Why are Catholics against gay marriage?

 

This is one of a series of articles (listed in the lower sidebar). The same sex issue is incredibly complex. I know this from my own experience an "out" queer person. If you are gay, God loves you, just as much as he loves anyone else. He loved me so much that he has helped me stay out of sex for years. It's been a great journey. I pray that you are given the freedom to make that same journey.

My article Why are Catholics against gay sex? discusses the underpinning of the gay marriage issue. I was silent on gay issues for 18 years after I became a Christian. I left the entertainment world and stopped speaking out for the queer community. Having spent 7 years in the gay community, 2 of which were "out", I never thought I would speak against it. But now I can no longer in good conscience stay quiet because the tables have turned and the oppression is against Christians and against free speech. Human Rights have been twisted.

The Gay Community was never truly into marriage

Major gay advocacy groups quietly admit that the gay marriage issue is only a political tool to normalize gay sex. The Gay community doesn't want marriage, nor do they want legally bound monogamy, which is what marriage is. In May 2009, one of the most popular gay blogs "Joe my God" said this of Proposition 8:

The survey they [people against gay marriage] cite, a 1996 study by gay researchers Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen reportedly concludes that "the cheating ratio of ‘married’ gay males, given enough time, approaches 100%." The Maine Marriage Alliance does note that this "outside sexual activity" occurs by agreement, but really, so what?

In Boston, Canada, and the Netherlands, where gay marriage is legal, almost no queer people are getting married, the stats are incredibly low, and dropping. The national gay paper in Canada, Xtra, interviewed the queer community about why there have been so few gay marriages even though it's been legal for years:

Why most Canadian gays and lesbians are choosing not to marry
MARRIAGE / Too many risks, few incentives
Xtra Jillian Deri /Vancouver / Thursday, September 25, 2008

The article lists some of the reasons gays and lesbians are not getting married even though they tore the country limb from limb to get it legalized, here's a popup of quotes from the gay paper Xtra, not my words. I think anyone in the gay community reading this knows exactly what I am talking about. These discussions within the gay community rarely find their way into the mainstream press.

Legalized Gay Marriage was the result of 20 years of lobbying, court orders, and the marginalization of Christians for their protectiveness of marriage. Yet it was more of a political tool, a trophy. And "straight" Canada negotiated away it's most precious institution for this mocking of the building block of it's culture. The next trophy will be polygamy which is now all over the gay press.

STI's, Suicide Statistics provided by the Gay Community

Canada's largest gay paper XTRA recently reported “A group of six Canadian queers is taking on homophobia in Canada's healthcare system by filing a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.”

Canada's healthcare system is homophobic, says group
Six queers file human rights complaint"
Julia Garro / Xtra / National / Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Here's an excerpt:

Over the past 10 years [Government] have contracted with experts on gay, lesbian, bisexual health to produce studies ... issues affecting queer Canadians includes lower life expectancy than the average Canadian, suicide, higher rates of substance abuse, depression, inadequate access to care and HIV/AIDS... all kinds of health issues that are endemic to our community... higher rates of anal cancer in the gay male community, lesbians have higher rates of breast cancer ... more GLBT people in this country who die of suicide each year than die from AIDS, there are more who die early deaths from substance abuse than die of HIV/AIDS... now that we can get married everyone assumes that we don't have any issues ... A lot of the deaths that occur in our community are hidden ... Those of us who are working on the front lines see them and I'm tired of watching my community die"

They claim "homophobia" to be the cause. This confuses me because when I was active in the gay community in the 80's there was much more "homophobia" and much less social acceptance. Yet the statistics are much worse now, even though gay marriage is legal in Canada, and gay sex is pretty well normalized.

In places like San Francisco and the Netherlands where gay sex is normalized, the stats are worse, so I have difficulty with the theory that the cause of unhealthy stats is "homophobia"

I actually think their report argues against the assertion that gay sex is equivalent to straight sex, which is the foundation of the gay rights movement. But far from revisiting the whole premise of promoting abstinence, they are promoting a greater share of the public health care money than average Canadians. Introducing more legislation to normalize gay sex will not reduce these stats. That is just not where the facts point.

Gens Hellquist, one of the complainants is the executive director of the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition. The other five are representatives from major Canadian cities: Here's a popup of the stats with the results of their own research. For the exact quotes, please see the highlighted areas on pages 3 and 4 of the HRC complaint.

There is fundamentalism on the right, and fundamentalism on the left

I actually have something in common with many of the people who are advocating for the gay community. I have a big problem with any form of fundamentalism. Fundamentalist Christianity can be narrow, some fundamentalist Moslems blow up buildings, and communist fundamentalists killed millions to take over Russia. Paradoxically, many people in the gay community don't realize that they are practicing a new form of fundamentalism:

Secular Fundamentalism

This is also a very dangerous kind of fundamentalism that turns human rights into a fundamentalist religion.It makes human rights legislation its bible. And then it proceeds to misread human rights legislation to its own ends, the same way that some fundamentalist Moslems use the Koran to justify violence, the way some fundamentalist Christians justified slavery, and the way communist fundamentalists justified killing Christians because Christians were against the "common good."  I think all forms of fundamentalism are dangerous.

Secular Fundamentalism claims that we should go after absolute "human rights" even if they are "human wrongs." There is no such thing as "absolute human rights." It makes for a very lousy religion. Here is a popup of some examples of the injustices of "gay rights" legislation against the Christian Community in North America. In response to this list, a same sex attracted man wrote to me saying they deserved to be treated that way since they refused to provide a service. A popup of our dialogue is here.

Uffe Elbaek, a gay politician from Denmark was interviewed in the Canadian gay paper Capital Xtra. Here is an excerpt of the article:

"[there was] a problem with a private Christian school that refused to include gay studies. 'City council had to step in and lay down the law. Even if you are a private school, you must promote tolerance.'"(Capital Xtra! Dec 1, 2005, pg 15)

They legally forced Christians to go against their beliefs like when the Communist KGB tried to wipe Christianity out of Poland. Here are Christian business people who no longer have the human right to work without compromising their values. In the Netherlands Christian ministers have been dragged to court. Proposed strategies to strong arm the North American Churches this way are all over the gay press. Does anyone doubt that priests will be dragged to court for refusing to marry gay couples? The tiny provision protecting religions has already been wiped away in Canada by the Human Rights Tribunal in the cases cited above. Yet, even with this clear abuse of human rights legislature, the gay friendly mainstream press continues to portray Christians as victimizers rather than those being victimized.

In a ruling on a private school's position that gay sex is wrong, the Ontario Human Rights Commission posted this statement on their website:

The proper place to draw the line is generally between belief and conduct. The freedom to hold beliefs is broader than the freedom to act on them. So long as a discriminatory belief is not translated into at discriminatory behavior, individuals and institutions have the right to uphold those beliefs. (Published in Capital Xtra gay newspaper Feb 22, 2007)

The former head of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Keith Norton, held a press conference where he said he was "deeply troubled by the lack of any regulatory requirement for private schools to comply with the provincial human rights code." This is the history of the human rights commission. It is an anti-Christian institution and it is regulating the way that people in Canada live their lives. Teaching your child the Bible is now being seriously considered a discriminatory behaviour and so the experience in the Netherlands is coming to Canada. This is a modern day inquisition against anyone who does not hold with the state religion which is fundamentalist humanism. Secular fundamentalism simultaneously belittles religion, and sets forth its own religious dogmas. The gay newspaper Capital Xtra said:

"We're working to remake the world in our image."
Gareth Kirkby, Capital Xtra, Aug. 16, 2007

For a list of political agenda items, written by the gay community go here. There is a huge buzz in the gay papers now about "charitable status." Now that gay marriage is legal in Canada most religions are at odds with the government. That means their charitable status is in jeopardy. Here is an excerpt from the Ottawa Citizen June 12, 2005.

Churches that oppose same-sex marriage legislation have good reason to fear for their charitable status, a leading gay-rights advocate is warning..."If you are at the public trough, if you are collecting taxpayers' money, you should be following taxpayers' laws. And that means adhering to the Charter," says Kevin Bourassa, who in 2001 married Joe Varnell in one of Canada's first gay weddings..."We have no problem with the Catholic Church or any other faith group promoting bigotry," he said. "We have a problem with the Canadian government funding that bigotry."

There is no such thing as absolute human rights. When human rights legislation is turned into a fundamentalist philosophy there are only displaced human rights. There are always winners and losers. One group's human rights becomes another group's "oppression."

"I would ban religion completely ... It turns people into really hateful lemmings ..."
(Elton John, quoted on CNN, Nov. 2006)

Hauntingly, Elton John is revealing the logical outcome of secular fundamentalism. He would throw us in jail for assembling in public, for not believing his dogma that every form of human sexuality is wholesome. I'm having trouble understanding the difference between Elton John's position and that of communist China or even ancient Rome for that matter. It's ultimate outcome is to throw Christians in jail, or worse.

Most major news corporations had no problem with the effigy of Sarah Palin hanging from Chad Michael Morrisette's home in an LA gay neighbourhood. Those once victimized have become the predators.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-palineffigy28-2008oct28,0,541630.story

This was not simply "fun rhetoric." The threat turned into action. Her church in Alaska was burned with $1,000,000 in damages because of her views. There were women and children inside.

Recently the Alberta Human Rights Commission ordered a pastor (who said that homosexuality was against spiritual laws), to never write, or speak against homosexuality ever again, even in a personal email, and to actually preach against his beliefs. The same commissioner completely dismissed a case complaining about a song all about "kill the Christians." He said that exposing Christians to hate speech does not put them in danger. There is a complete double standard.

Personally, I've experienced a fair amount of shunning and angry speech for being Christian. The gay blogs pounded on me for sharing my experience in the gay community.

Our culture presents Human Rights as some kind of universal truth. Louise Arbour, the famous feminist Canadian lawyer, who is now the High Commissioner of Human Rights, at the United Nations said:

I believe we cannot just export the universality model pretending it doesn't contain a point of view. It's a western point of view, we nourished, cultivated it. It's our baby, our product. We purport to say its neutral but nothing is neutral. (Louise Arbour, Chatelaine Magazine, Feb, 2007.)

Gay rights activists simultaneously want to legalize sexual promiscuity in bathhouses and sexual fidelity of marriage

Laws currently under attack by gay lobbyists include those that forbid public nudity, public sex (i.e., public washrooms and parks), group sex (i.e., bathhouses), and importation of pornography. (Capital Xtra, Apr 11,2005) As well they are fighting to legitimize the "sex trade" (male and female prostitution), and lowering the age of consent for anal sex to include 14 year old boys and girls. They are lobbying the school boards for sex education programs aimed at 11 year old girls and boys that include graphic images of how to perform anal and oral sex.

I have trouble reconciling this simultaneous lobby for "sexual fidelity" in a "marriage" while they push for bathhouses, legalization of anal sex with 14 year olds, etc... I'm sorry but these issues are not "Human Rights," these are "Human Wrongs!"

The genesis of the modern "human rights" movement is based on Christian theological principles

Sexual fidelity is the answer, not "sexual freedom"

I don't believe the answer to our problems is more freedom. I believe the solution lies in a personal relationship with Jesus. At Lourdes, France on Aug 15, 2004, Pope JP II said:

... Be men and women of freedom! But remember: human freedom is a freedom wounded by sin. It is a freedom which itself needs to be set free. Christ is its liberator.

All humans have sexuality. It's God's gift, but with any gift comes a great responsibility. Sex is powerful. People are born from sex, people die from sex (STD's). If I get a powerful gift for Christmas, say a car, there are rules that keep me safe. I think it is the same with sexuality. 

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence ... (Gal 5:1, 13-18)

Here are some Catholic definitions: Chastity:  No sex outside of marriage, sex is perfectly acceptable in the context of a marriage blessed by the Church. Marriage: An unbreakable lifelong union between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. Celibacy: Abstinence from sex, and usually implies remaining single.

The Catholic Church has always asserted that chastity, or alternatively celibacy, are the correct expressions of our sexual natures. This is supported by the Bible. It applies to everyone, including Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgendered (GLBT) people. I know that would get me laughed out of a university class on human behavior and unfortunately out of many psychiatrist's offices.

Canada goes down the road of Human Secularism

There is currently an anti Christian bias in the Canadian Government. Christian lobby groups receive no Government funding whatsoever and Churches lose their charitable status if they lobby. On the other hand, EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere) which has fueled the gay marriage bill, has received generous donations from Canadian Government organizations like the Court Challenges Program, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Heritage Canada, and the National Film Board of Canada.

The Government is giving the gay community money to lobby the Government to change the laws.

This is an example of the current anti-Christian double standard in Canada. And the mere mention that there is discrimination against Christians unleashes a tirade of criticism from the gay friendly press. The Liberal Government of Canada got into power by saying they would restore democracy into the House of Commons. Three months later Prime Minister Martin forced his cabinet to vote with him on gay marriage or lose their positions. The vote (Bill C-38) passed and Gay Marriage is now legal in Canada. The Canadian gay paper said:

"[Gay Marriage] Bill C-38 would have likely been defeated if Paul Martin allowed his Liberal cabinet to vote their conscience." (Capital Xtra! Dec 1, 2005, pg 7).

The Gay community is proud that "equal marriage" passed in Canada even though it completely trampled over democracy in parliament, and even though it compromised the human rights of Liberal cabinet ministers to do so. It appears the gay community is not really interested in human rights as an ideal. I suggest that the rhetoric of human rights is simply a vehicle that it is using to spread its agenda.

Allowing the gay community to enshrine into law, values which go against the history of our society, does affect others in this society. Relativism and secular fundamentalism are built on a false premises. What you do does affect me and what's true for you does affect me, and vice versa. John Lennon said, "I am he as you are he, as you are me and we are all together." We Christians and the gay community are going to have to work this thing out because we are in this world together, whether we like it or not.

Gender as a Mr. Potato Head game

It is clear that there is a difference between genders. They are complementary.

Many advocates of same sex marriage think of gender as a sort of "Mr. Potato Head" game where the core of all people is the same and only the body parts are different.

I believe this is wrong and that men and women are different to the core. I think any psychologist will confirm this as will the author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. I think kids need a mom and a dad. Bishop Henry said:

Two individuals of the same sex, regardless of their race, wealth, stature, erudition or fame, will never be able to marry because of an insurmountable biological impossibility. The denial of the social and legal status of marriage to same-sex couples is not discrimination. It is not something opposed to justice; on the contrary, justice requires such an opposition. The committed union of two people of the same sex is not the same human reality as the committed union of one man and one woman. A same-sex union is not a physical union that transmits human life, producing children. A same-sex union is not the joining of two complementary natures that complete each other. Simply stated, a same sex union is not marriage. The idea that homosexuals can create same sex "marriage" through their individual choice is false. All the packaging in the world doesn't alter substance. F. B. Henry, Bishop of Calgary

The effect on children and families

The gay marriage agenda is not only targeted at adults in society but children also. There is an agenda to teach our children that gay marriage is ok. In some areas children who bring their parent's Christian beliefs about marriage into school are being disciplined. And gay marriage is not even legal yet.  It is no wonder that more and more Christian families are turning to home schooling.

France is the one of the most liberal countries in the world. Yet after an exhaustive secular study it determined that gay marriage would be bad for children and so they did not make it legal.

A friend of mine's daughter went to England to visit. While there she stayed with a lesbian couple who were friends with the mother. Although the daughter had always dated boys, she came back saying, maybe I'll fall in love with a woman, would that be OK mom? I can't say whether the 16 year old is latent lesbian or not, but I think it is clear that kids that age are very mixed up about their sexuality. Their bodies are changing at an amazing rate and they are confused about a lot of things.

On CBC radio I heard an interview with a lesbian lawyer who told her daughter, "If you come home and say you want to get married, I will be very upset." (CBC "The Current", Dec., 2004) I heard a different interview on the radio with a 13 year old girl whose parents are a lesbian couple. This girl is totally attracted to boys but when asked point blank if she was straight she said "I think so, but I'm not sure." (CHRI summer 2004) Having been someone who has crossed gender boundaries I can say it is very easy to fall into the culture of our surroundings. Handing the gay community marriage and then handing them kids will have a very confusing effect on these children. Human sexuality is a mess.

... Be men and women of freedom! But remember: human freedom is a freedom wounded by sin. It is a freedom which itself needs to be set free. Christ is its liberator. (Pope JPII at Lourdes Aug, 2004)

Hetero marriage is screwed up, so why not have homo marriage?

I have a full article on hetero marriage here. In recent years, the institution of marriage has gone through a metamorphosis. Divorces are at an all time high, and the percentage of extra-marital affairs is skyrocketing. Faithful marriages that practice fidelity are scarce these days. Against this backdrop we can see why most Canadians aren't too concerned about the definition of marriage.

But even with the recent breakdown of hetero marriages, hetero relationships last much longer than gay relationships. In the Netherlands, the most gay-friendly country in the world, gay men have a very difficult time honouring the ideal of marriage, even though it is legal there. A British medical journal reports that gay relationships last, on average, 1.5 years and gay men have an average of eight partners a year outside of their supposedly "committed" relationships. Contrast that with 41% of first hetero marriages in Canada end before their 15th anniversary, and 1 in 10 Canadians have an extra marital affair. Now I'm going to say something that people say is extremely intolerant, but is a statistical fact. Today, the average life span of sexually active gay men is 38 years old. ⁴ I think abstinence is much safer, and healthier. And that is the life I have chosen.

I think the high incidence of infidelity, especially sex with total strangers, points to fundamental flaws in the theory that couples of the same sex, have the same potential to be satisfied in their relationships as straight people. From my experience with the gay community, the idea of "fidelity" is relative. What it really means is "mostly monogamous." If gay men and lesbians are satisfied in their relationships then it would stand to reason that marriage in the Netherlands would be a more successful institution there. But gay couples are flocking to divorce courts as quickly as they are running to marriage ceremonies. It is a total failure. There are no indications that it will be any different here in North America.

The gay community is not a healthy place. That is what my experience around the gay community, around gay rights movement, as a professional performer on Broadway, and the statistics themselves tell me. It is not a healthy place for adults, nor do I think it will be a healthy place for children. Studies show that children of Lesbian couples show much higher rates of cross gender sex, promiscuity, and confusion.

Some may say "yeah but there are tons of broken homes in the straight community so who are you to judge?" I don't think it is right to point at the worst examples of straight marriage and use that as a jumping off place for the discussion of gay marriage. Instead of trying to further soil the institution of marriage, I think we should be reviving it. We should be reviving the idea of lifelong commitment and chastity before marriage. An upcoming reality TV show in Canada will be about gay marriage. The Globe and Mail had picture of men in drag with a big sash doing a real campy mockery of marriage. It was making fun of the sacrament of marriage.

I recently had an exchange with an equity lawyer who was in favour of gay marriage. He said "no one pays much attention to marriage these days so why worry about keeping the definition." I replied that there are many faithful Christians who still value marriage so why not leave the definition of marriage for those to whom it still means something.

Evangelicals and Catholics are strongly aligned on this issue. There were ecumenical demonstrations of 6000 people on Parliament Hill on Aug 22, 2003 and 15,000 people in April 9, 2005.

The Media vs the Vatican Why is the Catholic Church against gay sex?

• The Biblical evidence is that cover to cover the Bible presents gay sex as a problem, which is why there has been so much work by activists to try to reframe the Bible.
• The historical evidence is that the saints, mystics, and the fathers of the Church, throughout history are consistent about gay sex. Many gave their lives in the de fence and pursuit of truth, and had no good reason to "tow the line" with the Church or their culture.
• The biological evidence, "Natural Law" says that things in God's Creation should be used according to their purpose. (i.e., Gay sex is inserting a reproductive organ into a digestive tract, which hardly seems to follow any natural or biological law.)
• The ecclesiastical evidence: Christian charity is to try to help people who have fallen away to come back, for their own eternal good and for the good of those they influence. That's the Church's mission as commanded by Christ, and whenever and wherever the Church drifts from that mission, it suffers.

Beyond the official Church reasons:

• The statistical evidence paints a dramatic picture gay sex, imploding within the gay community with huge social fallout on the general population.
• The political evidence is the oppression of free speech and freedom of religion. It is the spearhead of a new war on the Church.
• My personal evidence of 7 years in the gay community as a dancer/performer, including two years as an "out of the closet" gay person is that my life is much better now as a celibate person. I've experienced all of the other points above personally.
• My emotional evidence is that I'm happier now.
• My spiritual evidence is that the closer I feel to Jesus, the more freedom I experience from same sex attraction. I have met others who who have had this experience also

Should judges create new laws?

I got an email that said:

In fact, not only do I believe that is the right of the states and their judges to rule on this issue, but I feel that if anything, there should be an amendment that defines marriage as inclusive to all people regardless or sexual orientation.

It is the judge's job to interpret law not to redefine it. But the judges are now creating new laws, and they are far exceeding their jurisdiction which is simply to interpret existing laws. It is the Government's job to make laws. It's the judges job to interpret them. Judges have consistently overstepped their roles as interpreters of the law. In Canada,the legal system has become twisted. The Government appointed liberal judges who had a history of ruling in favour of same sex issues. Then it deferred to them, and asked them if it was constitutional to the government to change the definition of marriage. Now our laws around marriage are about as flawed as our laws about greenhouse gases and global warming.

Was marriage simply a legal convenience introduced in medieval times?

Some advocates for same sex marriage say "civil" marriage was introduced in medieval times simply as a way to divide up property and that it had nothing to do with Church. The history of "civil" marriage is more complex than that and a full exploration of it is beyond the scope of this simple paper. However, it was intimately related to the Church and the teaching of Christ. Jesus talked about marriage as based on love, not a social legal arrangement. That was 2000 years ago. That kind of shoots down the theory that "love" in marriage is only recent.

Official civil unions were introduced in the colonial period and they included prayers. The Council of Trent officially instituted marriage as a Sacrament in the 1500's but Jesus instituted marriage himself 15 centuries earlier and Christians in the Church followed it from that time forward (Mat 19:5, Mark 10:7). Catholics believe marriage is a religious concept designed by God before any government existed, before any law of man had been written. Marriage is God's idea. Catholics believe it is not for us as humans to tamper with. The word "Marriage" appears all over the New Testament (Mat 22:30, 24:38, Mk 12:25, Lk 2:36, 17:27, 20:34-35, 1 Co 7:38, 2 Co 11:2, 1 Ti 4:3, Heb 13:4, Rev 19:7, 19:9) and it is clearly drawn out as a relationship between one man and one woman. We cannot get around that without throwing out the Bible as "hate" literature, which is exactly what gay M.P. Svend Robinson wants to do. "God forgive him. He knows not what he is doing." (Lk 23:34)

Why are Christians worried? Doesn't the same sex "hate" law have an escape clause for people of religion?

The Canadian law for same sex marriage includes a clause to exempt religions from its adherence. This is a concession that MP Svend Robinson felt is not justified. We need only look at recent history to see that it will soon be challenged in courts. The Supreme Court has not exactly been "Christian friendly" lately. Members of the gay community have already threatened to take priests to court for refusing to honour their "unions." Blaine Marchand, a columnist with "Capital Xtra," says:

Yet for many "right thinking" religious people...they fear the legislation will reduce their sacred texts to hate literature. And so it should be ... Hasn't our nation's legislation on hate evolved over the past decades to include colour, race, religion, and ethnic origin? Why not sexuality?...Those opposed are expressing their fundamental religious fear of the human body. After all, if you take Christian mythology, the body is sinful and evil - thanks to Eve chowing down on that apple. (Capital Xtra, Oct 9, 2003)

Handing the gay community the religious word 'marriage' in the courts has put the religious community in a very precarious position. Priests, ministers, and rabbis will not be able to legally follow the moral laws upon which their religion is founded without the threat of being sued or thrown in jail. This does not sound to me like human rights. There have already been "hate" crime law suits against private Christian newspapers that refused to advertise gay events and against Church halls that refused gay events. The Christian owners of a bed and breakfast were fined  forced to close down their family business (unless they learn their lesson and allow gay men to have sex in their house), because they refused a gay couple a shared room. And as I mentioned above, Scott Brockie, incurred $200,000 in court fees simply because he refuses to print for the gay literature that it is against his religion. Now under Bill C250 in Canada, a Canadian who in good conscience speaks out against gay sex can be thrown in prison for 2 years. These do not sound like Human Rights, they are Human Wrongs.

Also, this clause does not cover those who oppose same sex marriage because of scientific or non-religious reasons. If they spoke out in public against same sex marriage for biological reasons they could be thrown in jail. So much for freedom of speech.

Isn't gay marriage like interracial marriage?

Some people think that banning gay marriage is just like banning interracial marriage. The difference is that affirming interracial marriages affirms the institution of marriage, allowing gay marriage redefines marriage. Others say "hey, my gay marriage won't affect your straight marriage." Catholics feel it will affect everybody, including married straight people. Public school students will be taught against the teachings of their parent's faith. Kids of gay marriages will influence the belief systems of Catholic kids. The concept of marriage would be weakened and vulnerable to another assault that Catholics cringe to think about - polygamy. This is already on the radar of many activists and I've read about it in several gay publications. It is simply not true that gay marriage doesn't affect others.

The government made the charter of rights and then says it is powerless to support it

Recently, Richard Mahoney, the Liberal candidate for Ottawa centre in Canada, came to my door looking for my vote in the federal election. After a quick prayer for wisdom I asked him where he stood on gay marriage. He said:

"it's a constitutional right granted under the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and it is not even in the political arena, it is a matter for the Supreme court to decide. They have the say in this ... not us."

I asked him "who wrote the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms?"

I could see him stumbling and thinking. After a couple of seconds he said "uh, uh, the people of Canada."

I said:

You mean the Government of Canada! The Government wrote the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, and now it is saying that the Supreme Court trumps Government authority on the issue of Gay Marriage because the Supreme Court has the Charter of Rights that was written by the Government of Canada ...Doesn't that sound kind of cyclical to you?"

He quietly dismissed himself and continued to pedal for votes among my neighbours...As he was leaving I invited him to pray about it and perhaps check out the lopsided demographics and personal politics of employees of the Canadian Human Rights Commission that is supposed to be representative of the Canadian public. The Liberals pushed through the marriage bill. Then they were voted out of power. I wonder why?

The Bible is the foundation of our justice system

The Bible has historically been the foundation of our entire justice system. Our entire moral code is based upon it. Before someone testifies in court they swear on a Holy Bible, (of course, that is now changing as we wonder why courts are so jammed up). Catholics believe the Bible is the Word of God. It is not an historical document of outdated opinions. An interpretation that rules against it is in a fundamental conflict with our social foundation. When the forefathers landed in America, the Bible was their vision for its culture. It is also the source of our conception of Human Rights. Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, the pioneers of the Rights movement were fighting for something that was edified by the Bible, which is the foundation of our law. The gay community is fighting for something that is adamantly denounced by the Bible.The Bible is clear on the definition of marriage. (Mat 19:5, Mark 10:7, Eph 5:31). I pray that the gay community has a change of heart and turns to God for guidance on these issues. It's not too late.

No such thing as absolute truth

Today, we no longer talk about "absolute Truth." Everything is relative. So society talks about "Truth-s." In modern culture, one person's beliefs is as important as what someone else believes regardless of whether it is true or not. So modern society has abandoned truth, in favour of preference. This is one of the "gifts" that the "New Age" has given us. Society has determined that this is equality. We call it "tolerance." Society thinks this open view is progressive. However, I suggest this "New Age" approach to spirituality is quite old. The Old Testament is full of examples of God's people taking off and believing stuff similar to the "New Age." Eventually their own suffering brought them back to the Lord. I suggest that there is one Truth and it is not reliant on society's acceptance of it.

Catholics think that God's laws are more important than human constructs

Catholics believe that God is real, and we think he has an opinion about all kinds of things, including our sexual stuff. We think the laws of God's universe are more binding than the laws of man. Natural law does not change just because man says so.

We could pass a law that gravity is not binding on all humans.
But if I jump off a cliff that law will not do me much good.

Making a law that allows gay marriage will not change the truth about marriage. It is just a kind of collective denial. Re-defining marriage is example of what our culture is doing in other areas. We humans are trying to force God to change the rules that govern life, love and death. A big issue in the courts now is whether we can patent the creation of a living organism. Another issue is that we are growing little humans and dissecting them after we create them, all in the name of progress (stem cells). In the midst of our arrogance, I think our whole society is in danger of facing the same kind of fate as "Dolly," The cloned sheep who was heralded as a miraculous scientific breakthrough in the press - then she died, which we didn't read much about.

We don't read about the statistics of what is going on in the gay community in the press either. But those who examine them will see that the Bible and the statistics agree. Truth is truth and it does not bend itself to the whims of man.

I have a blind friend who loves to jog. He was jogging across the street one morning. He didn't believe a car was coming. That was his "truth," and he believed it. Unfortunately, he was wrong. A car hit him and broke his leg.

This is a true story, I met this man. If I was on the side of the road I hope I would not have been "tolerant of his truth". That is the same reason why I am writing this article.

The Bible is warns us against gay sex and it invites us to understand the beauty and depth of hetero marriage. And for those who are not called to hetero marriage it invites us into a relationship with God. A Catholic would have to reduce the Bible to a bit of outdated history in order to justify gay marriage. To people who think the Bible is outdated, I suggest more prayer and less TV. 

Many people in secular society are in favour of gay marriage and have trouble understanding why faithful Catholics are against it. Yet, fifteen years ago, these same people would say gay marriage is wrong. Now they think that the Church is very intolerant. Something has changed, either society has become "enlightened" about gay marriage or it has become complacent about the concept of marriage. The Catholic Church feels it is the latter.

Sources of help

The Catholic organization "Courage",help GLBT people who want to explore their relationship with Christ and who want to come into alignment with his will around sex.  Sexaholics Anonymous has been successful at helping people maintain a chaste lifestyle in accordance with biblical teachings.  Other sites include:

Zacchaeus
Exodus (organized by Evangelicals)
www.newdirection.ca
www.freetobeme.com
www.ewm.org

You can also start your own group. Approach you priest or pastor and ask him for some space on a weeknight. I bet you will get it. I envision a world where Churches are actively seeking to help people with same sex attraction, to stay chaste.

God heals our sexuality in many different ways. He has a plan for each person. Perhaps some people will remain celibate, others will feel called to marriage with a person of the opposite sex. Many have had successful straight marriages and have had kids. Some will struggle with same sex attraction for their lifetime and will need much support to remain sexually chaste. Others will be completely freed. There is no prescription. But the common thread is that those who turn to the Lord get an amazing amount of support and freedom. Jesus really does heal. The closer we get to him, the more freedom we experience.

An invitation, pray about it

Love does not always say "Yes." I invite those who feels that God's Love is about including same sex romance (eros) to inter into some serious and earnest quiet meditation with God and his intimate love (The Greek word is Agape). It will far surpass anything you will experience from a same sex partner. Try to stay open to what God is saying. I believe that the answer will be clear. Honest prayer will reveal the same answer that God spoke in his living word, the Bible. God is not fickle like some politicians. When he says something he means it. He is most certainly all about Love and every loving parent lays down rules for their children who they love, so that they will be safe. My hope is that every advocate for gay marriage will bring this to the Lord.

Scripture verses on the validity of a consecrated single life (no gay or hetero sexual relationships):

Some people are called to a celibate life. Scripture often talks about this as a legitimate call from God. So don't despair if you have prayed and prayed and you are still feel you are not called to hetero marriage. Here are some Scriptures.

Matthew 19:10-12
...his disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." But he said to them, "Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

1 Cor 7:6-9
...This I say by way of concession, not of command. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain unmarried as I am. But if they are not practicing self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.

1 Cor 7:24-35
...In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God. Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. I think that, in view of the impending crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife... Yet those who marry will experience distress in this life, and I would spare you that. I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none,  but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife,  and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin are anxious about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.

1 Cor 7:38-40
...So then, he who marries his fiancee does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better. A wife is bound as long as her husband lives. But if the husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord. But in my judgment she is more blessed if she remains as she is.

Footnotes:

(1) Stonewall was a huge violent demonstration by the New York gay community after a series of police raids

(2) Capital Extra, Oct. 7, 2004

(3) The divorce rate in the US (2000) is 0.41. Several researches have been made, correlating profession with divorce rate, but after checking also with the US Census, none surveyed all professions and their divorce rates. There are several professions that have been surveyed, see more in here http://www.divorcereform.org/cor.html ...There are several professions with more conclusive evidences. In the medical profession, the number of divorces varies from one discipline to another. "After decades of following 1,118 physicians who graduated from the Hopkins School of Medicine between 1948 and 1964, researchers found a 51 percent divorce rate for psychiatrists and 33 percent for surgeons, rates higher than those for internists (24 percent), pediatricians and pathologists (each 22 percent). The study revealed a 32 percent overall physician divorce rate." (http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/janmar97/mar1797/briefs.html - first article). According to this site http://webweekly.hms.harvard.edu/archive/2001/4_9/student_scene.html -
"In some medical specialties-psychiatry, for example-divorce rates stand at about 50 percent (from The New England Journal of Medicine as quoted in White Coat by alum Ellen Rothman)". From http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=36331

Lord Jesus, please pour your Grace
upon the gay community. Heal the brokenness
we have absolute confidence
that you can bring your people together
we give you absolute permission to move
Amen

David's Music CD Here