Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics often feel ignored, marginalized, excluded, insulted and even persecuted by their own church. Since my book Building a Bridge was published a year ago, I have heard stories from L.G.B.T. Catholics who have been treated like dirt by priests and other pastoral workers in their church.
A few months ago, for example, a woman who worked in a hospice in a large city in the Western United States asked me if I knew any “compassionate priests” in her archdiocese. She explained that the local parish priest assigned to provide pastoral care to the hospice was refusing to anoint a dying man—because he was gay.
A lesbian woman, who was not in any sort of romantic or sexual relationship, said that her pastor in a Midwestern small town told her that “your kind” were not welcome in the parish and that while he did not “wish you any harm,” she should look for another parish.
L.G.B.T. Catholics often feel ignored, marginalized, excluded, insulted and even persecuted by their own church.
Most poignantly, an autistic man in his 30s called to tell me that a pastoral associate at his parish told him that he could no longer receive Communion. The man was not sexually active or involved in any relationship; he simply had “come out” to his family and friends, and only recently. The pastoral associate, calling it a “scandal,” said that the man could receive Communion “privately” in the rectory if he kept away from the rest of the parishioners.
The church needs to listen to the experiences of L.G.B.T. Catholics in order to better treat them with “respect, sensitivity and compassion,” as the Catechism of the Catholic Church asks. Before we can minister to these Catholics, we need to listen.
When we listen, we will hear not only of their experiences but also their calls for help and prayer, especially in times and places of persecution. And when our L.G.B.T. siblings are persecuted in any way, church leaders are called to stand with them.
Catholics are often surprised to learn that in many parts of the world today, L.G.B.T. persons are liable to experience appalling incidents of prejudice, violence and murder.
Before the church can minister to L.G.B.T. Catholics, we need to listen.
In some countries, a person can be jailed or even executed for being gay or having same-sex relations. Indeed, as of this writing, engaging in same-sex relations is a crime in over 70 countries, and simply being gay or bisexual is punishable by death in 13 countries.
In other words, these are questions of life and death. L.G.B.T. issues in many parts of our world are, therefore, “pro-life issues.”
In these countries, the institutional church has an absolute moral duty to stand up for its persecuted and endangered brothers and sisters, publicly. Sadly, this does not often happen, and in fact, a few church leaders have supported these discriminatory laws. But embedded in Catholic teaching is a call to stand with our L.G.B.T. brothers, sisters and siblings. The Catechism, in its discussion on homosexuality, says “every sign of unjust discrimination” must be avoided (No. 2358). More fundamentally, helping, defending and caring for someone who is being subjected to any sort of physical violence is surely part of compassion. It is part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
In some countries, a person can be jailed or even executed for being gay or having same-sex relations.
Closer to home, what would it mean for the church in the United States to say, when needed, “It is wrong to treat the L.G.B.T. community like this”? Catholic leaders regularly publish statements—as they should—defending the unborn, refugees and migrants, the poor, the homeless, the aged. This is one way to stand with people: by voicing your support for them, even taking heat for them.
But where are statements specifically in support of L.G.B.T. people? When I ask this, some people say, “You can’t compare what refugees face with what L.G.B.T. people face.” As someone who worked with refugees in East Africa for two years, I know that is often the case. But it is also important not to ignore the disproportionately high rates of suicide among L.G.B.T. youths and the fact that L.G.B.T. people are the victims of proportionally more hate crimes than any other minority group in this country.
Here are some statistics from The Trevor Project, an organization that helps prevent teen L.G.B.T. suicides, which remind us again that these are often matters of life and death. They are matters of protecting, defending and respecting the lives of L.G.B.T. people.
What would it mean for the church to say, when needed, “It is wrong to treat the L.G.B.T. community like this”?
- Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared with straight youth.
- Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth who come from “highly rejecting” families are 8.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide as L.G.B.T. peers who have reported no or low levels of family rejection.
- In a national study, 40 percent of transgender adults reported having made a suicide attempt, and 92 percent of these individuals reported having attempted suicide before age 25.
The bullying of L.G.B.T. students in schools is another evil that should be squarely opposed, particularly given the Catholic Church’s long history and extensive experience with running elementary, middle and high schools.
Two years ago, in the wake of the murder of 49 people at Pulse, an Orlando nightclub that catered to a gay crowd, many were discouraged that more bishops did not immediately signal their support for the L.G.B.T. community. A few did. But imagine if the attacks had been on, God forbid, a Methodist church. Many bishops would have said, “We stand with our Methodist brothers and sisters.”
Why didn’t more Catholic leaders express sorrow for or show compassion to our L.G.B.T. brothers and sisters in Orlando?
Why didn’t more Catholic leaders express sorrow for or show compassion to our L.G.B.T. brothers and sisters in Orlando? To me, it seemed a failure of compassion, a failure to experience with and a failure to suffer with.
Orlando invites us to reflect on the implications of these failures. As James F. Keenan, S.J., a professor of moral theology at Boston College, pointed out to our class in graduate school, more often than not Jesus did not critique people who were weak but trying. Rather, Jesus criticized people who were strong but not bothering. For example, the rich man who does not bother to help the poor man by his door (Lk 16:19–31), the religious leader who does not bother to consider that someone needs healing on a Sabbath (Lk 13:10-16) and the Pharisee who does not bother to offer Jesus a welcome (Lk 7:36-45).
For Jesus, sin was, as Father Keenan said, “a failure to bother to love.” In Orlando, many in the church simply failed to bother to love.
How often do all of us fail to bother in this way?
How often do we fail to see the importance of the lives of L.G.B.T. people?
How often do we sin this way?
Father Martin, I wholly agree with everything you've written, but to be convincing to the majority in the pews who inherit a distinctly American and puritanical form of homophobia, you must make it clear to them that, at the same time that you/we feel that the characterization of "intrinsically disordered" (who's not, in decadent American culture) must be rescinded, you/we are advocating a chaste lifestyle qualified by true friendships and public honesty as the remedy for the loneliness and persecution endured by the same-sex-attracted.
Robert - do you believe the Scriptures and Catechism are "homophobic" by your definition, and should be repudiated if not "rescinded"?
I believe the Scriptures don't actually mean what you take them to mean, and I believe the Catechism needs updating with reference to what modern science is telling us about the etiology of same-sex-attraction--how it is in no way "chosen."
I am glad you do not interpret the Scriptures and Catechism as homophobic. The Catechism does not say anything about chosen orientations, only about chosen actions. I differ from you in how I interpret the Scriptures. I do so by following the interpretation of the Church, which after all, composed and compiled the New Testament.
The puritanical form of homophobia is matched only by the puritanical form of hetrophobia exhibited by Fr. Martin and yourself. Your hatred for the order of the natural family is quite apparent. "Disordered" refers of course to the procreative aspect of sex, which in an ordered heterosexual family results in children. Many modernist heterosexual practices such as divorce, contraception, extramarital sex, rape, and child abuse *also* are heterophobic and disordered- but you say nothing against these actions.
Actually, I do--and down below, even on this thread. However, I just think that many of the abuses you mention are now quite common in heterosexual romantic relationships in modern America, but that it is only the "gays" who are getting the brunt of criticism from the institutional Church and the homophobic people in the pews.
Fr Martin joins the leftist main stream media in getting you to think that 50% of the population is LGBT, when it is only 2.5% (Source: CDC). This homosexualist promotes this unhealthy lifestyle (70% of new HIV cases are gay males) that is anti-family.
FR Martin does not advance the Roman Catholic Church.
Yes, he very much does!
I agree, Robert. He certainly does!
Your argument works against you. If Catholics can't extend hospitality to an insignificant 2.5% of the US adult population, they've failed their catechism even when it's easy.
Marco - can you accept Christians who love the person but follow the Scriptures and Catechism, or do you think the latter are homophobic in their language?
Oh, come on! The "Scriptures" weren't written by God, as the Muslims insist the Qu'ran was. Why would there be any need for the continuous guidance of a "Holy Spirit" in their interpretation, if they had been? They were written by men who were "guided" by a "Holy Spirit." Anyone with a grain of sense now knows, for instance, that the Gospel of John contradicts the Passion Narrative of the Synoptic Gospels, in absolving Pilate for much of the blame for Christ's execution, and thereby deeply incriminating the Jews. That's a likely historical ERROR!
Is this the same Lewis who wrote the comment above? Sounds like you are contradicting yourself - or maybe this is a just a computer malfunction - ERROR, ERROR, ERROR.
I don’t disagree with this, but the Church and her priests need to speak out against all forms os injustice related to this issue, not just one. Specifically, they need to stand unequivocally with those who are targeted by the LGBTQP (or whatever) totalitarians who are determined to make sure that there are legal and financial repercussions to be paid for not affirming the validity of homosexual acts or same sex marriage.
Thank you Fr. Martin for speaking out again in defense of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters who are experiencing the most hateful forms of discrimination. For most homosexuals, they believe the doors of the Church are closed to them unless they live as brothers and sisters or live a lifetime of sexual abstinence. Even if they adhere to these requirements, the very fact that they are homosexual prohibits them from serving in any responsible ministry. The requirement of lifetime sexual abstinence is an almost impossible and unreasonable burden, save for the very few who can adhere. They cannot be married so they are in a moral dilemma. The Church does not understand this or does not care despite their double-speak. All the Church can say is to repeat 'the law', full stop.
The Church's ssertion that homosexuality is an 'intrinsic disorder' is not supported by science. The truth is that science has not determined the cause for homosexuality. Some studies point to genetics, others environment, some point to both. No one knows with certainty. Accordingly, the Church should rescind this description of homosexuality because it classifies them as 'not normal', 'weird', and 'second class citizens'. Any sexual relationship with the same sex is 'an abomination', full stop . There is no respect, sensitivity or compassion here. If they are born that way....too bad. They must pay the price because that is 'the law'.
It has been my experience that most homosexuals did not want to be born that way. Experts who have studied this issue, know that homosexuals have a sexual attraction to members of the same sex in the same way that heterosexuals have a sexual attraction to members of the opposite sex. However, none of this is important to the Church. The only thing is 'the law'. What happened to the love and mercy of Christ?
Your article is true and the height of sadness because, as you pointed out, many priests and bishops use words and perform actions that are hateful and blatantly discriminatory. This divides us; it does not unite us.
I don't have the answers here, but it my hope and prayer that the Church find a way to treat homosexuals with respect, sensitivity and compassion.
What "science" can you quote that shows that homosexuality is procreative? After all, the "order" in which homosexuality is "disordered" is the procreation of the species, NOT psychological disorder.
As far as I know, science supports that the normal natural way for human beings to reproduce is heterosexuality. Do you have some other evidence to show me otherwise?
Nature works statistically. Of course, the primary biological purpose of sex is reproduction. But who knows what tradeoffs were made to optimize survival. Homosexuality occurrence may very well be related to tradeoffs made to optimize the overall system. So, in other words, homosexual people exist because the system, as a statistical whole, is humming along just perfectly. Look at the overpopulation problem we have now. Homosexuals haven't made a dent.
The suicide rates are startling (5-8x for homosexuals, 2 of every 5 of those with gender dysphoria, etc) and rising in tandem with greater acceptance of homosexuality. They are far more than any persecuted group in history, suggesting some other cause is predominating, whether it be pathological or spiritual. These rates seem to be going up in tandem with societal acceptance of homosexuality. Report last month of rising levels of suicide among young people across the board, suggests to me a deeper spiritual pathology going on.
I sympathize with much of what Fr. Martin says here. The Church should speak out against any unjust discrimination of people with homosexual inclinations. The Church should also be very careful to distinguish its love for the person from love for activities it has always taught as sinful, following the Scriptures and the Catechism. This is straightforward when the secular world understands the difference (as in depression, alcoholism, drug use, pedophilia, pornography, other sexual addictions, anorexia nervosa, and other body perception disorders, etc.), but is particularly difficult in this world of sexual confusion, since the secularists are not about love for the person but demand approval for the activity and will not accept the one without the other. They will in fact persecute one for making the distinction and people have lost jobs or livings and have been sued, threatened or ridiculed for this (as Jack Phillips, Barronelle Stutzman, Scott Eckern, Brendan Eich, Daniel & Amy McArthur, Margie Christofferson, etc.).
You know, I'm really deeply concerned about the obsession you have with this subject and the extraordinary bigotry you demonstrate against lgbtq people. Your real issue with this subject, it seems to me, is to stifle all discussion of these people's problems with being accepted as individuals whose "orientation" makes them extraordinarily special, in a particularly spiritual dimension (because of the nature of the "cross" they bear). My concern has little to do with you or the hatred you spew here constantly. More than anything else, it is a fear that the view you hold, should it remain predominant in the pews, is going to drive so many youths away from the Church that Catholicism might disappear from our culture, which, in my opinion, would be a catastrophe.
Mr. Lewis - I have been concerned about your obsession (the sworn masonic friendships) for a lot longer. But, how exactly do you go off the rails every time, with phrases like "extraordinary bigotry," and "hatred you spew," that have no place in civil conversation. You need to reflect why you do this. And, get some help. Please.
You are the one who needs help. Your homophobia is a pathological obsession, and you are utterly incapable, it seems, of discussing the real theology of "indissoluble matrimony" and its remarkable distinction from what most heterosexuals practise in American culture, or of the theological validity of the "sworn brotherhood" (not "masonry") that was once completely orthodox, in any constructive, balanced or objective way--and it's obviously because your repulsion against and fear of the same-sex-attracted controls your thinking.
But Bob. You cannot stop bringing up homophobia in every comment. It's like a tick. You are repulsed by the teaching of the Church so you rant and rave at anyone who quotes it.
Bob, please don't be so open minded your brains fall out.
Three very important links re responding to the epidemic of suicide.
From the LA Times, suicide rates are dramatically reduced for those who believe and practice their faith, especially for Catholics who go to weekly mass or more: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-church-attendance-suicide-20160629-snap-story.html
Also, this - https://aleteia.org/2018/06/08/the-suicide-epidemic-and-a-message-for-a-hopeless-world/
Regarding the failures of the Sexual Revolution - it all started with a rejection of Humanae Vitae: https://stream.org/sexual-revolution-50-aged-like-harvey-weinstein/
Within hours of the Orlando tragedy, the Courage Apostolate, through its executive director, issues a statement condemning not only the heinous acts of the assailant, but also any action of violence or malice directed toward the homosexual community. The membership of the Apostolate also, as a community, offered prayer and assistance to the victims and their families.
Meanwhile, Fr. Martin, you, and many other Catholic leaders, refuse to even acknowledge the Courage ministry, with some leaders even going to the extreme of making false statements about our purpose, as well as our desire to live in accordance with Church teachings.
Yes, the rights of the same sex attracted Catholic man and woman are a pro-life issue. How about starting to treat the tens of thousands of us worldwide with a little respect in order to demonstrate that.
I myself have only one problem with the Courage Apostolate, but it's a serious one: when one goes online to find a Courage Ministry in a city, all that is available are telephone numbers and the name of some confessor. Its ministry is not public, it does not hold public services in parishes so that the heterosexual majority become welcomed to affirm and greet gay folk, and therefore everything about it seems to smack of the "closet." That is not acceptable--but everything else about it is good.
Finally a comment I can agree with you on Robert. Yes, Courage needs to be more visible. I think every Knight of Columbus Council, every Daughters of the Americas Court, should have a Courage chairperson.
You'd probably be surprised, indeed, by how much I agree with you. As a teacher in rather elite college preparatory schools, I make a solid, reasoned argument against pornography to my students at least once a year, and, from then on, I've noticed that I become persona non grata with a good number of them. I don't care.
Dear Father Martin,
Permit a question or two. Malice toward a person is always unjust. Is it possible to oppose a person’s homosexuality without at the same time being malicious toward him? What say you, Father Martin? . . . The Catechism opposes all unjust discrimination in the case of any person with homosexuality. Is it automatic that a civil law against engaging in same-sex relations is unjust discrimination?—. What say you, Father Martin?
To be sure, the Orlando nightclub shooting was a heinous act. And there are numerous malicious acts against persons with homosexuality. All these acts are deplorable, all deserve condemnation. They are all acts against persons as such, which is why they are deplorable/heinous/deserving of condemnation. . . And with this understanding in place, the last Q that is directed to Father Martin is ‘How would you define ‘gay being?’
Why would anyone oppose someone’s homosexuality or heterosexual behavior? Does anyone really think that Christ on the cross was there for any other reason than love for all of us. Each morning when I get up or any other time when I find myself judging someone else’s behavior I hear a Small still voice say to me “thank you Jeanne but I really don’t need your help today.”
Just to reduce the temperature, why don't we talk about opposing heterosexual behavior?
We oppose certain heterosexual behaviors in the church, mainly fornication and rape, but also contraception. We also oppose priests getting married. Four different types of heterosexual behaviors that are listed in the same section of the Catechism, Sins against Chastity, as being disordered.
When you understand why these forms of heterosexual behavior are discouraged and labeled disordered, it will be easy to see why homosexuality is discouraged and disordered.
The comments on any of Fr. Martin’s articles consistently reinforce my relief to be an Episcopalian.
Sad, isn't? Who would want to be in the same church with them..
When I saw the headline, I was SO hoping this article would focus on the long-standing good work of the Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians (motto: Human Rights Start When Human Life Begins) or the controversy over the discovery of a possibly "gay gene" --and how that discovery might be used to target and eliminate gay babies in the womb, like baby girls are eliminated in China. Or perhaps how pro-life Gays and Lesbians have fought to be included in Pride Parades but are often excluded, mocked or shut down altogether (PLAGAL member Steve Cook once recalled Pride parade participants screaming, "Traitor! Traitor!" at him as he marched with his sign in one parade). The issues Fr. Jim raises here are important, but there are far more pro-life specific issues for the gay community..
Fr. Martin references several situations in which individuals oriented toward homosexual acts are treated improperly. But I wouldn't mind seeing more detail. In the first example of a priest refusing rites for a homosexual person, would it be a fact that the priest involved stated that he refuses to grant the rites to any homosexual person or could it have been true that the priest KNEW the homosexual person in question and had been told in a clear way that the person had no interest in coming to grips with the sinfulness of homosexual acts? IF that was the case, and it's a big If, then a priest can be on solid ground in refusing rites to any individual who protects their apparent mortal sin. But normally, I would expect the priest to meet with the person and provide effective counsel and be open to granting the rites.
The issue I have with Fr. Martin, having seen some of his pieces over the years, is that he NEVER says anything to directly communicate Church teaching as to the risk to their eternal souls that practicing homosexuals take in refusing to cease such acts. You can be a typical liberal Jesuit and that's fine, but if all you do is defend homosexuals right down the line, without ANY qualifications, then you're NOT doing your priestly job. So I can support the inclusion of the homosexual community in ALL Church activities, provided that the Church leadership does it's job and tries to encourage all persons who appear to commit grave sexual sin to change their ways. So I'm speaking about heterosexual sinners here, too.
What kind of "acts" that same-sex-attracted folks engage in do you wish to proscribe, or describe as "mortal sin", or even "occasions of sin"? Do hugs qualify as "homosexual acts"? Do kisses? (I kiss my brother and my godson--chastely, of course--so am I in danger of "mortal sin"?) You and others like you who wish to entirely separate the same-sex-attracted from their bodies, and from their basic human need for physical affection and for companionship, completely apart from any spousal relationship, are still basically arguing that they should be restricted to an emotionally stifling existence that requires that they hide what is not only a vital element of their humanity, but also one that has peculiar spiritual gifts, if it is lived out chastely.
In answer to the last question- Everytime someone doesn't buy your book or applaud you. The gloryhound writes again.
We are all weak when it comes to sin.
Let us remind ourselves of besetting sin which is a well known issue with confessors and psychologists and moral theologians: for us all who are intrinsically disordered this is an issue.
For those who have not encountered the idea, think about there being 10 commandments and how easy it is not to commit six or seven of them. Only truly debauched and perverted people who are trying will break them all and often.
We find ourselves at Reconciliation confessing the same sins rooted in one to three issues across the years and the grace obtained does not magically vanish the habit and orientation.
Weakness in no defence but it certainly is important.
To avoid pneumonia, a person with a weak chest must avoid many places and circumstance consciously which the rest of us give not mind to as a matter of course.
So it is for people whose sexual identity and preference departs from the standard normal in intensity as well as in kind.
A person who calls themselves a Catholic and keeps company with a group of people with the same prevailing passion is not trying to avoid or overcome sin but is indulging it.
Adult mature persons can be confident in accepting and accommodating to an individual with a sex or gender abnormality but do not unjustly discriminate by keeping a distance between their children and adolescents and the person in question.
It is discrimination, wise discrimination and prudent.
Is there any difference between avoiding a company of thieves, a company of alcoholics or drug addicts and a company of perverts?
Cautiously embrace the individual, quarantine the community.
For instance, do not put a habitual thief in charge of the Sunday collection or contract it out to a firm of swindlers.
As for health and safety, the homosexual lifestyle is very unhealthy and significantly shorter that the population in which they reside and it is their own doing, not our fault, that they get AIDS and syphilis and gonorrhoea and beaten up by partners and abuse alcohol and drugs and kill themselves.
The ordination of women is also a pro-life issue. Canon 1024 ~ "A baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly." Canon 1024 is an artificial contraceptive and abortifacient of female priestly vocations. Religious patriarchy is a cultural tragedy that is becoming a doctrinal travesty and a pastoral disgrace. Apostolic succession is not contingent on masculinity. We need women priests and women bishops.
Luis - why do you persist in this heresy. The Jesuit head of the CDF (praised by Ft. Martin when he was appointed CDF head, in these pages last year - see link below), with the approval of the Jesuit pope Francis, confirmed once again that this teaching cannot change.
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/cdf-prefect-its-definitive-that-women-cant-be-ordained-as-priests
Here is Fr. Martin on this apointment - https://www.americamagazine.org/content/all-things/jesuit-named-secretary-cdf.
and here - https://www.facebook.com/FrJamesMartin/posts/10154548570416496
Thank you, Father Martin. I wonder how long it will be before the Catholic Church recognizes what the vast majority of psychologists and psychiatrists do - being heterosexual and homosexual is not a choice. People are born that way. Since God doesn’t make mistakes homosexual people are and their behavior is normal just as are heterosexual people and their behavior. I have many friends who are gay. When we have this discussion one of them always says why would I choose this? It is a difficult way to exist. I face discrimination, hatred and violence. How much easier my life would be if I was born straight.
Bravo, Suzanne!
Thank you, Father Martin. I wonder how long it will be before the Catholic Church recognizes what the vast majority of psychologists and psychiatrists do - being heterosexual and homosexual is not a choice. People are born that way. Since God doesn’t make mistakes homosexual people are and their behavior is normal just as are heterosexual people and their behavior. I have many friends who are gay. When we have this discussion one of them always says why would I choose this? It is a difficult way to exist. I face discrimination, hatred and violence. How much easier my life would be if I was born straight.
Suzanne - what about bisexuals? Is that too genetic or should the LGBT really be LGT? Or what about the T? This is all very flimsy science.
Regarding those suffering with gender dysphoria, The huge elephant in the room is the 40% attempting suicide. That cannot be normal in any shape or form. The rate doesn't go down with sex change surgery or hormones, so it is extremely pathological. No amount of bullying could threaten the lives of 40% of any healthy population. If Fr. Martin's numbers are correct, the greatest threat to those self-identifying as transgender would be themselves!
Tim, I was writing about what I know from reading a great deal about the “causes” of homosexually and anecdotally from talking with my brother and with my gay friends. I’m sorry I can’t speak to your questions as I haven’t researched that subject nor have I spoken with any transgender or bisexual people.
Right Suzanne. The combination of LG to BT makes no sense from a scientific etiological point of view, according to the best science. That is even more so for the other letters that have been recently added to the LGBT prefix, which grows every few months. There is no doubt that same-sex feelings, however they begin, can be intense and overwhelming, and it is the compassionate part of Fr. Martin's outreach that I support. You probably know that sexual urges affect all adult humans, irrespective of their orientation. Concupiscence is a real struggle for all of us. The Courage organization has the same compassion without abandoning the full truth of the Gospel for all those with SSA, They deserve better. The Gospel offers them (and us all) salvation and eternal life.
St. Peter warned us about this, in his second letter (2 Pet 2: 1-16, abridged): "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute...For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell… if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority...With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable...
Last night, on the PBS NewsHour, in a piece on the AIDS epidemic in Russia, discussing the opposition of the Russian Orthodox Church to some of the various means to prevent the transmission of AIDS, the interviewee made the point that it was first important to save the life before saving the soul. When I heard the remark, I said to myself that he was taking a pro-life position. I think that is what Father Martin is trying to say to us, that our discriminatory and condemnatory words, behaviors, and actions probably do more harm to the bodies and souls of the L.G.B.T. than we recognize. We do need to change.
Mr. Martin does more harm than good in his message, because he affirms the lie that the predisposition to engage in homosexual acts is an immutable characteristic.
As a married man, with three kids, who had at one time engaged in homosexual acts and contemplated a partnership with a man, I can attest that homosexual attraction can be, if not always is,learned behavior and that, of course, all homosexual acts are voluntary.
But for the environment in which I was raised, and an AIDS crisis during the years in which I was experimenting sexually, I could very well have adopted the "homosexual" label and have missed out on the wonderful life that I have with a wife and kids.
We who know that adopting a "gay" identity is a choice are mostly silent because we do not wish to be associated with that identity and its associated bad acts.
Rather than promoting acceptance of homosexual identities, Mr. Martin should be promoting "Courage," male-female unions, chastity, respect for the body, and the power of the human will. That way he would be helping far more people, would-be homosexuals, than his current message that implicitly promotes homosexuality and homosexual acts.
Mike, it is Father Martin. He is a Jesuit priest.