Homophobia getting Haggard
After about two weeks of non-stop stuff, I finally get a breath and a second to blog. I'll have more to say in the coming days--especially as the U.S. bishops are debating a new document on who can (and, evidently more importantly, can't) go to Communion and another on those with a "homosexual inclination." Speaking of such inclinations, I feel compelled to comment about Ted Haggard, former president of the 30-million-member National Association of Evangelicals, now "disgraced" as a frequenter of a male prostitute, despite his vitriolic opposition to homosexuality and same-sex marriage.
In the interests of charity, I only really have one point to make: How strange it is that everyone is interested in the fact that Haggard had sex (or got a massage or whatever) from a man, and no one seems to care that he purchased and presumably used crystal meth, one of the most dangerous and addictive drugs out there. Haggard's own letter of confession focused more on the "darkness" and "dirt" of his "inclination" ("objective disorder" sounds pleasant by comparison) than on the fact that he was using a life-threatening illegal drug.
To my mind, though, what he really needs God's grace to overcome is the deep self-hatred the led him to take such risks. As last Sunday's gospel reminds us, the command to love self is right up there with loving God and neighbor. We all struggle with that from time to time; wouldn't it be nice if everyone made it a little easier for same-sex oriented folk by finally putting prejudice against homosexuality in the bad-idea trash heap where it belongs?
posted by CtotheL @ 9:50 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Welcome back CtotheLeft,
I think the fact that he had an affair, gay or straight, is serious.
Pride is a sin, period. Get over it.
Stop accusing others of having a problem, when the problem is with you. The only way homosexuality can be justified is through rationalizations plain and simple.
"Homophobia" is not a sin.
Sadly, "fear of one's neighbor" rather than love of one's neighbor is often the way.
Janet
Hey Bryan:
Just visiting in a spare moment and am glad to see you getting so many comments. I recently went to one of the the Latin Masses.... using the term improperly here, Iknow - but the priest said there was a difference being the Pius X society Mass and the Tridentine Mass and that the latter had never been suppressed. I read your posts on Lefebvre and am wondering what, exactly this non NOvus Oro Mass that I attended here in AZ actually WAS if it wasn't what Lefebvre and his ilk want... I can tell you that during it, I didn't feel the "respect" people say they feel. I felt like it was a show. And it was really a lonely experience and not celebratory at all. The most frightening thing was the number of really young people there - under 30 - and the under 40-set with multiple (five or more) children. All hearing a sermon, in English, about how God wants us to "vote Catholic." The other thing I noted is this is a Mass for really bad priests - priests who do not preside well. As for Haggard, he says he didn't use meth - don't know if we can believe him, but Ihave an inclination to in this instance. True meth addiction produces things you don't see in Haggard - such as physcial deformities on the face. But, as a religion columnist for the secular press, it is such a great column day when someone like him does this stuff. -Renee
really thoughfully written,
thank you
Brian,
What part of "homosexual sex is a sin" do you not understand? What part of "sin" do you not understand? I'm not a homophobe, I'm not afraid of anyone, but I'm afraid of mortal sin, as I should be, hell is a scary place, read what the children of Fatima had to say about it. And as our Blessed Mother said, "More sould go to hell for sins of the flesh than for any other sin." Should the church "make it easier" for people to fall into hell due to sins of the flesh? Uh no, that's not love. If you love someone you tell them the truth, even if they will dislike you because of it.
Kristin
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