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Writer's pictureFather Ben

LGBTQ+ Ideology Homily Series - part 1

As I announced at the Masses last weekend, today I am beginning a four week homily series on how to navigate LGBTQ issues as a Catholic Christian.  June is widely celebrated as Pride Month, a month set aside to celebrate LGBTQ pride.  The ideology that drives this movement is opposed to the Catholic Faith.  It is an ideology that breaks the Sacred Heart of Jesus to which the month of June is traditionally dedicated.  This movement and ideology has quickly swept the nation to the point where if you walk in almost any major corporation or business in the month of June there is almost always some homage made to the celebration of LGBTQ pride.  It is advertised and pushed by most major news sources.  One can hardly go on social media without seeing the pride flag celebrated by friends and family members.  And if you even express suspicion towards this cultural movement, watch out!  You run the risk of being canceled and labeled a primitive bigot.  Furthermore, there are more and more people that are identifying as something other than heterosexual.  Many have family members, coworkers, or friends that identify themselves as something within the LGBTQ categories.  These issues are therefore more personal for some than for others.  These are rough waters indeed.  How do we navigate these contentious issues, these choppy waters?  How do we consider and approach this ideology as faithful Christians?  This is what this series aims to address.

The scope of this homily series will be broader than I was originally intending.  Initially, I only intended to preach on homosexuality or transgenderism.  But the principles which guide the Catholic approach to both of these issues are the same and can be applied to any topic in the realm of sexual ethics.  Therefore, I believe it would be more helpful if I took a broader approach so as to cover more ground.

As human beings, we are attracted to the truth.  We care about what is right and wrong, what is true and false.  It is in our nature to despise lies since we have an inherent reverence and love for truth.  This quality is an essential one which sets us apart from animals.  A dog or cat is not concerned with truth or whether something is right or wrong.  Humans are.

But even though love of truth is woven into our nature we can be mistaken.  Humanity is broken and wounded.  In our pursuit of the truth we can swallow a lie thinking that it is true much like a fish takes a lure thinking that it is something which it is not.  But the reason a fish might take the lure is precisely because the lure appears to be something that it is not.  Likewise, we might adopt an error or falsity because there is a semblance of truth that colors the lie.  We only accept lies and errors because there is a truth that has been twisted.  This applies to the LGBTQ movement.  There is something here that some see as true and good.  And so we have to ask what is the truth that is hidden in the error?  What is the good, the true, and the beautiful that has been distorted?

For example, champions of the LGBTQ movement say that those who identify other than heterosexual should be treated with respect.  Well, of course the Church would say the same.  They say that we should love others no matter what.  Again, the Church says the same.  They say that our sexual faculties play an important role in the human experience.  The Church would say the same.

There is nothing in these few sample ideological tenets with which I disagree.  Of course we should love others no matter what.  Of course we should respect everyone.  Of course sex is a beautiful, powerful, and important part of our human nature.  However, the point of conflict arises not in these statements themselves but rather in the difference in our understanding of love, respect, and the nature of human sexuality.  Unlike the unfair caricature hoisted upon the Church by LGBTQ activists, the point of conflict does not arise from a supposed Catholic hatred of LGBTQ people.  Rather, the conflict stems from a fundamental difference in our understanding of truth.  What is the truth about love, respect, and what it means to be human? What do these words mean?

Now I should make a side note and acknowledge that there have been members of the Church who have tragically expressed hatred towards LGBTQ people.  There have been members of the Church who have been legitimate bigots.  However, we must keep in mind that when members of the Church might fail it does not mean that the Church herself is flawed in her official teaching or approach to these issues.

When pressed on the question of what is truth, activists and proponents of the LGBTQ movement will say that truth is whatever you make of it.  You have your truth and I have mine.  As long as you stay in your lane and don’t impose your beliefs on me everything will be fine.  This attitude and approach to truth is called relativism.  Truth is relative to everyone and their beliefs.  Relativism rejects the notion that there is an unchanging truth that transcends time and culture, an objective truth that applies to everyone.  It rejects the notion that truth is binding on all people, that what is right and wrong does not depend on personal whims and cultural movements but rather on the nature of reality.

And so, again I ask what is the truth about what it means to love and what it means to be human?  Well, the LGBTQ proponent would say that love is merely to have pleasant and warm feelings towards others.  They would say that there is no purpose to sexuality other than what you want it to be.  The truth about each of these matters is relative to individuals, you see.  But as Christians we see that truth is ultimately the person of Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  “Only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light” (Gaudium et Spes, 22).  Only by looking at Jesus will we understand what it means to be a human and what it means to love.  As we will see in the weeks ahead, only by looking at Jesus will we understand the nature of human sexuality and why misuse of our sexual faculties is detrimental to our flourishing.

If we forget this fundamental fact, then we forget what it means to be human and it becomes impossible to love.  If we want to fully understand the Church's teaching on these issues, then we need to first understand the nature of truth. Truth is not something that I can bend and shape to my own desires and whims.  Truth is something to which I am called to conform my life.  Without a transcendent truth, love means nothing.  Without truth, love is reduced to mere emotion.  In the words of Pope Benedict XVI,

“Without truth, charity degenerates into sentimentality. Love becomes an empty shell, to be filled in an arbitrary way. In a culture without truth, this is the fatal risk facing love. It falls prey to contingent subjective emotions and opinions, the word “love” is abused and distorted, to the point where it comes to mean the opposite. Truth frees charity from the constraints of an emotionalism that deprives it of relational and social content.” (Caritas in Veritate, 3)

Some might be appreciative of this homily series.  Others might be irked by it.  Others yet might not care and ask why we should care about any of this?  Can’t we just try to ignore these LGBTQ issues and keep to ourselves?  Can't I just stay in my bubble? Well, if we want to be faithful disciples we have to insist on the truth in season and out of season, whether it be popular or unpopular.  Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  Salt acts as a preservative.  As salt we are called to preserve what is true, good, and beautiful.  And as light we are called to lead others to the fullness of truth, lead others to Jesus.  If we fail at these imperatives then we fail at the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves because love is grounded in truth. Make no mistake: it is a daunting task.  Faithfully adhering to the truths of the Faith will not help you win any popularity contest.  But God will see our faithfulness and reward us tenfold for our courage and fidelity.  So, take courage and do not be afraid.


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