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ElizabethAnne
Guest
My best friend from high school and I have been through a lot together, and I care about her very much. We had some tough times in our friendship when we went our separate ways to different colleges, especially because she is not good about returning phone calls. It took me a long time to get over the hurt I felt that keeping in touch with her always falls to me, but I have realized that I value her friendship enough to put in the extra effort and she never meant to hurt me.
This fall Sara told me that she was going to try being homosexual, but she thought it was probably a phase. I was floored by the news and did not really have a chance to respond since she told me right before someone walked into the room.
Although I did not see it coming, I understand why Sara is headed down this road. She has gone through extreme difficulties in the last year.
Her emotions are constantly up and down. One day she’s happy and her life is perfect. The next everything is horrible. Lately she has expressed feeling in doubt about her homosexuality, which I am very encouraged by, but she still has friends pushing her in that direction.
I’ve tried calling her more often and encouraging her to do things that are good for her, but I have never explicitly said I disapprove of her actions. She is not Catholic, and I have only recently come into the faith. I was baptized as a child, but my parents never went to church. I received First Communion and Confirmation last Easter. The hardest part of the faith for me to understand was the teaching on homosexuality because I have known very nice homosexual people and everyone around me said that being against homosexuality was being a bigot. I have since come into an understanding of why it is wrong, through prayer, Catholic talks on the subject and witnessing how homosexuality has harmed Sara. I find it very difficult to communicate this understanding to people who have known me a long time. Sara does not know that I feel this way.
In my opinion, my first step needs to be to somehow show her that she should take a step back from her homosexual behavior, rather than trying to convince her that homosexuality overall is wrong. I know she has had friends tell her it is wrong, and it seems to have done little to discourage her. She is no longer friends with those people, and I do not want to say something that will cut off communication with her.
I’ve been offering up a lot of prayers for her, but I don’t really know what else to do. I do not know what to say to someone who does not see anything wrong with being homosexual. Any suggestions?
This fall Sara told me that she was going to try being homosexual, but she thought it was probably a phase. I was floored by the news and did not really have a chance to respond since she told me right before someone walked into the room.
Although I did not see it coming, I understand why Sara is headed down this road. She has gone through extreme difficulties in the last year.
- She and her serious boyfriend of several years broke up. They had problems, including infidelity on both sides, so I was relieved to see the relationship end. The truth is she has never had a boyfriend who treated her very well.
- Sara’s parents are going through a very messy separation/divorce. Her dad now has a girlfriend and keeps moving in and out of her mother’s home. He also has a cocaine addiction and is not being a responsible father. I have talked about it with her because my parents went through a divorce a couple of years ago, but she has not turned to me for help in dealing with the situation.
- One of Sara’s very best friends and one of her roommates “came out” about a month before Sara decided to come out too.
Her emotions are constantly up and down. One day she’s happy and her life is perfect. The next everything is horrible. Lately she has expressed feeling in doubt about her homosexuality, which I am very encouraged by, but she still has friends pushing her in that direction.
I’ve tried calling her more often and encouraging her to do things that are good for her, but I have never explicitly said I disapprove of her actions. She is not Catholic, and I have only recently come into the faith. I was baptized as a child, but my parents never went to church. I received First Communion and Confirmation last Easter. The hardest part of the faith for me to understand was the teaching on homosexuality because I have known very nice homosexual people and everyone around me said that being against homosexuality was being a bigot. I have since come into an understanding of why it is wrong, through prayer, Catholic talks on the subject and witnessing how homosexuality has harmed Sara. I find it very difficult to communicate this understanding to people who have known me a long time. Sara does not know that I feel this way.
In my opinion, my first step needs to be to somehow show her that she should take a step back from her homosexual behavior, rather than trying to convince her that homosexuality overall is wrong. I know she has had friends tell her it is wrong, and it seems to have done little to discourage her. She is no longer friends with those people, and I do not want to say something that will cut off communication with her.
I’ve been offering up a lot of prayers for her, but I don’t really know what else to do. I do not know what to say to someone who does not see anything wrong with being homosexual. Any suggestions?
