Question about Catholic views on homosexuality...?

Question

One of my roommates is gay and Catholic. She told me that the Bible says that the thought is the sin, but the Catholic Church teaches that BEING gay isn't a sin, only ACTING on homosexual impulses is.

These two claims seem to conflict? Are homosexual desires sinful (being) or is it only homosexual sex (act)?

((Obviously, as an atheist I don't believe either, but I'm curious to hear from a Christian perspective))

Answer 1

From the Roman Catholic Catechism:

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.

Answer 2

I do not believe the Church has formally ruled upon homosexuality being a choice or not. The Church has only formally ruled upon the fact that regardless of if one chose to be gay or was 'born gay', you are to be celibate as relations between two men or two women are against God. There are some things within the Old Testament that were there for specific reasons, but lost their use once the New Covenant came into place (dietary laws is one example). But homosexual acts is seen as wrong in both the Old and the New Testament without any changes to the teaching and the Church upholds that homosexual acts are intrinsically evil, but the people are not nor should they be treated with contempt or hatred. I will say though, that while billions of dollars have been spent over the past 25 years for homosexual gene research--no homosexual gene has been found. They have found a "bad driver" gene, a "over eating" gene, a "road rage gene", a "cheating" gene and many other genes, but they have not found anything that gives any indication that homosexuality is a trait one is born with. On the same token though, there was a study done regarding salmon that were in waters that had been laced with contraceptives and other drugs and found that the number of salmon born went down, but even more interesting was the number of male salmon that were born with female characteristics and/or parts. Another study was done using apes in which two males were placed with four or six females and they made their choice of mates. Then they administered contraceptives to make the chosen females sterile, the males left them and chose new ones. They repeated this and the males left them and chose the last two females available. When those two were placed on birth control as well, the males left them and chose each other. There is some belief that it is the birth control that has caused a flair in homosexual tendencies because on a base level, the male knows the female is not a compatible mate for she is sterile. Since men do not take birth control, there is still that base level that knows that they are fertile. Just two interesting studies... As for my personal opinion: I do believe there are a very select few who are born with homosexual tendencies and find themselves truly attracted to people of the same sex, but I believe the majority chooses to be gay because it's the cool, edgy thing to do.

Answer 3

The Catholic Church recognizes that people really can't help WHO they are attracted to. Whether it's because of "nature or nurture," you find yourself attracted to a certain person whether you want to be or not. So, simply having same-sex attraction is NOT a sin according to the Catholic Church, only acting upon that attraction.

There is no conflict.

Answer 4

Both the act and the thought are sinful.

But as Jesus said hate the sin and love the sinner.

It is the same as any unholy desire, if a thought crosses your mind you must not actively dwell on it but push the thought out and think of things more pleasing to God.

Answer 5

All Christians are called to be pure before God, in body and in thought. This applies whether you're gay or straight. Jesus said that if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultry with her in his heart.

It's a struggle that is hard as hell, I'm a single guy and I LOVE women so trust me, I've got my sins. But I know what Jesus wants of me and I work to give it to Him - sexual purity. He wants this from all people, gay or straight.

God bless.

Answer 6

Merely being homosexual is not sinful. It's when this inclination manifests itself in homosexual acts that sin takes place. The Bible also teaches that lustful thoughts are sinful as well. This includes homosexual lustful thoughts as well as heterosexual lustful thoughts.

Answer 7

Your roommate is correct.

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."

Here is the text of the document, On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons (1986): http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_df86ho.htm

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 2357-2359: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2art6.htm#2357

With love in Christ.

Answer 8

Deliberately entertaining and enjoying thoughts of sexual activity (gay or otherwise) is the sin. Naturally, ACTING on those homosexual impulses is even a worst sin. Being gay is not a sin in itself. It demands just as much self control as a straight person needs with respect to the opposite sex outside of marriage.

Answer 9

Homosexuality still remains largely unexplained. Be its origins in genetics or environment (nurture) or both. We simply do not know yet. I think it is safe to say that it is not a chosen lifestyle.

She is correct. The catholic church teaches that desire alone is not sinful, only acts are. Think of it this way: regardless of our orientation we have natural desires of attraction. We will have these desires our whole lives. If we give into these desires we have committed sin, but merely having them is part of being human. A sin is fully consenting to something that is immoral. The catholic church teaches that ALL christians are called to celibacy outside of marriage regardless of sexual proclivity.

And to Lawrence below: if we follow your logic God would not have given heterosexuals desire either. Think it through my friend.

Answer 10

The Catholic church teaches that homosexual desires are only sinful if you act on them but acting on your desires is a mortal sin. So being attracted to someone who is the same gender as you is not sinful.