A SHORT COURSE ON SEXUALITY
III. Homosexuality -
Please Explain!
Homosexuality (Homos = same) refers to relations between men or
between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual
attraction toward persons of the same sex.
It is misleading and confusing simply to say, “Homosexuality is a
sin�.
Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, tradition has always declared that â
€œhomosexual acts are intrinsically disorderedâ€�. They are contrary
to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do
not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.
Under no circumstances can they be approved.
Homosexual Recruiting - Heterosexual Questionnaire - No. 14: â
€œHow can you expect to become a whole person if you limit yourself
to compulsive, exclusive heterosexuality?�
Graham Willett, homosexual activist, writer and professor at
Melbourne University:
“We have achieved what we have achieved by defiance, not by
concessions. I think we should be recruiting people to homosexuality
…It’s a great lifestyle and something everybody should have the
right to experience.�
Homosexual tendency is an objectively disordered inclination. People
experiencing it must be accepted with respect, compassion, and
sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be
avoided. These persons are called to fulfil 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.
Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-
mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of
disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and
should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
“Gay, But Not Happy� – My email correspondence with a
woman who has been in an active homosexual relationship for the last
12 years.
Gay men often have a childhood background of having been sexually
abused (by older males). Therefore, 7 times more likely to be gay. â
€œAll my gay male friends were sexually abusedâ€�.
Origins of same sex attraction (Cf. Peter Rudegeair, Catholic
Psychologist)
“Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained� (CCC).
There is no evidence of genetic basis, however, a sensitive
temperamental predisposition and some traumatic experience can
lead to a greater likelihood of homosexual orientation.
• There are many different causes but there are familiar patterns.
Various disruptions in development of gender identity.
• Male sexual identity is discovered. The father affirms the
masculinity a
boy. Masculinity is achieved, therefore, there is more scope for
problems.
• About 2 to 3% of people are gay - 2 out of 3 are male, 1 female
(twice
as many men than women).
A devastated teenager who thought that he was homosexual: “Iâ
€™ve fallen in love with a girlâ€� – Never tell an adolescent that he
is gay because he is still developing. No one that age knows who they
are.
Causes of Homosexual Attraction:
1. Parental Conflicts (Parental loss or divorce at a critical time).
Men: Father was hostile, distant, rejecting, inadequate or emotionally
unavailable. Some therapists say that they have never worked with a
male, same sex-attracted person, who had a good, warm, loving
relationship with his father (when a child 3-5yrs). Mother was overly
close, overly protective, emotionally needy. “The best way to be a
good father is to love your wife�.
Women: Alcoholic, physically abusive father – mother seen as weak,
cold and unavailable. Father has betrayed mother. Has been sexually
abused by a man. Symptom: male mistrust.
2. Parents Fail to Encourage Same Sex Identification - “I (we) want a
girl�. Boys dressed by their grandparents as girls.
3. Physical Limitations - Lack of skill (co-ordination) at sport – â
€œyou kick like a girlâ€�. Fearfulness towards contact (rough) activities.
4. Poor Body Image - This is almost always the case. “I hate this
about myself�.
What we need from our parents: TIME, TOUCH, TALK => union.
Loneliness => homosexuality; homosexuality => loneliness
(“where do we fit in?�).
No one would ever choose such a life. That’s right, they didnâ
€™t.
Sexually active gay male are 4/5 times likely to have mood attacks/
disorders.
Gen. 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of
God he created him; male and female he created them.� (Adam &
Eve; not Adam & Steve).
Matt. 19:1-9 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So
they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined
together, let not man put asunder.�
Lev. 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them
have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is
upon them.�
Rom. 1:26-27 “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable
passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and
the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were
consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts
with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their
error.�
Eph. 5:25, 33 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her…let each one of you love his wife
as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.�
Stanley Kurtz, former Harvard anthropologist (January, 2004):
“Instead of encouraging a society-wide return to marriage…gay
marriage has driven home the message that marriage itself is outdated,
and that virtually any family form, including out-of-wedlock parenthood,
is acceptable.�
Rosie O’Donnell’s gay love boat (Cf. Herald Sun article,
12/1/2004).
“Legal recognition of homosexual unions would obscure certain basic
moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage.�
(Considerations regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to
Unions between Homosexual Persons, Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith, 3 June, 2003)
_________________________________________________
http://couragerc.net/ * http://www.sa.org/
The Truth about Homosexuality by Fr. John F. Harvey
(Ignatius Press, 1996)
Beyond Gay by David Morrison
(Our Sunday Visitor, 1999)
My Genes Made My Do It by Neil & Briar Whitehead
(Huntington House Publishers, 1999)
THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
(2357-59)
III. Homosexuality -
Please Explain!
Homosexuality (Homos = same) refers to relations between men or
between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual
attraction toward persons of the same sex.
It is misleading and confusing simply to say, “Homosexuality is a
sin�.
Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, tradition has always declared that â
€œhomosexual acts are intrinsically disorderedâ€�. They are contrary
to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do
not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.
Under no circumstances can they be approved.
Homosexual Recruiting - Heterosexual Questionnaire - No. 14: â
€œHow can you expect to become a whole person if you limit yourself
to compulsive, exclusive heterosexuality?�
Graham Willett, homosexual activist, writer and professor at
Melbourne University:
“We have achieved what we have achieved by defiance, not by
concessions. I think we should be recruiting people to homosexuality
…It’s a great lifestyle and something everybody should have the
right to experience.�
Homosexual tendency is an objectively disordered inclination. People
experiencing it must be accepted with respect, compassion, and
sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be
avoided. These persons are called to fulfil 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.
Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-
mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of
disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and
should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
“Gay, But Not Happy� – My email correspondence with a
woman who has been in an active homosexual relationship for the last
12 years.
Gay men often have a childhood background of having been sexually
abused (by older males). Therefore, 7 times more likely to be gay. â
€œAll my gay male friends were sexually abusedâ€�.
Origins of same sex attraction (Cf. Peter Rudegeair, Catholic
Psychologist)
“Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained� (CCC).
There is no evidence of genetic basis, however, a sensitive
temperamental predisposition and some traumatic experience can
lead to a greater likelihood of homosexual orientation.
• There are many different causes but there are familiar patterns.
Various disruptions in development of gender identity.
• Male sexual identity is discovered. The father affirms the
masculinity a
boy. Masculinity is achieved, therefore, there is more scope for
problems.
• About 2 to 3% of people are gay - 2 out of 3 are male, 1 female
(twice
as many men than women).
A devastated teenager who thought that he was homosexual: “Iâ
€™ve fallen in love with a girlâ€� – Never tell an adolescent that he
is gay because he is still developing. No one that age knows who they
are.
Causes of Homosexual Attraction:
1. Parental Conflicts (Parental loss or divorce at a critical time).
Men: Father was hostile, distant, rejecting, inadequate or emotionally
unavailable. Some therapists say that they have never worked with a
male, same sex-attracted person, who had a good, warm, loving
relationship with his father (when a child 3-5yrs). Mother was overly
close, overly protective, emotionally needy. “The best way to be a
good father is to love your wife�.
Women: Alcoholic, physically abusive father – mother seen as weak,
cold and unavailable. Father has betrayed mother. Has been sexually
abused by a man. Symptom: male mistrust.
2. Parents Fail to Encourage Same Sex Identification - “I (we) want a
girl�. Boys dressed by their grandparents as girls.
3. Physical Limitations - Lack of skill (co-ordination) at sport – â
€œyou kick like a girlâ€�. Fearfulness towards contact (rough) activities.
4. Poor Body Image - This is almost always the case. “I hate this
about myself�.
What we need from our parents: TIME, TOUCH, TALK => union.
Loneliness => homosexuality; homosexuality => loneliness
(“where do we fit in?�).
No one would ever choose such a life. That’s right, they didnâ
€™t.
Sexually active gay male are 4/5 times likely to have mood attacks/
disorders.
Gen. 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of
God he created him; male and female he created them.� (Adam &
Eve; not Adam & Steve).
Matt. 19:1-9 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So
they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined
together, let not man put asunder.�
Lev. 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them
have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is
upon them.�
Rom. 1:26-27 “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable
passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and
the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were
consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts
with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their
error.�
Eph. 5:25, 33 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her…let each one of you love his wife
as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.�
Stanley Kurtz, former Harvard anthropologist (January, 2004):
“Instead of encouraging a society-wide return to marriage…gay
marriage has driven home the message that marriage itself is outdated,
and that virtually any family form, including out-of-wedlock parenthood,
is acceptable.�
Rosie O’Donnell’s gay love boat (Cf. Herald Sun article,
12/1/2004).
“Legal recognition of homosexual unions would obscure certain basic
moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage.�
(Considerations regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to
Unions between Homosexual Persons, Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith, 3 June, 2003)
_________________________________________________
http://couragerc.net/ * http://www.sa.org/
The Truth about Homosexuality by Fr. John F. Harvey
(Ignatius Press, 1996)
Beyond Gay by David Morrison
(Our Sunday Visitor, 1999)
My Genes Made My Do It by Neil & Briar Whitehead
(Huntington House Publishers, 1999)
THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
(2357-59)
