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Date:         Tue, 13 Oct 1992 11:02:00 -0400
From:         Eric James Ewanco <ewanco@MLO.DEC.COM>
Subject:      Re: Homosexuality

Excerpts from catholic: 13-Oct-92 Re: Homosexuality Philip C.
Kilinskas@ACSU (1096)

> ewanco@MLO.DEC.COM (Eric James Ewanco) writes:


> >The church's position is that it is not a natural difference, but a
> >disorder.  Psychopaths can also claim to be "born" that way, but it
> >gives them no right to do what they do.

> Hold on, here.  Are you *seriously* equating consentual homosexual sex
> with murder?  I wonder if your extreme prejudice and close-mindedness
> are genetic or learned behavior.

As Karl pointed out, I said no such thing.  I am pointing out that even
if homosexuality is inborn or genetic, it does not make it morally
acceptable.  (When I said it "gives them no right to do what they do", I
meant from a moral, not a civil, standpoint.)  Maybe there are some
animals which behave homosexually; but there are also animals which eat
their young, cannibalize other members of their species, and kill with
impunity.  This does not make such behavior "natural" or morally
acceptable in humans.

> Drawing parallels to alcoholism and mass-murderers is ludicrous, as
> these are acts which cause harm, while the only harm caused by the
> homosexual lifestyle is when one of them gets physically abused by
> close-minded bigots because of who he/she is.

No one should ever be physically abused for anything, and we must always
strive to end such a violation of Gospel principles.  Alcoholism does
not necessarily cause harm -- no doubt some alcoholics physically abuse
their families, but this is not why alcoholism is wrong. Primarily,
alcoholism destroys the individual.  Homosexual behavior also destroys
the individual, spiritually and emotionally.  And I don't mean directly
because of their conflict with societal norms; in my experience
homosexuals are rarely happy with their lifestyle, though some of them
will no doubt lie, and others become belligerent and pugnacious to mask
the hurt they experience.  It doesn't matter how much you believe
homosexuality is right, homosexual behavior results in separation from
God, a sure sign that it is sinful.

But homosexual behavior not only destroys oneself, but promiscuous
homosexual sex, like all promiscuous sex, spreads disease.  Don't tell
me that you're not hurting someone by infecting them with the AIDS
virus.  Yet even in a monogamous, disease-free relationship, we must
keep in mind the words of Paul: a sexual sin is a sin committed against
one's own body. Premartial sex is also supposedly a "victimless" crime,
but it, too, is immoral.  Remarriage after divorce is also "victimless,"
but nevertheless gravely immoral.  Contraception is "victimless" yet
gravely immoral.  Heck, idolatry is "victimless" yet certainly gravely
immoral!  All of these things are sins against God and against one's own
body.  Simply because no clear-cut victim can be produced is no reason
to pronounce them moral when Scripture and Tradition tells us otherwise.

> Phil,
> (Not homosexual, but still deeply offended by some of the talk here)

Eric
Offended at the idea that we can arbitrarily define our own reality and
ignore the teachings of Christ
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