Between those who support gay marriage and those who back the Church’s campaign against it, there is another group that is not making its views known.
I refer to the many liberal Catholics who feel uneasy about gay marriage but stay silent. Perhaps they are afraid of being perceived as homophobic or maybe they feel so uncomfortable about how their Church has treated gay Christians that they have allowed this to sway their judgement.
As someone who supports civil partnerships and – in particular cases – gay adoption I think it is important to stand up and say that marriage should be reserved for heterosexual couples for the sake of the wellbeing and security of children. By sanctioning same-sex marriage, society would be sending out a powerful message that it makes absolutely no difference whether a child is brought up by a gay or straight couple….
But of course it does. It exposes the child to sex between people of the same sex. And it says that same sex sex is normal, which it is not.
A courageous statement.
However, if she thinks her fellow liberals will graciously understand and accept her endorsement of heterosexual-only marriage, I fear she is in for a rude shock.
Actually, the “way the Church has treated gay Christians has been to present them – and all of us – with the Gospel of peace, joy and righteousness. Specifically, the Church has always had a place for single Christians in monastic and mendicant communities, in which people who suffer from same-sex attraction can find friendship, spiritual direction, and a beacon of hope for a holy and stable life.
Compare that to what the “gay community” has offered gay Christians: insecurity , desperate loneliness, and promiscuity leading to earlier death.