Shawn,

It's not about what Catholics say about a moral teaching. It is what the Church officially teaches that matters. When the Church officially teaches something in the area of faith and morals, it is always right and is infallible. The Holy Spirit protects the Church from teaching error.

Now to the specific issue:

The Church doesn't teach that homosexuality is OK as long as you don't act on it. It teaches that it is a serious disorder, however, if you don't act on it, you are not guilty of sin. Homosexual desires are not natural desires. They differ from natural heterosexual desires. Heterosexuals are also called to live celibately and not act on their desires outside marriage.

Both heterosexuals and homosexuals are called to resist lustful thoughts and actions but a heterosexual desire is normal and natural, where as same-sex attraction is disordered.

It doesn't make the person who suffers from same-sex attraction evil but it is a condition which is contrary to the natural law.

That is why the Church can never support so-called same-sex marriages.

John

Shawn,

Let me see if I can clarify this for you.

We have several issues.

The first of which is whether or not same-sex attraction is a disorder that is innate or learned. The jury is still out on that. The fact is, we are all sinners and are all prone to do what ever feels good. It's called concupiscence; so we are all potential liars, potential thieves, potential fornicators, and I'd say most human beings are capable of homosexual acts (given the right circumstances) and many straight men and woman have homo-erotic thoughts.

These temptations are not sinful until we act on them. Take stealing.  Stealing is not sinful until we actually steal something, although entertaining thoughts of stealing over a period of time,
can be sinful because we are opening ourselves up to wanting to act on that temptation to
steal something.

That's my point. In your original question, you said it's all right to be homosexual as long as you don't act on it. Well no, it's not all right. To say it's all right is to the say the disorder is good. Whereas, we know that death, sickness, and disorders entered the world as a result of original sin. To say it's all right is the same as saying God intended the person to be a homosexual — or in other cases, it's like saying God intended a person to have cancer. God doesn't do that to His children. Homosexuality is a lie of satan, just as cancer is one of satan's ideas, so it's not all right to say it's all right.

God does know ahead of time what will happen. That's because He invented time itself but that doesn't mean He makes people have same-sex attraction.

What I think you meant to say is:

• Being homosexual, in and of itself, is not sin, or
• You are not guilty of sin simply because you are attracted to the same sex.

That is different than saying it's all right.

• Do you see the distinction?

John

Shawn,

Two points:

1. To the degree we are free is the degree to which we are guilty for the evil we choose.
   Only God knows how truly free we are, as we act.
2. God knowing the outcomes of things doesn't necessary mean God predetermines these outcomes. We must leave some room in the puzzle for the gift of free will that God gives humans.

Paul