Catholic teachings conscience?

Question

I am a dedicated Catholic, but I am having a crisis of conscience. The church teaches something that I believe is wrong. Does that mean I am no longer a Catholic, or that I should leave the church?

Specifically, it's the teaching on homosexuality that I don't agree with

Answer 1

Do you understand the Catholic Church's teaching about homosexuality?

Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity.

The Catholic Church believes there is nothing sinful about being homosexual. But homosexuals like all unmarried people are called to celibacy.

The Church specifically says that homosexuals "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided."

I suggest you do further research into the Church's teaching on homosexuality.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Simply put, no, it doesn't. First of all, a quick distinction. Not all the Church's teachings are dogma. Dogmatic teachings are those which are immutable truths revealed to the Church. This includes things like the Church's teachings on the Sacraments, the Trinity, the Incarnation, papal infallibility and so on. To deny dogmatic teachings is to deny Catholicism.

Not all Church teachings are dogmatic, however, and occasionally you will see them change or evolve. The Church, while guided by Christ, is after all composed of human beings, and as such is prone to a limited degree of error. Vatican II declared in Humanae Personae Dignitatem that "Doctrinal dialogue should be initiated with courage and sincerity, with the greatest freedom.... recognizing the truth everywhere, even if the truth demolishes one so that one is forced to reconsider one's own position." What is more, the Catechism states, "A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience. If he were deliberately to act against it, he would condemn himself" (1790).

A poorly formed conscience can lead you astray, however, due to sin, ignorance, society, or other reasons. This is especially the case if one "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good" (Catechism 1791). To have an informed conscience, you should do research, read the Bible, read Church doctrine and the reasonings behind it, pray, and work to live in love and mercy.

Nonetheless, Divine Revalation is greater than conscience. While a properly-formed conscience has a certain primacy over the ideas of secular society, over unjust laws, rules, and regulations, over the opinions and actions of our peers; our conscience does not have primacy over God or the infallible teachings of Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and Sacred Magisterium, nor over the non-infallible teachings of the Ordinary Magisterium in general. Thus for dissent of conscience to be legitimate, it must ultimately also be based on Tradition, Scripture, or Magisterium.

The sources listed below are all good, but this one is the clearest and the best: http://www.catholicplanet.com/tsm/assent... . And of course above all make sure you know what you're dissenting against. Do some research to make sure you really understand what the Church teaches on the subject and why.

Answer 3

No, don't leave the Church. I've never met anyone in the Catholic Church who said they agree with everything the Church teaches. (I myself, disagree with rule that says if you got married outside the Catholic Church then you have to get married again, inside the Catholic Church. This would happen when a Catholic marries a Protestant and they decide to get married in the Protestant Church... They'll have to have a redo in the Catholic Church. Interesting they don't have a problem with getting baptized in a Protestant Church.)

Anyway going to your issue. The Catholic Church is home to many homosexuals. Many of them become priests. Many of them decide to consecrate their lives by living celibate. Some of these people may even disagree with the Church's teachings, but they do agree that the Church has the authority to make decisions.

The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is sacred, a sacrament. The marriage act is to be celebrated in the institution of marriage. All other forms of sex outside of marriage is not approved. They are not picking on homosexuals its a broad rule.

Answer 4

The teachings on Homosexuality by the Church are ultimately temporary. These are mere human and mortal explanations on the current topics of the world. Ultimately, we don't know what God's judgment will be, not only on homosexuals, but on all "offenses." I say we treat them as anyone else. Who are we to judge someone else's actions.

You are still Catholic if you choose to be. The great thing about being Catholic is that you, I mean we, share the same beliefs with over a billion people throughout the world. So out of all those people someone has to share the same feelings with you.

Answer 5

*Is Catholic*

Is Catholic, technically your Catholicism is an indelible mark on your soul created by your baptism and your confirmation. So it is impossible to stop being Catholic. However, you can loose faith, go into schism, become a heretic, apostatize and all that nasty stuff.

One's conscience must be informed by the good. Now there are many goods, but they are all ordered to the supreme good who is God. One's conscience is a compass that directs us towards the good. Sometimes one's conscience can become misinformed then it points towards a good but not the supreme good who is God. The question is then your conscience misinformed?

First do you understand the Catholic teaching on homosexuality? It is that homosexuality is not created by God but is rather a passion that arises out of a disordered view of love. The homosexual acts are what are sinful, but such thoughts, when not acted upon, are not sinful.

Do you understand that the homosexual argument says that the sexual act is the most important defining characteristic of a person? The person's ability to love God alone above all other things is not the defining characteristic of a person.

Perhaps you think that if something exists, God must have created it, so it must be good, so God wants me to do it. This is not true, for clearly you can see many things that are in this world that God did not create (such a bitterness envy, etc) and you would expect such people not to engage in such activity.

So the REAL question for you that is at the heart of all of this is "Is homosexuality something that God did not create and that should be shunned?"

1. Do you believe in the Scriptures?
2. Do you believe in the Church as the Body of Christ who has the Holy Spirit as her vivifier and who leads all people into the totality of truth?

If yes then you can trust the teachings of the Church and of Scripture on this matter as a matter of faith.

OR
You can discuss this philosophically.
Try the book LOVE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Also refer to what I said about how a person's love for God is placed second to their desire to love physically another.

Or physiologically
Male parts are made for female parts.
Love brings forth new life. This is cannot happen in homosexuality.

As you can see, the problem that you are having is much deeper than what you at first thought. It is deeply metaphysical on the nature of love, of what the good is, and what faith is. It does not prevent you from being Catholic but it starts to move you out of communion as it destortes your understanding of God and the good and it pulls you away from being united in faith to the Bishops and 2000 years of Catholic teaching and the several thousand years of Jewish teachings on this subject.

God bless, study, pray, and may you find peace.

Answer 6

Why don't you agree with the Church's teachings that pertain to homosexuality?

MORE IMPORTANTLY: I just want to make sure you are listening to the Church's teachings on homosexuality, and not someone's interpretation of the Church's teachings on homosexuality? In other words, consider the explanation given by the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2359 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.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. 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.

2396 Among the sins gravely contrary to chastity are masturbation, fornication, pornography, and homosexual practices.

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." 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.

Objectively speaking, what specifically is the error in the above teachings - objectively?

Regardless, as a Catholic, you should be striving to understand the Church's treachings. There is nothing wrong with struggling with a given Church teaching - so long as you are making an honest effort to accept the teaching.

There is much about theology that we really don't fully understand. We accept it, even without a full understanding of it. Things like the Trinity, the Real Presence of the Eucharist, etc. These are things we, as Catholics, accept without question, even when we cannot understand or explain them.

Objectively speaking, accepting the Truth of the Trinity and the Real Presence takes a much bigger leap than trying to understand the Church's teaching on homosexuality.

I think you know in your heart that the Church is correct. However, your mind says otherwise. You see, this is why we need a properly formed conscience. Our mind cannot properly rationalize morality without an honest an contrite heart, that is to say - without a clear conscience.

You're still a Catholic. You needn't question your status as a Catholic while you are bearing the burden of discerning the moral justice of the Church's stance on homosexuality.

Just know that you have relied on the Church's guidance in the past, and it has come through for you. You've no reason to suspect the Church's teachings won't come through for you in this here latest of tests.

Answer 7

i think you'd be better of talking this over with your parish priest. you could also join the catholic answers forum offered by www.ewtn.com and have this answered by a panel of experts. my answer would be,you can still remain catholic,i fail to see why you don't agree with the teaching on homosexuality,almost every if not all christians are against homosexuality and that is based on scripture. there are different types of catholics,practicing,non practicing,cradle catholics etc...........this problem would not make you non catholic it is something you will need to conquer personally. another example is i am sure you know some catholic friend(s) that are using contraception or have anger problems etc.....that doesn't mean they should not be catholic but that they need to work through such things.

Answer 8

First off, I need to preface my answer by stating that I am not a Roman Catholic Priest.

Secondly you should consider why you disagree with your Church’s teachings. As you can see from the responses given, there are many worldly answers. My question is do you want to follow the ways of the world or the ways of God? There are an abundance of churches that have emerged over the past fifty years that are quite willing to accept the practice of homosexuality, or any other form of sexuality as morally acceptable! There are even “Catholic” Churches that fall into this category. Do you want spiritual compromise or would you rather do what’s pleasing in the sight of God?

If you truly are unable to reconcile your personal belief and practice of faith with the Roman Church, then in good conscience you should leave! However, if you would like to discuss the issues and learn how much God loves you, and why we need to be transformed into his image rather than to that of the modern world you should talk to your priest. If that is not practical I make my self available!

Consider this: Why would something that has been a consistent teaching of the church for over 2,000 years as morally offensive to God, suddenly become acceptable? Liberal Churches would have you believe that Rome and other Conservatives are deliberately miss-interpreting scripture, or that we are somehow “homophobic.” I assure you that these statements are furthest from the truth! Scriptural teachings on human sexuality have been consistent since the beginning of the Old Testament. One has to ask why there are so many modern Churches changing their views on morality? My answer is that it makes them feel better about themselves, and has very little to do with attempting to please God!

Christians believe that God is loving and kind, and only wants the best for his people. I will be praying for you and the decision you have to make!

In the end the decision is yours to make! Those who seek to sincerely worship God need to worship him in Spirit and Truth! All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The liberal Churches find themselves in error when they teach the lies of their own agenda rather than the Word of Truth.

Whom will you follow? As for me and my house, we will follow the Lord!

Fr. Michael Callahan

Answer 9

You are in exactly the same position so many of us have found ourselves it. Intro to "Lapsed Catholic"-hood. This is why the church is in so much trouble and losing members left and right. My answer is: follow your conscience. You are still a Catholic if you want to be. How many people at church go there and say one thing, then leave and screw everyone for every penny they can get? They sleep at night just fine. But when you have a true issue and you are true to yourself, you are the kind of person they need most, but respond to the least. You are "easy" to the politics of the church because you care.

Answer 10

It could mean a lot of things. It could mean that you incorrectly thinnk something is Church teaching that isn't. It could mean that you have a poorly informed conscience and are judging the Church from a basis of poor understanding. Suggestion: why don't you just let it be known what you disaggree with and why you think it is wrong?