Gay 'Conversion' Therapy

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It is great that you found a way for yourself personally. It is not a secret, however, that many - and quite possibly the majority - of Catholic people with SSA struggle severely. The question remains how to approach those: Is demanding strict adherence to church teachings going to bring any of those closer to Christ?
 
If the Democratic Party wasn’t so militant about homosexual “rights” (and abortion "rights), there would be no need to bring in politics. But we are forced to be pragmatic about this now.

Politics is temporary and passing and neutral. I couldn’t care much generally, in principle. But if political power is utilized to push forth horrendous ungodly agendas, then it becomes everyone’s problem.

Because those problems directly affect how sin is perceived and accepted, and consequently, souls themselves.
 
Why not? Why do you assume people with SSA are so much weaker than straight people with their own sets of problems?

We are not the poor, weak victims that people paint us to be. Sure, there are difficulties.

We do not rely on our own strength. If we did, we would be secular humanists.

All is grace. Grace to resist temptation. Grace to resist gluttony. Grace to resist jealousy. Grace to resist telling juicy gossip.

Christ and His Church, His Mystical Body, are inseparable. Adherence to moral laws, which the Church teaches, and Christ are not mutually exclusive.

Straight people struggle severely with sin and temptation, too.

If a medicine is bitter, do you not prescribe it to the patient because it tastes bad or can have side effects?
 
Joe1 said:
Is it even possible to change from SSA to straight? I doubt it. But then again I don’t know much about conversion therapy
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Human sexual attraction falls more on a continuum than an either/or category.

Some people engage in same sex behavior that are not oriented toward same sex attraction. Their reasons for doing so are multiple, and for such persons, changing that behavior is not as difficult as it is for people who do not experience any opposite sex attraction at all.

Some people have trauma issues that, once resolved, enable them to experience attraction differently.

“Conversion” is a religious experience/term more than a psychological one. Studies have shown that this type of therapy does more harm than good, especially in the case of children and adolescents, whose sexuality is often in a state of flux.

https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/201510150630

It is much more effective to work with people suffering SSA to develop attitudes/skills in abstinence and chastity, meaningful Christian fellowship and deepening their relationship with God.
 
Hm… this really gives me pause. Such a point of view did not come to my mind. You (kinda) proudly stay that it is possible to have the strength to live by the church teachings for a life time.
I really hope for you that this works out.
 
NuclearReceptor said:
f the Democratic Party wasn’t so militant about homosexual “rights” (and abortion "rights), there would be no need to bring in politics. But we are forced to be pragmatic about this now.
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Again, I don’t see what the politics have to do with the thread on Gay Conversion Therapy, other than you using it as a gateway to advance an ideological agenda…Just sayin’.

Do what you have to do, but its pretty apparent.
 
Constantin said:
The church is for everyone, not just heterosexuals.
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Of course! The greatest blessing available to them is the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and commitment to a celibate lifestyle, removing themselves from near occasions of sin.

It sounds llke the Bishop is addressing persons engaging in a lifestyle of moral sin who are “still involved in Church” that should be blessed. This is nonsense. It is like advocating that persons known by the community to be involved in adulterous relationships to receive a blessing for it.
 
Why is this an alarming statement? It is common Christian/Catholic belief that with God’s grace and assistance, we are able to abide by His laws.

God knew success rate would not be 100% so He sent His Son to atone for our sins.

The strength comes from God. If we lived by human strength, no one would have any hope of success.
 
Any kind of fornication is immoral, regardless of your attraction.
Don’t treat an attraction as though it is an identity. You are not your disordered passions.
 
Conclusive. It confuses me that a bishop should say something which is that obviously wrong. How come there was not a larger upheaval about this then? Why did the other bishops not correct him?
I read so many things, so many differing opinions even from people within the church.
 
Kei said:
Don’t treat an attraction as though it is an identity
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And yet so many do :confused:.

Edit: it also really degrates people to base their identity on what they are attracted too
 
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Not surprisingly, the topic of gay unions came up. Is it possible to divorce gay marriage/homosexual unions from political reality? They are no longer separable.
 
I must say that I begin to see the arguments why it may be a bad idea to bless homosexual couples after all. Especially NuclearReceptor´s posts - as somebody affected by SSA - impressed me. Still, I wonder whether a “therapy” could make sense. Therapy implicitly says they are sick. This is not a nice/Christian thing to say.
 
Constantin said:
But what to do in reality: Would you turn down a homosexual couple approaching a priest, asking for a blessing? This could very well estrange them for good.
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This is what the Apostles instructed us to do.

“But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.” 1 Cor 5:11
NuclearReceptor said:
If I were living in ignorance and approached a priest for a blessing as a homosexual couple, I should hope the priest would kindly inform me why he can’t and give reasons why the Church does not approve of homosexual lifestyle.
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This is the correct pastoral response. Educate, evangelize, invite repentance.
Constantin said:
It confuses me that a bishop should say something which is that obviously wrong.
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Good.
Constantin said:
How come there was not a larger upheaval about this then? Why did the other bishops not correct him?
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There may have been, and we just did not hear about it. He may have been corrected, but we would certainly NOT hear about that!
Constantin said:
I read so many things, so many differing opinions even from people within the church.
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One needs a large salt shaker!
Constantin said:
Still, I wonder whether a “therapy” could make sense. Therapy implicitly says they are sick. This is not a nice/Christian thing to say.
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Many people go to therapy for support to cope with problems of every day living. Seeking some third party support does not make someone “sick”. That being said, the Church teaches that SSA is intrinsically disordered. This certainly does not qualifiy for a mental health diagnosis, but it does make adjustment to a largely heterosexual society difficult.

Telling the truth to people is a loving act, even if the truth is painful.
 
Haha… I did not say that I fully agree with what everyone says here. I am only saying that I better understand the reasoning: If there is a chance that people affected by SSA accept church teaching, so much the better. I only thought that most/all those were likely to altogether dismiss this and the church needed to reach out to them. Now, in the past the church did not move an inch and probably it was about time that something changed - be it a blessing or anything.
 
Eh, I’m just repeating what I have been taught by the Church so there’s nothing special about what I’ve said.

“Sick” doesn’t have to have a negative connotation. If you’re sick with the flu, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It’s just a…condition…let’s say.

If the goal is living a chaste lifestyle, “therapy” is no different than “life coaching”.
 
Hereiam said:
But, it doesn’t shake out that way, because the main source of the outrage is against the person we see as different, and therefore must be “bad”, while giving those who are similar to us a pass for indiscretions.
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I don’t think that’s it. Sure for some (esp some protestants) it is. ButnCatholics have know about homosexuality for 2000 years.

The issue isn’t so much the homosexuality, but the scandal, aka the effort to teach newer generations that it’s not sinful.

Catholics have equal issue with people who publically tell children that fornication and adultery are not bad too
 
Come on. “Sick” of course has a negative connotation. And for the flu, chances are that if you stay in bed for a week and rest, the flu will be gone. Not so with SSA.
 
Conversion Therapy doesn’t work. What works is support groups like Courage that help people with same-sex attraction to realize that their dignity is not defined by the sexual attraction, but rather by their humanity and the fact that they are created in God’s image. And to help them understand that we all have crosses we bare that cause hardships/difficulties in our lives and in our path to salvation.

I highly recommend the movies from the Courage Apostlate and the movie “The Third Way”
 
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