If it makes you happy . . .

It’s almost Thanksgiving, so this should probably be a post about everything I’m thankful for. But it’s not. Because right now I have to say something about this video. It’s short, so give it a quick watch before you read what I have to say:

I’m not surprised by the video at all. It’s actually quite consistent with our society’s perception of bigotry against those in the LGBT community. But here’s what I can’t get over: when people who identify as Catholic like these videos on Facebook, share them, and talk about how we need to be more tolerant of the homosexual lifestyle.

That’s who I’m talking to.

If you’re a Catholic, then here are some things you need to know about gay “marriage”:

1. Gay ‘marriage’ is one of the Church’s 5 non-negotiables. “What are those?” you ask. Something many people have never heard of. They are 5 ethical issues (abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, and homosexual ‘marriage’) which the Church requires her members to refrain from supporting under any circumstance. This means: if you are Catholic, you are bound by Church teaching to not support gay ‘marriage’. Here is an audiobook you can listen to for more on these. Here is an article from a gay Catholic who follows Church teaching.

2. The Catholic Church does not hate homosexual people. “NO WAY!” you say. “Prudish Catholics just want gay people to die in a hole because are SINNAHS!” Let me illustrate the Church’s teaching with a quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.”

Boom bam. Can’t really argue with that one.

3. The Church has a calling for everyone – gay people included – but not necessarily a call to marriage. The Catholic Church stresses each person’s call to holiness (gay people included), which requires different things from different people at different times of their lives. For gay people, their call to holiness requires them to live a celibate lifestyle. Why? Because a Christian marriage is meant to be unitive and procreative. That is impossible with a homosexual couple. That doesn’t mean homosexuals have to go hide in a rock. It just means this:

And finally, I’ve said this before: Loving someone doesn’t mean you’re okay with them doing whatever they want.

Just because the Church is against gay ‘marriage’ does not mean it hates gay people. The Church is serious about the worth of each and every person, regardless of sexual orientation. I know this is hard for some people to stomach, and I get it. I would highly encourage you to do some further reading on the topic and critically examine what the Church really says – not what society says we say.

It breaks my heart to see people who call themselves Catholic confused by this topic everyday. I’m certainly not an expert on this, but I trust the Church enough to follow her. Do you?

 

 

Please share this post with your friends and family – especially the Catholic ones – and tell me what you think below.