What Does The Church Really Think of the Gay Community?

One of the biggest misconceptions in the Catholic faith is that people think we "hate" gays. This statement is extremely inaccurate. I think people assume this because they don't really know what the Church teaches. It is our of ignorance that they come up with this way of thinking. 

So what does the Church believe in? 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is a text that contains dogmas and teachings of the Church, names "homosexual acts" as "intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law". It names these homosexual desires as "objectively disordered". So this means that the Church doesn't see homosexual orientation as a sin in itself. The sin would be to act on those disordered desires. The reason Catholics believe this is a disorder, comes from the fall of Adam and Eve. When God created humanity, he never intended for there to be evil in the world. But he did give us free will. So once Adam and Eve went against God, they were cursed with original sin. So from that point on, humans would be tempted to do things and be people that God doesn't want them to do or be. If it weren't for the fall, humanity wouldn't have these disordered desires. This inclination is actually an evil that was brought into the world. God created man and women to procreate, therefore creating the natural law. So Catholics believe that if one acts on these desires, they are directly going against God's original plan for creation. 

So now that you understand the technicality of it, let's go a little deeper. As a practicing Catholic, you are called by the Church to love these people just the same. This doesn't mean you support what they are doing, but it shows you are being a living example of Christ. I know way too many old fashioned conservative parents who threaten their children of becoming gay. They fear this from the day their kids are born. I understand the fear that they have, but the hatred and disgust that they portray against this community is NOT okay. It seems like a conditional kind of love. Although we see these people as committing a mortal sin, this doesn't mean we have the right to judge them. We are sinners too, even though it might be sin in a different matter. They are no different. To imitate Jesus Christ, we are called to love the sinner but hate the sin. 

We are all subject to our own beliefs and opinions. Even though society is very aggressive toward this topic, as a Christian we are expected to be persecuted for our beliefs. You should not be surprised. If you dedicate your life to God and prayer, you can get through it. Whether you are struggling with this inclination or not, it will be tough to face our culture with the truth of what God wants for us. Have faith that He will get you through it. 



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