SSA

     It has been an AWFULLY long time since I have had the motivation to write on these pages.  For a multitude of reasons that I will not get into I had to let the blog go for a long while.  Anyway, as always, there are many issues to be discussed on these pages.  Today will be an issue specific blog, seeing as it seems to me this issue has been coming up a lot lately.  Today's topic for reflection will be the very controversial issue of gay marriage.  My reflection points and comments are not meant to be hateful, or inspire hate.  This is meant to be charitable and compassionate, as everything should always be.

     The issue of gay marriage is a hotly contested issue in American today.  The debates on the issue quickly strip down into unaffective Ad Hominem attacks from people on both sides of the issue.  The Catholic Church is on one side of this fight, the side that is against a law allowing gay marriage.  Many people call the Church hypocrites on this issue.  Since the Church is supposed to be compassionate and all-loving, how can it reject the love between two people of the same sex?  The answer is simple, the Church is very compassionate in defending the truth She teaches.  The Church does not downplay the love shared even between same-sex couples.  The issue is that the Church holds marriage to be something more than a love shared between two people.  Marriage is about the full gift of oneself to another person that invites Christ to create a new life in those people.  Marriage is about bringing life into the world and raising it to know the truth of Christ.  In these terms, gay marriage can never be a real marriage at all.  Just as two heterosexual people who get married, but are against accepting life.  In both cases, the people who are "married" are rejecting what marriage even is.

Everyday I am on Facebook and I see a page that says something along the lines of "1,000,000 people for same sex marriage!"  I must say that these groups disturb me.  The people in the groups get angry at anyone that has an opposing viewpoint, calling them homophobes and prejudice.  I fit into neither of these groups, yet hold a viewpoint that is against same sex marriage.  I hold the Church's view on the subject.  The people in a same sex relationship do not meet the definition of marriage.  No matter how often they try, the love they share in private will never allow God to bring new life into the world.  The only sin in being gay is acting on same sex urges.  These people fall into the same sins as heterosexual people.  People of all religions need to realize this point.  The sin lies not on their sexual temptation, but lies in the acting out of said temptations.  Love the sinner, hate the sin.  We are all called to chastity according to our state in life.  There are groups out there for people with same sex attractions who want to seek living out the Church's teachings.  The Church is indeed a Church of compassion, not one with a homophobic agenda.  The Church will continue to show people in these tough situations as much compassion as necessary, assuming the people show compassion back.  This is a tough issue.  Writing about it is not easy.  I just wanted to share a fair honest assessment of the situation without the personal attacks.  I hope this adds some understanding to the situation at hand.  Pax Christi.