Catholic Arguments against Homosexual Acts and Relationships: Emotional Revulsion or Rational Argument? (original) (raw)

MA Thesis: The Influence of Gender Construction on Catholic Approaches to Same-Sex

2001

My thesis traces the Catholic response to same-sex erotic attachments, from its roots in the active/passive gender system of classical antiquity, through the characters of the kinaidos and the medieval sodomite, to the “homosexual” as a medical case study, and ending with present day identity politics. I argue that gender expectations have played a foundational role in the Christian position on same-sex attraction and sexual activity. I suggest that as gender roles change, so too could the Church’s understanding of the meaning of same-sex relationships.

A Catholic Perspective on Homoerotic Desire

Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, 2019

IN RECENT YEARS, homosexuality has become one of the most contested cultural issues, at both a national and international level. Even the question of language is hotly debated, especially in Christian circles, with some rejecting "homosexuality" because of its relationship with clinical psychology in past years, and some insisting upon its use because of the associations of the term "gay" with certain political and cultural movements. This article will take a step back from those particular questions and will seek to give an account of a more fundamental question: that of desire, particularly same-sex desire. It will give a historical and philosophical account of the nature of erotic love and then apply this account to the question of homosexuality and homoerotic desire. While maintaining an adherence to Catholic teaching, especially the teaching laid out in the "Catechism of the Catholic Church," this article will seek to move the conversation forward, in giving a positive account of homoerotic desire and reframing the current discussion of homosexuality and Catholicism....

Homosexuality debate: Different views by scholars

Homosexuality debate, 2022

One of the themes that have enthralled the entire world in contentious and critical arguments for about a decade now is the problem of sexual orientation in the context of gender concerns. These debates have included not only scientific studies but also Christians. The principal phrase on the table for arguments in such conversations in the twenty-first century is "homosexuality," while other concerns such as gender equality, human rights, and so on have also played a significant role in today's discussions from both legal and theological viewpoints. In nineteenth-century Germany, the term "homosexuality" was coined as a medical diagnosis for what was then considered a sexual dysfunction: the desire for a sexual act with another person of one's biological sex. This definition is based on the notion of "heteronormativity," or the assumption that persons are inherently disposed to seek sex only with people of the opposite biological sex. The ordination of gay clergy in the late twentieth century was fraught with controversies. There were also debates about whether homosexual interactions were sinful. Some even said that homosexual attraction was a sin in and of itself. Church doctrine and numerous state governments in the United States, for example, forbade same-sex couples from marrying (Seesengood, 2010), but this issue has now affected almost all the countries of the world in which Christianity operates, and from a continental perspective, the Christians churches in Africa are also being affected. The present work is, therefore, an evaluation of the different arguments forwarded by scholars in using Pauline writings in the homosexual debates, this is because it is primarily one of the passages in Paul's letter (to the Romans) that has generated controversial arguments about homosexuality.

A Longing to Belong:Homosexuals who refuse to leave Catholicism.

Revista Palobra "Palabra que Obra", 2014

Despite the fact that many church going members would like gays and lesbians to leave the Catholic Church, there is a sizable amount of them who refuse to leave. Both the Catholic Church and the gay and lesbian community have organized themselves in to groups with the finality of permitting gays and lesbians to remain within the Church, under different conditions. The Catholic sponsored Courage seeks to allow gays and lesbians in as long as they renounce the gay and lesbian life style and attempt to live chastely. The gays and lesbians who reject this option have constituted themselves in to groups like Dignity and Other Sheep which intend to modify the Church´s discriminatory stance on homosexuality in the future by finding ways to circumvent Catholicism’s historically negative attitude towards homosexuality. The biggest hurdle gays and lesbians have in their dealings with the Church is that their sexual actions, the very actions that are an undeniably important part of their persona and which has helped them primarily to define themselves as a minority, are seen as sinful by the Church. In order to revert the perception that homosexual acts equal a sin it is important for the members of the gay and lesbian community to find an explanation to why they have same sex preferences. This thesis is written under the assumption that homosexuality cannot be cured under the guidelines the Church currently offers and as the organization Courage envisions it. Celibacy is undoubtedly an option for the people who wish to pursue it, but not one that many gays and lesbians find realistic in their lives. Their hope is to find ways to justify homosexual relations within Catholicism that have a positive message for homosexuals whether they are single or living as couples. Gays and lesbians that want to be accepted by the Catholic Church have attempted to find the answers that justify their homosexuality, with the hope of undermining the premise that they are acting sinfully. There have been two arguments to justify acceptance on the part of the Church of gays and lesbians: one argument was used by John Boswell who attempted to demonstrate that Christianity had at one time accepted gays and lesbians within its fold, and if it had done so in the past, then it could do so in the present. There are downfalls to this argument, particularly that the Church has used History itself in the guise of tradition to justify the persecution of people who engaged in sodomitical acts for centuries. Another way gays and lesbians have searched for acceptance is by claiming that same sex preference is inborn, thus natural and if it is natural it cannot be sinful. This arguments has several weaknesses as well, which will not be explained fully but can be exemplified with two controversies: the idea that a pedophile or an alcoholic could claim that their desires are genetically predisposed, like homosexuality, and thus makes them less accountable for their actions, can be used to deny homosexuals legal rights. Just because at some point it can be proved that pedophilia is genetic does not mean that society will give them a free pass to engage in sexual intercourse with children, the same with an alcoholic who due to his drinking may be responsible for hurting other people because he drove irresponsibly. It is expected in western society that the individual can and should control urges that damage the fabric of societies well being. These arguments are used against homosexuality as well, if it is genetic they should still restrain themselves from acting on their instincts. The second controversy this argument causes is that if homosexuality is due to genetics the parents of future children will be able to determine the sexual preference of their unborn child, and that would mean that homosexuality would probably disappear even for parents would surely opt for heterosexuality for their children with the best intentions for the welfare of their unborn child. At this moment the arguments may seem moot, particularly because what causes homosexuality has not been determined, so gays and lesbians are left trying to bargain with the Church using the essentialist and constructionist argument when it suits them. This thesis concludes that the best way to get the Church to accept gays and lesbians is using the argument that in essence gays and lesbians are born with those preferences. The argument lessens the guilt of the parties before the Church’s eyes and may be used as a dialogue starter between both parties. This discourse may be perceived as optimistically naïve, but the counter argument, the one that ascertains sexuality can be chosen, and gays and lesbians can change their sexual preferences to become heterosexual brings an ending to any discussion of assimilation between both groups, with the Church alleging that they must become heterosexual once more or else they are breaking the laws of God.