Do any gay (i.e. homosexual) posters belong to Courage?

[Peter_J]

Do any gay (i.e. homosexual) posters here belong to Courage?

 

[at9009]

I don’t, but I do know several people who either go to a local Courage Chapter or have gone to one in the past. I don’t really fit in with their approach and much prefer the perspective of Spiritualfriendship and people like Ron Belgau, Eve Tushnet, and Wesley Hill personally.

 

[nodito]

I don’t, but I do know several people who either go to a local Courage Chapter or have gone to one in the past. I don’t really fit in with their approach and much prefer the perspective of Spiritualfriendship and people like Ron Belgau, Eve Tushnet, and Wesley Hill personally.

What’s the difference in approach/perspective between Courage and the people you suggested?

 

[at9009]

What’s the difference in approach/perspective between Courage and the people you suggested?

I think it just depends a lot on the Courage chapter which has a lot of variablity from people I’ve talked too. Some have been great experiences and a huge support while others have been less than helpful.

It’s hard to completely articulate my thoughts, but I think this article from Ron Belgau is somewhat simillar to I feel: spiritualfriendship.org/2015/09/20/spiritual-friendship-and-courage-on-the-need-for-variety-in-ministry/. However, full disclaimer, I was only part of the Courage young adult online group and didn’t feel a fit into it at all. There was a heavy emphasis on NARTH teachings as basically gospel and felt a little too much on making this cross into a secret shame mentality which only hurts my personal journey. Shame and self-loathing and basically blaming myself, feeling unlovable, and ‘an extra sinner’ were part of my issues and lead to me putting a wall between me and God (didn’t feel lovable, savable and couldn’t talk with my family about this at all).

I personally find the writings of people like Wesley Hill (wrote a book called Washed and Waiting which is a short and easy read), Ron Belgau (here is his transcript from his talk at the world meetings of families in Phildelphia: spiritualfriendship.org/2015/09/26/always-consider-the-person-homosexuality-in-the-family/) , and Eve Tushnet (she also wrote a book but I haven’t read it yet, but I think her premise of you can’t have a vocation of no) more helpful for me personally. That is not to say it is the only approach or that Courage is a bad support system. I just think it isn’t necessarily the caught all group for every SSA/gay Catholic trying to live within Church teachings.

I do know people who find Courage to be great support for them, but it just wasn’t for me.

 

[psalm90]

I don’t know anything about Courage, but like other groups – your local bible study group for example – the “fit” really depends on the people that are there. I don’t know the answer to the title question, but is there a deeper question in there, someplace?

 

[Peter_J]

is there a deeper question in there, someplace?

Not particularly. I’d like to understand the background-situation better.

It may go without saying, but I’ll say it, that I’m not so much looking to find out whether there are any posters here who are in Courage, but how many.

 

[Peter_J]

I don’t, but I do know several people who either go to a local Courage Chapter or have gone to one in the past. I don’t really fit in with their approach and much prefer the perspective of Spiritualfriendship and people like Ron Belgau, Eve Tushnet, and Wesley Hill personally.

Yes, I recall discussing them on CAF before, particularly Dr. Hill. Good writings.

 

[at9009]

Not particularly. I’d like to understand the background-situation better.

It may go without saying, but I’ll say it, that I’m not so much looking to find out whether there are any posters here who are in Courage, but how many.

I can’t give a number here (I don’t know any other people here who go to Courage) but I know about 10 people or so who were involved with Courage and about 5 of them are still involved with Courage at some level.