Homosexuality: Talking, Not Shouting
We have all heard the abomination line from Leviticus, right? And the list of sins line from 1Corinthians 6:9-10: "Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators (those who have sex outside of marriage), nor idolaters (those who place anything above God), nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers (excessive partiers), nor robbers will inherit the Kingdom of God."
However, most people read the verses like this: "Homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of God." Yes, acting out homosexually is wrong, but sex outside of marriage, drunkenness, putting anything or anyone first in your life other than God, being greedy, stealing, and cheating on your spouse are also bad. Most of us often forget that, and we target people who struggle with homosexual urges, like they are such worse sinners than we are. We should always remember to check our own eye for a wooden beam, before taking the speck out of our brother's eye. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that we are to love and honor those who struggle with homosexual urges just like anyone else. We are to accept them. Accept them living out sin, no. But out of that list, our society sees basically all of those things as ok, and only targets those who struggle with homosexual urges, which is not fair. I will say this though, it is also not fair to try and legally force a Catholic Priest to wed two men or two women, trampling his religious liberties.
People almost never understand why the Catholic Church teaches that homosexual activity is wrong. From the Catholic standpoint, yeah, God made them male and female, true, but it goes beyond even that. The ancient and modern Catholic viewpoint is that sex, any sex, outside of Biblically defined marriage is wrong, yeah, true. But it goes deeper. The Church also teaches that any sexual intercourse while trying to frustrate the faculties of reproduction, or that is incapable of catalyzing reproduction, is inherently wrong. Which is why the Church from the very early centuries has taught that abortion and contraception are sinful as well (yes, abortion and contraception means existed even back in ancient times). If you have no consequences for your sexual embrace, no thoughts of making a family, and are only purely using your partner for your own pleasure as an object or tool, the Church teaches that that is sinful.
People say that homosexual activity doesn't hurt anyone. I am sorry, but this is flatly wrong. Statistics going back for over 45 years have consistently shown that the vast majority of practicing homosexuals acquire either AIDS or some form of STD, even if they only have one partner. Ever since homosexual “marriage” has been legalized in certain areas, its divorce rate has been almost just as high as its “marriage” rate. But beyond all that, it goes back to using your partner as a sexual tool, an object, with no consequences, no strings, and only for pleasure. That is not love, that is lust. Even if you are straight, if you are using contraception, that is not love, but lust. Rolling around in the hay, but not feeding the pigs, so to speak. Shouldering no responsibility, and having no true attachment or commitment to your partner. This is why contraception has led to a skyrocketing in the divorce rate across the board.
Homosexual sin is a struggle, just as much as heterosexual sin is. They are both bad and both wrong. However, there are many inspiring testimonies of people who struggle with homosexual urges, who choose to live celibate lives for Christ. It is very possible. We all have struggles, we all wrestle with sin. We should never point at someone else and say, "Aha! Look at how bad they are!" Especially when we have sin on our own hands.
