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What Old Testament says, is not what Jesus said.
What Apostles said, is not what Jesus said.
What Church says, is not what Jesus said.
What Jesus said and did can be found only in the Gospels.
Until I read anything against homosexuality there, I cannot agree that Jesus was against it, or that it is a sin (for the Christians).
That's a good point. Of course, the Bible was written by many different people. It's full of contradictions, so if you want to interpret it one way, you can certainly do so.
Catholicism is a bit different from other Christian denominations on this issue. It's less about what the Bible says and more about what the church teaches. My parents even say they weren't really encouraged to read the Bible, but that's changed a bit in recent times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JerseyGirl415
I didn't even know the Catholic Church denounced homosexuality until I heard about it in the media as a young teen. Seriously. I was just never raised with that mindset, not from my Catholic family, the church itself, any of my CCD teachers, my priests. We never ever even discussed it.
I still don't know, like I said, where this attitude comes from. It's sad it exists but I hope people stop painting Christians/Catholics with a broad brush acting like we all disagree with homosexuality and think it's a sin. Not all churches or individuals or priests believe that. Even the Pope has made comments against that belief lately. I like him. He wants to enact some much needed change among the individuals who want to keep spreading the hate. We are not all like this. And like I said, I think it also varies by region.
My church alone disproves whatever vile things people like to say or think about Catholics, especially on the internet. I belong to an excellent church. I think many Northeastern Catholic churches are like mine. Other than some seriously corrupt or inappropriate conduct sometimes, I don't find the Italian (or Irish) Catholics of the Northeast spread hate. We just don't focus on that.
Yes, in fact, it seems the Catholic areas in the Northeast are more liberal on this issue. Not trying to argue with you in any way since I don't desire to see that change.
Basically, if I were still a Christian, I may have been able to convince myself that it's still okay to be gay. Probably not, but it's a possibility. But a Catholic Christian? No chance. There's been no change in Catholic teaching on this issue. In fact, Catholic teaching claims to be unchanging, so there wouldn't be any possibility of it.
I'm just glad I don't have any theological issues with being gay. I think all religion is manmade.
Catholicism is a bit different from other Christian denominations on this issue. It's less about what the Bible says and more about what the church teaches. My parents even say they weren't really encouraged to read the Bible, but that's changed a bit in recent times.
One can be a christian without being catholic. I don't want to offend any good Catholics, but I don't think that Catholic church has any moral grounds to offer any guidance to anyone. It discredited itself too much over the centuries with Borgias, selling indulgences, Crusades, Inquisition, lack of prosecution of pedophiles. (Other churches might be better, but still are human institutions only, not better than a "society of teaching the bible").
Yes, in fact, it seems the Catholic areas in the Northeast are more liberal on this issue. Not trying to argue with you in any way since I don't desire to see that change.
I'm not arguing with you, either. I hope you didn't think I was.
If I may be controversial I think that the biggest issue with homophobia/religion comes from the Bible Belt. Perhaps Catholics up here care just as much, but I don't hear about it. Maybe that's the difference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by snj90
Basically, if I were still a Christian, I may have been able to convince myself that it's still okay to be gay. Probably not, but it's a possibility. But a Catholic Christian? No chance. There's been no change in Catholic teaching on this issue. In fact, Catholic teaching claims to be unchanging, so there wouldn't be any possibility of it.
I'm just glad I don't have any theological issues with being gay. I think all religion is manmade.
If I were gay, I wouldn't have a problem with it religiously (as a Catholic) at all. This is probably because I have never personally equated my religion with homophobia. I know it exists for some, maybe a lot of, Catholics, but not me. I'm happy I wasn't raised, by my family or church, to think that way. Again, I feel sad for those that were. It's a fundamental problem for those that were because Catholics/Christians in general aren't supposed to hate, and are supposed to forgive, yet some have this inexplicable hate for homosexuals.
I have gay friends. One of my best friends from college is a lesbian. I have never once thought of her through a religious lens, and thought that her lifestyle is bad. I never look at her or think about her and also think about how she is living in sin because I wasn't brought up that way. So I imagine I would feel the same if I were gay.
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Perhaps Catholics up here care just as much, but I don't hear about it. Maybe that's the difference. 
