Reply #60: Pope John Paul II hates no one. He respects you as he respects [View All]

[DemBones DemBones]

every human being as a unique creation of God. If you could meet him, you'd see how he respects and loves everyone. Like many others, you are confusing the Pope's statements against sin with the statements of people who hate the sinners as much as the sin, people like Fred Phelps, the so-called "Christian minister" who preaches "God Hates Fags."

The Pope does not hate homosexuals, nor would he ever claim that God does. He believes that homosexual persons should be respected as any persons should be -- all equal in the eyes of the Lord. (And when I say what the Pope believes, I am telling you what the Roman Catholic Church teaches, and taught long before this Pope came to Rome.)

The Church and the Pope oppose sin of any sort. So do most people, sociopaths excepted, thought they may disagree about what acts are sinful and about whether to even use the word "sin." You may not use the word "sin" but no doubt there are acts that you consider wrong. It is often pointed out here at DU that it is not necessary to be religious to have a sense of morality and that is quite true. It should be obvious that opposing, or even hating, sin is not the same as hating the sinner.

It should also be obvious that, like heterosexuals, homosexuals can and do commit sins, some of them sexual. The Pope opposes all sex outside marriage as sinful. That's what Catholic teaching is. You will hear him condemn divorce (often caused by sex outside the marriage) and anything else that harms families. He opposes heterosexual sex outside marriage every bit as much as he opposes homosexual sex outside marriage.

He opposes same-sex marriage because the Church teaches that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman, with a purpose to have and raise children. Marriage is actually one of the seven sacraments in the Catholic Church, so respect for it goes way back to the Church's early days.

Of course the Catch 22 for homosexuals is that they can't marry so they can never have sex without committing a sin, according to Catholic Church teaching. So what do gay Catholics do? Some leave the Church, some stay. There are gay couples in my parish. They are like umarried straight couples. They come to Mass together and take Holy Communion together. They're not outcasts and I don't think anyone who knows them at all thinks they're "just roommates." But who cares? I know that when they have sex, they should go to Confession before receiving Communion, just like any heterosexual who has sex outside marriage should (or anyone committing any sin.) But it's none of my business, or anyone else's, whether or not people go to confession when they should. I'm responsible for only one person's conduct -- mine.

Truly, you shouldn't waste time worrying about Catholics being out to get you. Fred Phelps and his ilk are the ones who mean you harm.

Peace. :hippie: