Many of you have probably seen this TikTok video circulating around social media. I would like to break each point down with a Catholic response.
1.“If you or anyone you know uses the bible against the queer community…”
The first message I want to share is of love. No true Catholic is against the queer community. The Catholic Catechism states in paragraph 2358 that anyone who has homosexual desires, “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”While the Catholic Church may disagree with the homosexual person on the best way to fulfill their sexual desires, we are not against the person. No good relationship requires a person to celebrate all the actions of an individual. It is okay disagree. Disagreement does not necessitate unjust discriminatory actions.
2. “The word ‘homosexual’ does not exist in the bible… The problem with Sodom and Gomorrah isn’t that they were gay it was that they were gang raping people.”
In Catholic translations of the bible, it is true that the word ‘homosexual’ does not exist in the bible. However, there are many passages outside of the Sodom and Gomorrah passage that the author of this TikTok does not cite that do talk about homosexual actions outside of pedophilia and gang rape. For example, Leviticus 20:13 states, “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination…” While the word ‘homosexual’ is not used, the illustration of a man lying with a male as with a woman meets the description of homosexual actions.
Other bible verses which speak on homosexual actions are 1 Corinthians 6:10, 15-20, Romans 1:26-27 and Timothy 8-10. (Please note that the bible never condemns homosexuals, only homosexual actions. This is an important distinction. No human’s worth or identity should be defined by their sexual experience and desires. All human dignity is defined by who we are made to be in Christ.)
3. “God is genderless, and we are created in his image.”
While these statements by themselves are true, God is genderless, and we are created in his image, scripture makes it clear that human beings are not genderless. Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” As Catholics we believe that the aspects of male and female equally reflect different parts of God’s nature. God is strong and gentle. God supports and nurtures. In other words, God has male and female aspects and together men and woman reflect the fullness of God’s nature. This is why marriage and procreation require a male and female- to reflect God’s nature and creational power. Jesus makes God’s intent for marriage to be between a male and female clear in Matthew 19:3-12:
And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one?’ So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together let no man put asunder.”
4. “As a Christian we believe that we are a soul placed in a vessel and that means there is a chance that we are placed in the wrong vessel just like any other birth defect.”
This is the teaching of Gnosticism, not Catholic Christianity. Catholics believe that the body and soul are one. The Catechism states in paragraph 365:
The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the “form” of the body: i.e., it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body; spirit and matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature.
This being said, it is true that there are deformities that happen in human development, and it is fine and proper to correct them because a deformity is something that does not function according to the way nature intended. However, changing sexes means mutilating organs that have nothing wrong with them. The underlying problem of a person’s body dysmorphia is not because of their properly functioning organs. It is because of mental distress.
5. “None of this is contradicted in The Ten Commandments or in the words of Jesus, so basically God does not give a shit.”
God does care. He cares very much. The Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20:1-17 includes the commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” The biblical definition of adultery as described in John chapter 8 includes any sexual act outside of marriage. In the gospel of Matthew, which I quote above in point four, Jesus clearly defines marriage as a union between a man and woman. Homosexual acts are therefore sexual acts outside of marriage and fit the definition of adultery.
6. “There are no white people in the Bible.”
If anyone knows why this is significant, please comment your answer below.
Once again, The Catholic Catechism states in paragraph 2358 that anyone who has homosexual desires, “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” No human’s worth or identity should be defined by their sexual experience and desires. All human dignity is defined by who we are made to be in Christ. We are all loved. We are all wanted in the kingdom of Heaven. And we are all called to follow Christ and His teachings. May God Bless you.
For a more thorough explanation on Catholic Teaching concerning homosexuality, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWZ171V0wEQ&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR15wyepUnMNkNMCKeYmkg2PQT2mmOLDovMI4ENCZsvgUVwMlNq8WJ7aX4o
Thank you for this. I personally feel that when we classify “community” by race, gender, what have you we further the division. Quite honestly I’ve never heard of “the White Community” being used…maybe it has.
Thank you so much for writing this. I’m sure Gleefullytim believed what he was saying and that he is also suffering horribly because of gender dysphoria. The compassion of the Catholic Church and appropriate mental health treatment are so necessary. I’m so sad that people suffering from gender dysphoria believe they will be condemned by the Church and are so misguided by uninformed people. Hopefully this post will help some people to look to the Catholic Church and informed mental health professionals.