The Catholic Church is not bigoted toward homosexuals but has high expectations of chastity for homosexuals AND non married heterosexuals. Both groups are suppose to live chaste.
I have a big problem with Protestant churches that rail against homosexual individuals but turn a blind eye to pre-marital and extramarital sex along with other sins of greed, pride, avarice and gluttony . That is bigoted. I also have a problem with churches that ignore all sexual sin and condone everything.
Heterosexual love is the way the human race propagates itself. God demands that we regulate our sexual activity so that we will lead happier lives and fulfill our commitments to our communities.
The Bible is against homosexual acts, not homosexual people. The Bible did not know about or address sexual orientation as we know it today. It only addresses same sex sexual activity. God loves all people. The Bible condemns the homosexual act, not homosexual love or the homosexual urge. Catholicism does not prohibit or in any way look down upon homosexual love. In the eyes the Church the love between two men or two women can be as natural as the love between a man and a woman (For example in the Bible: 1Samuel 20:17) The love spoken about between David and John is not eros but platonic. What the Scriptures do prohibit is homosexual intercourse.
The following link leads to an article that has been written by Steve Gershom. Steve is a pro-Catholic, pro-chastity man with same-sex attraction. Regardless of your personal views on the subject I think we can all admire his courage and honesty.
The Churches approach to homosexuality focuses on the benefits of heterosexuality, rather than on homosexuality.
Now for some of my own opinions on the issue of Gay Marriage:
From a Civil point of view a marriage also protects the family unit. It gives inheritance rights and child custody rights along with several other issues. The fact is that homosexuals have brought children into the mix and created families. These families deserve the same protections. If one partner dies the other should still be provider and maintain guardianship of the children. Yes provisions and wills and the like can be made that don't necessitate a marriage but there should be something in the civil courts to make these issues clearer and more straight forward. I have no problem with the idea of civil unions or gay couples and families having the same rights as married couples to protect their partners and the children etc. And frankly I don't have a real problem if they want to call it marriage instead of a civil union because just like many other types of marriage it will never be considered a sacramental marriage in the Church. That is not bigoted either because many marriages, although valid, are not considered sacramental in the Church. My own daughter's marriage is valid but not considered sacramental. Civil marriage will always be separate from a sacramental marriage.
However, that is where it needs to stop. If you don't agree with the Catholic church on these things, that is fine, there are many other churches that will accommodate your beliefs. Don't however expect to change the Church or force the church into going against its beliefs and conscience. I can fully accept and love you but disagree with you and some of your choices. I have friends and family who are cohabiting and although they know my opinion on the issue none would feel hated or unloved. They may in turn feel I am wrong about cohabititaion, and that is fine also. My opinions would never cause me knowingly to be hateful or unkind to anyone.
"There is no other subject on which the average mind is so much confused as the subject
of tolerance and intolerance… Tolerance applies only to persons, but never to principles.
Intolerance applies only to principles, but never to persons."
Archbishop Fulton Sheen 1931 'The Curse of Broadmindedness'
"Moral principles do not depend on a majority vote. Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is
wrong. Right is right, even if nobody is right." -- Archbishop Fulton Sheen 1953
"Moral principles do not depend on a majority vote. Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is
wrong. Right is right, even if nobody is right." -- Archbishop Fulton Sheen 1953
