Amazing Comments from Catholic Online

Good morning,

So I just went through about 10 days worth of e-mails from my online subscription to Catholic Online. Although I love the articles, my favorite part is reading the comments. As I've said before, the reader of Catholic Online tends to be the more devout Catholic. Once in a while, I come across some really great comments that dare to counter what the usual readers write. The following paragraphs show my favorites from what I read this morning. Just so you know, I copied and pasted the comments from the website, so all spelling and grammar mistakes are original.

The first comment I read was from a person identified as Schuyler. The article he or she commented on was one that raved about this new therapist who claims he can "change" gay men and women. I put the word "change" in parentheses because the article never actually said anything about regaining heterosexuality. It just said the patient would no longer be gay. I feel like a lot of these psychologists and therapists spouting these words are being over-general. Here is the article, if anyone wants to read it.

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=33842

Now as most of you know, I think the whole changing gay people to straight is ridiculous, an utter pipe dream. In all honesty, I can't believe there are doctors and scientists making such statements. Also what I find very strange is that I thought doctors were no longer able to treat homosexuality as a disease due to definitional changes. Granted, this thought comes from a comment I read on the IMDB "Prayers for Bobby" page, so I don't actually know for sure. Perhaps, if a patient comes willingly to a doctor and asks him or her to treat his homosexuality, then it is OK? Regardless, it's weird. Anyhow, here's the comment I read that touched my heart.

"I have trouble with this article. It seems to me that both sides make assumptions and expect homosexual person to act on them. I do have same sex attraction and I have suffered much emotionally from both sides of the argument. I do not know why I have same sex attraction and it kills me when both sides of the argument make these statements that almost always lack credibility from my own personal knowledge. This mystery of sexuality I assume has to do primarily with love and my attraction to the same sex does not deny that love, even though it may not meet its logical end. Even life ends in death because of original sin. I can just hope as jesus saves us from death he can save us from all our futile actions. I just hope and pray people on both sides will remember they are messing around in the dark at the core of sexual persons and that they have a little more humility and compassion and stop going from a bias to a conclusion. All these men who want to fix us should look to themselves and see that i am still a brother. This is a political issue in america. A culture war and I get the feeling that I and other homosexuals are just a trophy fought over. I am a catholic fully believe all the church teaches but I wish people would stop biting and devouring one another and feed, help, a brother whos smallest problem is his predominant attraction."

-Schuyler

I think the part that touches me the most is the "I can just hope as jesus saves us from death he can save us from all our futile actions." Whoever this person is, they are my hero. He touches perfectly on the futility of making the homosexual-to-heterosexual change. He, of course, does not say anything extraordinary. However, the simplicity with which he says it makes the message come across as very poignant. It feels good to embody the person you are meant to be. Jesus doesn't hate us because we are gay. No. Even if he deems it a sin, he knows gay men and women are doing their best. I know many Catholics repeat, over and over again, the "God loves the sinner, but hates the sin" mantra. To a certain extent, I think that is true. But when the so-called sin is something so personal and challenging . . . ? I just don't think God would put people in THAT difficult a position.

I also very much like when he says that so much of what is said on both sides of the argument is so out of line with general common sense. It sometimes feels like that. People who say homosexuals choose to be homosexual are, flat-out, rejecting common sense. It's old and it's cliched, but no one chooses to be gay in a world where so many people see being gay as weak, strange, despicable, etc.

The Trophy Comment . . . Gold. So true.

The Next comment came from a woman named Emma. Like Schuyler's, it was also very simple, and with some grammar issues. This one actually brought tears to my eyes. I just love it when people think God loves them regardless of our problems. Darn right! Emma commented on an op-ed article, written by a lay-member of the Catholic Church. The article warned its readers to beware of the new morality that requests accepting homosexuality as normal. To read, click below:

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=33803

I've read articles by this particular writer before. She's a good writer, I will give her that. However, her articles are extremely biased and have shaky support. Thus, I only read her articles specifically to trash-talk them in my comments. Anyhow, here is the comment I read after this particular article.

"iam gay and i have a lot of trouble living as gay and expressing my sexuality because iam not accepted as being gay by my family or some other people not that iam very open about it because fear of persecution not just in society but within the church. i find it very hard to go to church and i find it hard to date.i think god accepts me as iam i have felt his great love.that is what is important salvation i have brought many to the lord just as iam. just wish my life was a lot easier . love is the key."

-Emma.

Again, this comment does not bring anything new to the table. However, what I like about Emma's comment is that it demonstrates the self-acceptance that many Christian homosexuals need in order to function as a good and moral person.

Much like Emma, I too have ultimately realized that God loves me as a gay man. I know so many people, mostly men, who are gay (some I know they are for sure gay and some I just suspect they are gay) and have such horrible struggles with their sexuality. Often times, it isn't even a struggle with God, but a struggle with one's own wish to be "normal." Indeed, I think the vast majority of closeted gay men and women aren't saying to themselves "If I am gay God will hate me." Rather, it's probably something like "I don't wanna be gay, no one will like me." However, something quelling comes from the realization that God loves the gay men and women, even if the bible tells us homosexuality is wrong. I just feel so bad for this woman because, even though she's accepted her homosexuality, she does not seem comfortable living as a gay woman. Poor thing, bless her heart.

One thing more I'd like to add is that I often forget about the struggles of so many gay men and women in this world. I have a very easy life as a gay man compared to so many others, even many others with whom I am close. I have a supportive family, many years of education, including a legal education that is a killer mechanism, and great friends. Even though I am a Catholic, born and bred, I've really learned (and in some ways been empowered) to scoff at much of what has been taught to me in my Catholic education. Indeed, there is a lot of stuff in the bible that's utterly incredible.

I remember riding the bus in Arizona one day, and there was a woman and her daughter (maybe grand daughter). The woman was literally yelling at the child, no more than 5 or 6 years old, to read her scripture passages out-loud and memorize them. The little girl would finish, and then ask her mother if she could read her secular book about dogs, or princesses, or whatever. The wretched woman would not let her read her favorite book, but instead kept screaming at the child to read over and over again the same bible passages. It seriously reminded me of that scene from Carrie when the mother is beating her daughter and demanding she repeat the scriptures the mother was reciting (" . . . and Eve was weak"). I remember almost crying at my observation, this sweet little girl being badgered by her homely mother. I hope that little girl isn't gay. Isn't it sad that I even think that?