I have a few questions. Please help?

[Draggar]

=/ I am curious with what you might have to say and what the Church has to say.

1. What do you think of a lesbian teacher working at a Catholic school?
2. If a woman loves another woman romantically, but they both never engage in lesbian sex, are they still homosexual, are they still damned?
3. What do you think, personally, of people who just do not feel the hormonal impulses/feelings toward members of the opposite sex?
4. Why is not all love, be it between a man and a woman or a man and a man or a woman and a woman, true love? If it is a love made of sacrifice, devotion, loyalty, and trust, how is that so horrible? There are “straight” couples who do not like the more physical end of “love”, but what do you think of homosexual partners who love each other, yet not in the way that they wish only to have sex together?
5. Is every homosexual to be damned? How is their love not valid love? Or is their love love at all?
6. Why is it that every incident (I think, I am not sure) in the Bible that mentions homosexuality condemns homosexual rape? What of the homosexuals who do not wish to throw themselves upon others?

Thank you, everyone. I do not mean to debate things, but I am going through a hard time in my life and I am trying to make sense of things.

 

[Trishie]

I’m sorry you’re going through a hard time.

Hopefully any teacher won’t push any agenda to his/her students that is against the teaching of the bible and the Church, but would keep his/her private matters to themselves without causing scandal…in which case the teacher would be acting honourably as a Catholic teacher.

Feelings are not of themselves sinful. If we choose to act upon them, that is when they become sinful to a greater or lesser degree.

Scriptural comments below

" Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Romans 1:2627

“You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female ; it is an abomination.”
Leviticus 18:22

But you don’t speak of homosexual acts or of succumbing to them therefore you don’t appear to wish to act on the feelings.

I wonder perhaps if a lot of the emotional stuff about men and women isn’t distorted by perceptions and misconceptions. There are things about women that are preferable to things about men, and vice versa. Some of these are more to personal tastes, sometimes because of experiences one has been through. But it is all probably more built up to be something that is less looming than a lot of people believe. I guess I subscribe to the hype about attraction less than a lot of people do. Likeability depends very much on the individual. Some people are more appealing than others in either sex. It depends on how kind and loving and pleasant they are. I wouldn’t place on sex the importance a lot of people do, so I feel people torment themselves unnecessarily, especially when they begin categorizing themselves or others.

 

[kdcampbe]

disclaimer - this is my opinion, not an official stance of the Catholic Church

A few things to get out of the way first:
I think the word “homosexual” is ambiguous. It can be used to mean “a person who has sexual feelings or urges for a member of the same sex”, or it can mean “a person who actively engages is sexual activity with members of the same sex.” I prefer the first definition, as there is no moral difference between having sex with a person of the same sex, and having sex outside of marriage. Both are covered by the word “fornication.”

1. I don’t see a problem with it unless said teacher is promoting her lifestyle as endorsed by the church. She is perfectly within her rights to express her views as long as it does not undermine the course content. Now, I don’t think many Catholic Schools would agree with me, but oh well.
2. If they have lusted after each other (willingly had sexual fantasies, willingly encouraged sexual thoughts or such things) then they have sinned. Now, it is not up to us to say whether or not they are damned, that’s God’s job, not ours. But lusting after another person regardless of homo- or hetero- orientation, is grave matter, and so probably a mortal sin.
3. There is no moral problem here. However, if there is a hormone issue, then the person might want to seek medical advice.
4. All love is love. The modern idea of “True Love” is a distraction from what love is. One major component of love is willing the good and well-being of the other. What is usually meant when someone says “love” is more accurately called infatuation, strong feelings of attraction or sexual attraction. Love is more than this.

There is a greek word that typifies what I am trying to say, agape. It is the love that Christ came into the world to show. That is the love that we are to have for one another. A man having agape for a man, or a woman for a woman is not wrong. In fact, it is a sign of virtue. However, the proper place of sexual intercourse is between a husband and wife. Any couple who fornicates, be they hetero- or homosexual, are equally in trouble with God.

So i guess in answer to your question, yes it is possible for this love to be between homosexual couples, but this does not excuse fornication.

1. As I said above, their love is valid, as long as it is love and not infatuation. We cannot say if all homosexuals are damned. We do know, however that fornication is a serious sin, and it needs to be avoided. As I said above, couples who fornicate are in trouble.
2. I’m not sure what you mean here, but as far as I know, there are very few passages that explicitly mention homosexuality. And none that I know of in the New Testament. As to the question, I don’t know my Bible well enough to give you a good answer, sorry.

I hope that helps, may God bless you.

 

[turtlehawk13]

Hi. These are such good questions, sooo important.
Here is the situation I am in: I am a lesbian. I am a recent Catholic convert. I choose to be celibate to be in keeping with the Church’s teaching. But I am living a controversial lifestyle because I have a female partner. My partner and I do not have sex so I don;t think we are committing mortal sin by living together and loving each other. I think it would be impossible for many people to live with a partner and not have sex but somehow through the grace of God my partner and I have remained celibate for over a year. I love her. I see no sin in loving her. Entertaining the desires of the flesh and acting on them would be a sin but that is the struggle we live with. I’m not trying to encourage this, simply saying that this topic area is rarely addressed and should be. There are many homosexuals who are feeling lost as Catholics. Luckily, for the time being, I have found some peace… however… what if I want to be a Catholic teacher… what if I want to represent the church in a public manner in some other way? Will I be accepted? I don’t know… That’s something I will have to find out.