Is it heretical for a Catholic college or university to have a rainbow crosswalk or other Pride symbols?

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A_Really_Big_Cat

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I discovered that a crosswalk on the campus of the Catholic college I will be going to in the fall has been painted with the colors of the rainbow. I also saw various Pride symbols inside the offices of the buildings. Is this heretical, or only if there is a distinct message of support of sinful behavior? I really like this college and wouldn’t want the administrators to be supporting sinful lifestyles. Keep in mind that I don’t know who was responsible for placing these symbols. It may have been an outside party.

UPDATE: I just heard from the college chaplain regarding the matter:

"Thank you very much for your note. I am glad you have decided to come to ******. I teach in Catholic Studies and am current in the Canadian north on pilgrimage with a group of young people and the local indigenous community.

This is the first year that some in the ****** community have chosen to celebrate events related to Pride. I and others have expressed our concerns.

While I believe it is important that we support the diverse demographic, like you I question how we do that and also uphold the teachings of our faith.

Please continue to pray that we be guided with the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Know that I will bring your concerns forward to the Administration."

I think this was very reassuring. It doesn’t seem as if this was approved by all in the administration, nor is it an official position. I don’t plan to go to a different college over this, but I will certainly voice my own concerns in the community and will contact the bishop if the college begins to divulge too heavily from Church teaching. God bless you all!
 
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The Church does not condemn homosexuals. Only sexual behavior between two unmarried people. This applies to same sex as well as opposite sex relationships. Recognizing homosexual persons as Children of God is in full accordance with Church teaching.

However if the college is condoning unnatural behavior by, for instance housing same sex oriented students together or letting such behavior go noticed, then there could be room for an accusation of hypocrisy.
 
Pride symbols are not heretical, but generally when Catholic colleges advertise Pride it means a significant amount of the faculty and student body support sinful behavior. It’s unfortunate, but many Catholic colleges don’t have the most orthodox faculty. At some Catholic colleges you’d have a very hard time hearing from any professor that homosexual acts are objectively sinful.
 
I wouldn’t say it’s heretical, but I think supporting pride events in too close to condoning the popular/secular view of homosexuality, that it’s normal, that homosexual unions are equal to that of heterosexual unions, and that there is no disorder to the attraction.
 
I don’t think a Catholic Institution should have Gay Pride symbols. It insinuates accepting active gay lifestyles. Gay Pride doesn’t generally mean, a person attracted to the same sex, who obstains for moral reasons. It typically means, living in sin and being proud of this sin.-
 
Is it gay pride rainbows? Or just a rainbow? Hope that makes sense…
 
I am under the assumption we are talking about Practicing Homosexual Pride, and not Rainbow Brite here.
 
Point taken, however…OP said a sidewalk painted with rainbow colors. That doesn’t scream gay pride to me. Just asking for clarification.
 
Yes it’s heretical. We all know that symbol represents freedom for gay people to do as they wish. It doesn’t mean chastity and bearing the cross of SSA.

Is there another Catholic college you could go to? I would go elsewhere and write a long letter to the administrators saying why you’ve chosen to go to another campus.
 
A_Really_Big_Cat said:
I discovered that a crosswalk on the campus of the Catholic college I will be going to in the fall has been painted with the colors of the rainbow
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Great! The rainbow is an acient sign of God’s covenant with Noah! You might be over thinking the rainbow thing!
 
You’d have to be really naieve to take this as the intended message
 
Heresy requires assent to a heretical proposition. The display of pride symbols thus isn’t heretical (though it is probably motivated by heresy), but it is extremely scandalous.

I’d advice you to pick another Catholic university if there were any others that you got accepted to and if it’s still possible at this point.
 
JanSobieskiIII said:
You’d have to be really naieve to take this as the intended message
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Perhaps Its the Franciscan in me, i guess, because i look for good first.

St Paul would say that is the way of the foolish, but in the great paradoxes of scripture, the poor are rich, the weak are strong, and the foolish are wise.

Pax et bonum!
 
I don’t know if there is anything you can actually do about it if it is.
 
If it is sanctioned by the university or staff, I would definitely have an issue. Essentially the PRIDE symbol is being used to celebrate sinful behaviors that contradicts the word of God and dulls the impact of the gospel.
 
michaelhager said:
However if the college is condoning unnatural behavior by, for instance housing same sex oriented students together or letting such behavior go noticed, then there could be room for an accusation of hypocrisy.
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I think hypocrisy would be behaving in a way that is contrary to one’s beliefs. If those involved “believe” that this is acceptable, then it is actually an occasion of apostasy!
veritatisstella said:
At some Catholic colleges you’d have a very hard time hearing from any professor that homosexual acts are objectively sinful.
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Yes, I think this is apostasy.
JanSobieskiIII said:
I wouldn’t say it’s heretical, but I think supporting pride events in too close to condoning the popular/secular view of homosexuality, that it’s normal, that homosexual unions are equal to that of heterosexual unions, and that there is no disorder to the attraction.
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It could be heresy, if those involved reject the doctrines of the faith.

Apostasy
Total repudiation of the Christian Faith. CCC 2089, cf 817

Heresy
Obstinate denial after Baptism of a truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith. CCC 2089

2284 Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. the person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor’s tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.

2285 Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this curse: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."85 Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others. Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to wolves in sheep’s clothing.86

2286 Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.
 
The rainbow flag / symbol does not mean “we accept the Church’s teachings on homosexuality. We will uphold marriage only between a man and a woman. We believe that God created us male and female, in His image. And we will preach the truth concerning the immorality of homosexual acts. We intend on living the Christian virtue of chastity.”

It means the opposite of all those things. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool. Folks need to stop dancing around the issue of this symbol, hemming and hawing, “oh it’s just a symbol, oh it just means dignity for all people.”

So no, the symbol does not belong on a Catholic campus.
 
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MaryClare said:
I don’t think a Catholic Institution should have Gay Pride symbols. It insinuates accepting active gay lifestyles. Gay Pride doesn’t generally mean, a person attracted to the same sex, who obstains for moral reasons. It typically means, living in sin and being proud of this sin.-
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Gay Pride Parades used to be called Gay Freedom Day Parades which is a better name in my opinion since they started after Stonewall in 1969 as a protest against oppression and discrimination. And when I say “oppression” and “discrimination”, I mean people getting fired from their jobs or being harassed and sometimes arrested by the police and being discriminated against in housing, etc., for being gay. The Catholic Church should be against those kinds of things.
 
I think the purpose or focus of the parades has changed over the past 39 years. The Church doesn’t have to be against these things by being part of the parades.
 
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