’s grace, that we must all suffer in this lofe and that suffering has meaning and draws us closer to God by our acceptance and sharing of Christ’s cross.

We hate to see people promote sinful activity promoted, esp to young pelple who are often at a confused time of life, and the current big promoter is the activist homosexual community, so we are against what they are doing. But just as former famed atheists and advocates of abortion have been welcomed into the Church, so are former homosexual activists, and they should be welcomed by everyone just as they would want to be welcomed. However, we are all sinners still…

As to being the member of a public employees union, I would say that most Catholics in real life don’t care, or would actually be happy about. Same with being a Democrat, many Catholics are Democrat or would be if not for the abortion issue.

In fact, as I have learned over the years, Catholic social thinking doesn’t exactly align with current American conservatism, altho in some respects it is closer than it is to current American liberalism. I am really amazed by the Catholic social justice encyclicals, and recommend them when ever I can.

 

[LCMS_No_More]

Consider the teaching of the Church, which is that we are to be kind to everyone. we are to accept the person even as we reject his sin, which we are not to assume or judge in any case.

If one considers the difference between Catholic theology and Protestant theology, one will see a huge difference. Protestant theology is that people are basically evil, that we can do nothing about the state of our souls, and that there are the elect, those favored by God, are “blessed” in this life with material goods and a great life and are predestined to go to Heaven.

Catholic theology is totally different. First, we are in charge of the state of our souls, we can progress by accepting and using God’s grace, that we must all suffer in this lofe and that suffering has meaning and draws us closer to God by our acceptance and sharing of Christ’s cross.

We hate to see people promote sinful activity promoted, esp to young pelple who are often at a confused time of life, and the current big promoter is the activist homosexual community, so we are against what they are doing. But just as former famed atheists and advocates of abortion have been welcomed into the Church, so are former homosexual activists, and they should be welcomed by everyone just as they would want to be welcomed. However, we are all sinners still…

The very fact that I’ve been cursed with SSA disqualifies me for any kind of service in the Church. In word, oh, yes…we’re to be kind and compassionate. In practice, the complete opposite is true.

Just do a search on these very boards using the word “homosexual” or the word “gay.” Read the posts and you’ll see little more than anger, vitriol and disgust directed towards homosexual persons.

As to being the member of a public employees union, I would say that most Catholics in real life don’t care, or would actually be happy about. Same with being a Democrat, many Catholics are Democrat or would be if not for the abortion issue.

In fact, as I have learned over the years, Catholic social thinking doesn’t exactly align with current American conservatism, altho in some respects it is closer than it is to current American liberalism. I am really amazed by the Catholic social justice encyclicals, and recommend them when ever I can.

I’m speaking about the opinions that I’ve seen here.

Public employees are akin to satan.
Public employee unions are satan and its demons.
Non-Republicans…well, you’re gonna burn, because we all know that unless one votes for the :bowdown2: One, True, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Republican Party :bowdown2:, one commits mortal sin because we all know that only votes for members of the :bowdown2: One True Party :bowdown2: are truly pro-life. A vote for anyone else, or a refusal to vote, is to actively support abortions.

At least that’s what I’ve gleaned.

 

[cathoichelp]

I can’t comment on the validity of this particular study since I haven’t read it. However, I have heard many reports about the suffering of gay teens who come from conservative families such as the one you describe. If a teen is rejected or thrown out by their own family, their peers, and their Church, where can they turn? One third of all teenage suicides in the US are committed by gay teens. The problem is found not only in Conservative Evangelical families, but also among Conservative Catholics, strict Mormons, Orthodox Jews, and religious Muslims. Liberal families are not immune either to gay teen suicide, but there is often better communication about sexual issues.

I have said this is countless threads …

 

[Havard]

The very fact that I’ve been cursed with SSA disqualifies me for any kind of service in the Church. In word, oh, yes…we’re to be kind and compassionate. In practice, the complete opposite is true.

Just do a search on these very boards using the word “homosexual” or the word “gay.” Read the posts and you’ll see little more than anger, vitriol and disgust directed towards homosexual persons.

I’m speaking about the opinions that I’ve seen here.

Public employees are akin to satan.
Public employee unions are satan and its demons.
Non-Republicans…well, you’re gonna burn, because we all know that unless one votes for the :bowdown2: One, True, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Republican Party :bowdown2:, one commits mortal sin because we all know that only votes for members of the :bowdown2: One True Party :bowdown2: are truly pro-life. A vote for anyone else, or a refusal to vote, is to actively support abortions.

At least that’s what I’ve gleaned.

“When we do right, nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets.” - the motto of the Hells Angels.

That is, you’re displaying confirmation bias. Many posters have been kind and understanding toward you and other SSA posters, but you only choose to recall the bad.

 

[LCMS_No_More]

“When we do right, nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets.” - the motto of the Hells Angels.

That is, you’re displaying confirmation bias. Many posters have been kind and understanding toward you and other SSA posters, but you only choose to recall the bad.

Yes, a few have been kind and understanding. I won’t deny it. The problem is the occasional nice post doesn’t undo the hurt caused by 100s of nasty posts that counter the nice ones. Also, knowing that there are some strangers out there who have compassion for people accursed with SSA doesn’t really go much good when one feels like the front end of a train seems like a good endpoint.

However, if you were to do that search and read the posts, a vast majority of the posts would lead one to think that homosexuality is the cause of each and every ill in society today. After all, homosexuals want to molest your children and convert them to homosexuality. They want to destroy marriage, destroying society. They want to destroy any notion of religion in society. I’m sure that there are other evil things that homosexuals want to do that I haven’t listed here… Well…that’s if you go by what people post.

 

[meltzerboy]

Yes, a few have been kind and understanding. I won’t deny it. The problem is the occasional nice post doesn’t undo the hurt caused by 100s of nasty posts that counter the nice ones.

However, if you were to do that search and read the posts, a vast majority of the posts would lead one to think that homosexuality is the cause of each and every ill in society today. After all, homosexuals want to molest your children and convert them to homosexuality. They want to destroy marriage, destroying society. They want to destroy any notion of religion in society. I’m sure that there are other evil things that homosexuals want to do that I haven’t listed here… Well…that’s if you go by what people post.

Some of the people on this Forum, who make those connections, are not necessarily representative of the larger Catholic community, let alone the United States and the world. People have diverse opinions on just about everything, and tolerance toward homosexuality (not that intolerance has disappeared) is on the rise, which frightens some. Change is often gradual: first political, then social, and the last process, personal. Don’t expect much change in religious thinking, however.

 

[St_Francis]

The very fact that I’ve been cursed with SSA disqualifies me for any kind of service in the Church. In word, oh, yes…we’re to be kind and compassionate. In practice, the complete opposite is true.

My husband can’t become a priest because he is married, I can’t become a deacon because I am a woman, many cannot become religious because they are handicapped or too old.

You are not alone. And you, and all who cannot fill certain positions in the Church, have that cross to bear, but these positions are not our right, they are a privelege for those who are called. Nor are those lives easy.

It is not an unkindness on the part of the Church any more than it is an unkindness on the part of an employer not to hire any particular person.

Just do a search on these very boards using the word “homosexual” or the word “gay.” Read the posts and you’ll see little more than anger, vitriol and disgust directed towards homosexual persons.

As I said, we are all sinners.

And many times we overgeneralize in our words. I may say something about “homosexuals” when I really mean those who want to put education about graphic homosexual activity into grade schools. I try to be careful, but like everyone else, I sometimes slip up.

I have also seen a lot of kindness directed towards those who suffer from SSA, on threads you have started, so I assume that you have read them. You are sounding like the flip side of what you are complaining about, so you see how easy it os to fall into tbat careless mode of speech since I assume you do not intend to paint us all with the same brush

I’m speaking about the opinions that I’ve seen here.

Public employees are akin to satan.
Public employee unions are satan and its demons.
Non-Republicans…well, you’re gonna burn, because we all know that unless one votes for the :bowdown2: One, True, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Republican Party :bowdown2:, one commits mortal sin because we all know that only votes for members of the :bowdown2: One True Party :bowdown2: are truly pro-life. A vote for anyone else, or a refusal to vote, is to actively support abortions.

At least that’s what I’ve gleaned.

Wow, I am truly astounded. There are a lot of really strong advocates for much of what the Democrats advocate. Look at the thread about the teachers’union, there are people fro
both sides of the issue posting in there.

Plus, a lot of people do the same thing with issues other than homosexual activism. For example, as far as I can recall, the only comments I have ever made about public employee unions are on that thread. Well, I don’t think that member of public employee unions are Satan, but I don’t agree with what was going on in Wisconsin, either. The fact that I or anyone else says under one or two newsworthy events does not necessarily indicate their opi ion on the issue as a whole. I think the people in Wisconsin were wrong, but i don’t call for the abolition of all PE unions. And even if I thought that all unions should be abolished, it wpuldn’t mean I thoight all union members were Satan.

 

[1holycatholic]

However, if you were to do that search and read the posts, a vast majority of the posts would lead one to think that homosexuality is the cause of each and every ill in society today.

I think you are seeing only what you want to see.

After all, homosexuals want to molest your children and convert them to homosexuality.

Convert them?
Child Molestation by Homosexuals and Heterosexuals

They want to destroy marriage, destroying society.

Homosexual “marriage” is contrary to the Natural Law and to the teaching of the Church. You are going to find a sympathetic ear towards dissent from the teaching of the Church here, at least you shouldn’t find any.

They want to destroy any notion of religion in society.

The promoters of homosexual “marriage” are, in fact, attacking religion precisely because the majority of religious groups acknowledge that homosexual “marriage” is nothing more than a legal fiction.

I’m sure that there are other evil things that homosexuals want to do that I haven’t listed here… Well…that’s if you go by what people post.

You seem to have your mind made up in advance.

 

[Havard]

Yes, a few have been kind and understanding. I won’t deny it. The problem is the occasional nice post doesn’t undo the hurt caused by 100s of nasty posts that counter the nice ones. Also, knowing that there are some strangers out there who have compassion for people accursed with SSA doesn’t really go much good when one feels like the front end of a train seems like a good endpoint.

However, if you were to do that search and read the posts, a vast majority of the posts would lead one to think that homosexuality is the cause of each and every ill in society today. After all, homosexuals want to molest your children and convert them to homosexuality. They want to destroy marriage, destroying society. They want to destroy any notion of religion in society. I’m sure that there are other evil things that homosexuals want to do that I haven’t listed here… Well…that’s if you go by what people post.

No, this is our belief: All humans are responsible for the ills of society through sin. When a person with SSA gives in to sodomy, and supports others in doing so, he or she is adding to the culture of sin. The same is true for a hetero person who commits fornication or adultery, or supports the greater culture of sexual promiscuity and perversion. So when people support sin, they are challenged and brought to task on these forums for their actions.

This is not hateful towards you because you have SSA. Just like it’s not hateful of me, an unmarried hetero man who is tempted by lust. You have to be able to see the distinction.

 

[catsrus]

originally posted by meltzerboy
But as the Amish say, G-d alone can read a person’s heart; so put your trust in G-d, not what others may say.

And yet…here I live in the heart of Amish country and if there is an Amish homosexual agenda noone, and I do mean noone knows about it. Including the Amish!

 

[LCMS_No_More]

I think you are seeing only what you want to see.

Nope. Do a search for the word “homosexual” up above. I dare you. How many are supportive of the homosexual persons in their struggle to live right vs. how many are exactly what I said about how eeeeeeevil homosexual people are?

After you’ve done that, come back and talk.

 

[1holycatholic]

Nope. Do a search for the word “homosexual” up above. I dare you. How many are supportive of the homosexual persons in their struggle to live right vs. how many are exactly what I said about how eeeeeeevil homosexual people are?

After you’ve done that, come back and talk.

OK I’ve done that. I searched “homosexual” and show threads. There were no thread titles that said homosexuals were evil. I searched Google for “homosexuals are evil” site:forums.catholic-questions.org - nothing seems to support your claim. Is there a particular thread you were thinking of?

 

[ishii]

On a side note, I can remember when the majority of Catholics were Democrats and union people; those were happier days for most of them.

Indeed, the days when Democrats weren’t the party of social liberalism/secularism, were happier days for all of us. Alas, the Democrat party of today doesn’t resemble the Democrat party of the '40’s-50’s. As Reagan said, “I didn’t leave the Democratic party, it left me.”

Ishii

 

[St_Francis]

Wrt the article, I would like to point out a few things.

One is that not all suicides listed as “gay” are actuallly committed by actual homosexuals, but by people who have self-identified or been labeled by others as homosexual.

I had a friend in high school who was very troubled. I think now he would be diagnosed with a physically-caused depression. As an isolated troubled person, he was targeted for grooming and seduction by an older sexually active man. After becoming involved in this homosexual situation, my friend was blackmailed by this monster into doing things he did not want to do.

My friend became convinced that he was a homosexual, despite the fact that he had and continued to be interested in girls, just shy around them. He also felt disgusted with what he felt was his fate in homosexual activity.

His suicide wpuld have been counted as a “gay” suicide (whoever came up with that one???); however, he started off troubled, was seduced and abused at a time when he was confused and not knowledeable, and probably wasn’t homosexual.

Since then, I have met other young people who experimented with this sinful lofestyle, but later realized this was not the source of their problems.

I am not denying the existence of SSA, or of bullying, or any of that, but I do say that the situation is much more complex than simplistic studies like this make it out to be. Suicidal people of all types need compassionate counseling by knowledgeable people, not by people pushing an agenda.

 

[LCMS_No_More]

OK I’ve done that. I searched “homosexual” and show threads. There were no thread titles that said homosexuals were evil. I searched Google for “homosexuals are evil” site:forums.catholic-questions.org - nothing seems to support your claim. Is there a particular thread you were thinking of?

That kind of obtuse, dishonest form of “research” really doesn’t speak to what I’m trying to say…but you probably already knew that going in. Your literal Google searches for exact phrases without taking into account that some things can be summed up in something that will not appear in an exact Google search. Again, something you probably already knew.

 

[LCMS_No_More]

Indeed, the days when Democrats weren’t the party of social liberalism/secularism, were happier days for all of us. Alas, the Democrat party of today doesn’t resemble the Democrat party of the '40’s-50’s. As Reagan said, “I didn’t leave the Democratic party, it left me.”

Ishii

I could say the same for the Republican party.

 

[meltzerboy]

And yet…here I live in the heart of Amish country and if there is an Amish homosexual agenda noone, and I do mean noone knows about it. Including the Amish!

Who said anything about an Amish homosexual agenda? What I meant was Amish people understand that G-d looks into people’s hearts and does not judge them by external appearances the way others do.

 

[OrdinaryMelkite]

The very fact that I’ve been cursed with SSA disqualifies me for any kind of service in the Church. In word, oh, yes…we’re to be kind and compassionate. In practice, the complete opposite is true.

Just do a search on these very boards using the word “homosexual” or the word “gay.” Read the posts and you’ll see little more than anger, vitriol and disgust directed towards homosexual persons.

I’m speaking about the opinions that I’ve seen here.

Public employees are akin to satan.
Public employee unions are satan and its demons.
Non-Republicans…well, you’re gonna burn, because we all know that unless one votes for the :bowdown2: One, True, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Republican Party :bowdown2:, one commits mortal sin because we all know that only votes for members of the :bowdown2: One True Party :bowdown2: are truly pro-life. A vote for anyone else, or a refusal to vote, is to actively support abortions.

At least that’s what I’ve gleaned.

Like another poster said here--------most of us cannot be priests for a variety of reasons----you are not the only one.
Would you be willing to be celibate in order to be a priest? That may be one reason you are refused service in the Church. maybe they feel they cannot take the chance of you giving in to yur SSA while you are being priest. The SSa is not a sin (although it is also “not good”), but acting on the SSA defintiely IS. That would make it a violation both of your priestly vows and a sin against God’s Laws.

To be REALLY honest, LCMS_NO_MORE, it is very presumptous of you to basically imply that priesthood is something something you are entittled to----and if people refuse you for certain reasons, like legitimate ones, as in, SSA, then they are heartless, bigoted people who have no compassion.
Let me reiterate what another poster said----------the priesthood is a PRIVILEGE, not a RIGHT. So get off it if you can’t get your way, please.

 

[OrdinaryMelkite]

OK I’ve done that. I searched “homosexual” and show threads. There were no thread titles that said homosexuals were evil. I searched Google for “homosexuals are evil” site:forums.catholic-questions.org - nothing seems to support your claim. Is there a particular thread you were thinking of?

You know, I agree with this. For the time I’ve been here, I have never read of-----and read personally----any poster here calling any homosexual evil. There is a difference between calling a person evil and calling their actions evil (or at least sinful).

 

[matt1985]

I don’t see how conservatives are responsible for teen suicides, and even if they were it wouldn’t be nessessary to adopt a pro-gay marriage stance. I don’t support bullying gay teens, I feel they should be treated with respect and understanding. The notion that I reject is that conservative republican views have anything to do with gay suicides.