Why does the Catholic church believe homosexuals are disordered?

Question

In the Catachism of the Catholic Church it states that god made man and woman and that is the only proper sexual order. I have never experienced opposite sex attraction both romantically and eroticaly it has always been same sex of which I did not choose. Thier qouting from the bible is extremely harmfull to my feeling of self worth as well as others and clashes with the findings of the phsyciatric and phsycological proffessionals. Personaly I find it very offensive because it means that I am not of the creators original intent. It sounds very similiar to the days when folks of other races were considered inferior.

Its not the church teachings that are disturbing but thier lack of empathy, true heartfelt compassion as well as thier speaking out againt protecting them under the civil rights laws(Of which they did support for the handicapped and mentally ill) My concern is the phsycic harm that they are doing to homosexuals. All they see it is as a sexual thing and not love.

Answer 1

Oh, so now you have your own phsyciatric and phsycological professionals to support you. That's fine, but don't expect the church to support you because God calls it sin.

Answer 2

When you quote a paragraph in the Catechism, you must interpret it in context with all the other paragraphs.

What about the paragraphs that specifically address homosexuality?

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.

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.

As you can see, the Church's teachings on homosexuality are not harmful. If you do feel harmed, it is either because you have misinterpreted Church teaching by accident, or you have misinterpreted Church teaching on purpose.

Nor does the Church view homosexuals as inferior. The Church demands homosexuals be treated with the same human dignity as the heterosexual. Does that sound like the teachings of a Church that wants homosexuals to feel inferior?

The problem here is that you seek acceptance of your homosexuality. No, you will not find acceptence of this in the Church, and rightly so. The Church teaches, hate the sin, not the sinner. You are welcome into the Church, and your inclination to sin is tolerated but not accepted. All people have sins that the Church tolerates, but does not accept.

Answer 3

Chastity and homosexuality

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,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 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.

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.

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.

Answer 4

Have you not ever seen someone who is so adamant be really under the veil more of what they most heartily condemn? Pulling mankind out of past behaviors is not an easy task. They just want to establish beacons that light our way and make us more aware of ways that allow us to live together. It is just another instinct that they are trying to repress peacefully so that not so many of us are inclined to let loose the goose so to say. It isn't a perfect solution but it is a try...

Answer 5

Psychiatrists dropped homosexuality from their official list of psychological disorders due to their inability to treat it successfully. Talk about an unprofessional copout! But God's Church will not throw homosexuals to the wolves as the APA did. The Church continues to teach the fullness of truth as it has done for 2,000 years, to love and support people suffering from this disorder, and to offer them the only real help available.

http://couragerc.net/

.

Answer 6

I know this is a 10-foot pole issue. I'd still rather have you at Mass on Sunday with the rest of us sinners (all of whom are disordered in some fashion), than removed from the community. I'd hate for you to lose your connection to Christ, who died for all of us sinners, you and me included.

It's a tough doctrine to preach because homosexuals hold deeply their sexuality as a sense of identity (at least, I'd assume so, since my identity as a straight married male is very important to me).

In one sense, all sinners are disordered, with "disorder" being a Medieval philosophical term implying that the proper "order" begins with God and His Word. The disordering in all sin (not just homosexual actions) is that we attach excessive, deficient, or misplaced love to something in such a way that it blocks our love of God.

Scripture does prohibit homosexual activity in particular a few times, and more generally within the considerations of licit sexual activity. If we wanted to delve into semantics, I do not think that platonic love between men or between women is ever condemned, but it is rather lust for one another (much less sexual acts between one another) that is sinful. At one point, this distinction might have made sense - in Medieval societies where celibacy and chastity were highly honored virtues, for instance.

It is far more difficult to separate in our incultured minds the notion of a non-physical platonic yet romantic love. That two people (homo- or heterosexual) are in love seems to conjure automatic ministrations towards sexual activity, or at least the desire for it.

Of course, that comes as no comfort to say "sure, it's not a sin so long as you don't lust for each other or act out your feelings for one another."

I'm afraid I can't offer much in the way of support to you - as I am not homosexual, I haven't thought about it as much as you have. Please seek out groups for homosexual Catholics - there are a number on the web - and you can find much more support there than here among those who are experiencing what you're experiencing.

Answer 7

Do you understand that the Church teaches we are ALL disordered because of the Fall? Don't take it so personally.

Answer 8

Lighten up.

Just because a certain group, that you do not affiliate with, thinks you're abnormal, what do you care? Are you one of those people that just has to have everybody like them, and can't stand it when someone doesn't like them?

You are actually claiming that a quote from the bible is hurting your feelings? You know, some people are born with feelings of pedophilia - their whole life they've only been attracted to little kids, ever since they can remember. Are you going to say they should not try to supress it? They should be allowed to just be with little kids, and no one should hurt their feelings? Some people are born with a lot of anger, and they have always reacted with great violence when they get angry, ever since they could remember. Are you saying they should not try to supress that anger, and they should just go with it? Everybody has at least one sin that they struggle with their whole life. And for many of us, we've struggled with it for our whole lives, ever since we could remember. Are you going to say that all sin is ok? Get real. Get over your sin. Don't be a slave to sin, be a slave to righteousness. What did you think Rabbi Paul meant when he said we must die to our fleshly desires, and be obedient to God? Being obedient to God isn't easy. Stop trying to make it so it's easy. Die to your fleshly desires of gay sex, and become a slave to what is righteous and biblical. If you can't, then be celibate.

Answer 9

What matter is what God says. God says the act of homosexuality is an abomination and a sin.

Answer 10

wouldn't you be pissed too if a certain group of people cost you hundreds and millions of dollars !