I have a Catholic friend with a theology degree now working for a church who I am pretty sure is gay…
I’d like to challenge your beliefs on your possibility gay friend. I bet your friend see being gay like I see being deaf.
Let’s follow this analogy. I do not know ASL or am I a part of the deaf community. I get a lot of grief for this. I am not accepting myself, I am not supporting “my people”, I am ashamed of who I am. None of these things are true.
I am not ashamed I have a hearing problem but nor am I proud of it. It is simply a fact- I have trouble hearing. I need to work a little harder in some areas than other people do, there are some things I cannot do, etc. It is something about me like the fact that I am a woman. It is part of my identity but it isn’t the most important part or the whole picture. I do not live the “deaf” lifestyle because I don’t like it. I don’t think that lifestyle supports the person I want to become and in some ways actively works against my goals.
I have books on my shelf about how to lip-read and information about hearing aids/cochlear implants. To the deaf this is just as horrid as your friend having “how not to be gay” books is to you.
My lifestyle choice is valid and so is your friend’s. You might think it is harder, stupid, worthless, etc. But it is his choice. I think it is very arrogant of you to decide it is “sad” when you don’t have a clue about his struggles or about his religion which is obvious in your post.
“We all have a cross to bear.” This is how I view my deafness. It is something that makes part of my life difficult. It is hard, difficult and has reduced me to tears a number of times. But it has also been the source of some of the greatest achievements of my life.
The Catholic life is not easy. It is one of struggle. But it is in struggle that we grow and become better people.
The Catholic stance is to oppose the legalization of gay marriage. It’s fine if your church doesn’t want to preform such ceremonies…
]Everyone in the United States lobbies for what they believe the law should be. That’s the heart of democracy. The Pope isn’t sending in an army to put Catholic Martial law in place. But to argue that Catholics cannot voice their opinions of what the law should be in a democracy is a bit hypocritical.
Most Catholics argue it does harm Catholics. So it does matter to us.
Then there is the unequal power of women…
This hasn’t been my experience. I know women can’t be priests but I’ve seen plenty of nuns inform the priests/bishops how things need to be done. I’ve also seen Catholic mothers in action. I’m not sure powerless would be the word I would choose. That being said there is always room for improvement.
Then there is your group hatred of Planned Parenthood…
You want to outlaw abortion…
]I could be wrong here but I believe there is an exception for the mother’s life, especially in the case where the babe wouldn’t make it. Catholics are not heartless and they do take in consideration the circumstances. You would have to ask a priest but I am positive something would be done in that situation.
But you know as well as I that the Catholic objection is because we want to watch would-be mother’s die unnecessarily. The objection is to aborting a perfectly healthy child in a perfectly healthy mother. (An objection that is not limited to Catholics)
Once again, Catholics have a right to use their voice and vote to say what the law should be.
The church is against all forms of contraception. You would like to see all condoms, pills, rings, and implants banned…
I see a trend in your post. This is fine, if you are Catholic, but those that aren’t Catholic should be allowed to do x. But that’s moral relativism. Catholics believe what is moral or immoral for me, is also moral or immoral for you.
A common objection is that we live in a “free” society and should be allowed to live the way we choose. But we don’t- you can’t kill people, you can’t not pay your taxes, you can’t steal from others. We live in a society where you are free to live as you choose within certain parameters.
On a less serious note, I find excluding non-Catholics from receiving communion to be inhospitable. The Eucharist is the most uncomfortable time during Mass for me when I attend because I feel unwelcome (excluding when a priest gives an awful homily).
Less serious note? You really don’t understand the Catholic views of the Eucharist. Frankly, it isn’t about making you feel comfortable. Catholics themselves are sometimes excluded from receiving the Eucharist. It is our Lord and God- not cheese and crackers.
These are some of the reasons I think the church is hurtful. However, I do not hate it. And I do not hate Catholics…
]I don’t interpret your views as hatred. I think you need to learn more about the Church. The reason I say this is because your arguments against these matters indicate you don’t understand why it is important to Catholics. Read Theology of the Body or talk to a priest about it. You might never agree with Catholics over sex and contraception but you’ll have a better understanding why we think the way we do.
To be fair- I’ve told a lot of Catholics they need to better understand the secular arguments against the points you mentioned above. Saying “That is a sin” or “You are going to hell” is not very convincing for people that do not believe in either concept.
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ost by ThatkrazyPagan,