I have a friend in Uganda, he became a priest because he felt deeply God wanted him to help the Ugandan deaf children to have a school in their country and is fighting, literally, with the government for rights for the poor and disabled, and has asked my advice many times. He admires me so much, and I always feared what my friends, Christians, would do if they found out. But tonight he wanted to know what was bothering me so much I quit my classes. I came out. I warned him this would be something he will not like, not easy to accept. He wanted to know. I told him a lot, enough to begin with. I think it was likely overwhelming anyways. I told him to look up Gender Identity Disorder and dysphoria, and that I had told my friend when a child I was a boy and would grow up to become a man. I bet it shocked the hell out of him! Well, he said nothing would make him hate me. He said he needs to understand me and what this is, and is willing to share my burden. I don't know what he can do for me but be my friend, but I did tell him that I have found it to be worldwide and any ages, and not to be surprised if one day a child or adult in his Uganda comes to confess they have this problem. Maybe he is being prepared? His name is Peter. I told him he had better be a solid rock to handle this challenge. My first friend who is religious Christian, I think that makes out to 6 now?
I'm Catholic, and as he said, nothing will make him hate you. Trust me, most priests have heard just about everything you can think of in Confession. The "official" stance that the Church has on gays is that it's not a sin to have desires of the same sex, but it's a sin to act on those desires. So don't be surprised if he tries to "help" you.
No doubt. But I am glad in one way that I tell him and he looks it up, because if someone in his village comes to him expressing these weird thoughts I have grown up with, he will already know what it means they are going through. Anyways, I have been to a Mass with a friend before. It sure is different from a protestant church service. As you are Catholic, did you confess your priest at one time? Did you feel a need for forgiveness or did you feel you needed to live alone because of it? So far, my acting on my desires was when I was a kid, and ended about age 12 cuz I found out my church thinks it is wrong. ---------- Post added 23rd Jun 2012 at 02:15 PM ---------- oh and PS, I would not want his job, too hard to hear so many peeps you know telling you all...I am glad God can handle it.
To be honest, I usually go to Confession about once a year because my dad makes me. I'm a very private person, and it just feels uncomfortable to tell somebody my sins who I've seen once every week since I was a child. And I really don't commit any mortal (or more serious) sins. My sins are all pretty much venial (less serious) sins. I've heard my own priest say that you really don't need to go to Confession when you've done little things, but the Church still says that you should go a couple of times a year. I guess I do feel better after I've gone to Confession, but it's still uncomfortable. And just to make it clear, when I actually do get physical with a guy, I'm not going to confess that because I don't believe that it is a sin. And I agree with you, I could never be a priest!
I think all sin is sin, equally bad for you. But what do Catholic church think mortal sins are? I am sure it is a list, but if not too long I love to learn stuff about how others think in religion and politics. ---------- Post added 23rd Jun 2012 at 03:47 PM ---------- Thanks! My 1st one of my friends know me for a year or more who is VERY religious and pious, and thinks I am nearly without sin. Boy, nobody should assume anybody is perfect! One time I visited with my buddy a men's Carmelite monastery near here. A guy asked me at some point in our discussion of the Bible and life if I was like Mary and without sin. I had to let him down, we are all sinners! I SUCK ROYALLY! Verily Verily I say unto Thee, I suck and suck again! So, now that I have not lost a friend, just confused him a little and given him something new to read about, who will be victim #7 I come out to?? Hmmmm.... Any suggestions!
Some examples of mortal sins are idolatry, adultery, murder, and slander. Pretty much for it to be a mortal sin, it must be serious, the person must know that it is serious, and the person freely commits it. A venial sin would be something small, like lying or gossiping. Mortal sins break our relationship with God, while venial sins just injure the relationship.
Oh okay. Well he who hates in his heart is a murderer in his heart. So we should take seriously to forgive our enemies right away, and try to love everyone and show respect or walk away. Then we won't have murder written in us. My church thinks you can idolize anything or anybody, even good things. So if you put your job, or car, or wife, or kids, or hobby as #1 in your life, that is idol. Adultery, I get confused on. I assumed it meant anybody having sex that was not a legally in church married man and woman never divorced. But some guy told me it is not. Slander is like saying lies in the newspaper about your political opponent in 2012 Presidential race, right? Think the guys running are committing any? If so, oh boy! Thanks for sharing, even if you aint religious you seem to know the basics. I have been with friends to Roman and Orthodox, a strict Lutheran, 3 varieties of Baptist, Pentacostal, and a few similar kinds. It is interesting not only what is same, but how they worship differently. OH, and a reformed and nearly Orthodox Jewish synagogues! I guess it will be interesting to see how many stick with me or go away if I do come out to them. Some people in general have a hard time sticking with me just because I do not agree with them on one thing, even if everything else is nearly equal. I seem to tolerate more diversity in my friends than they can in me. *shrugs*
The way I understand adultery, it's sex between a married person and somebody who isn't their spouse. You're right, slander is pretty much ruining somebody's reputation. I guess you could call just about any political election slanderous. I don't think President Obama and Romney have been TOO slanderous toward one another, though. It's been other people, like those that spread the (in my opinion) ridiculous rumor that the President wasn't born in the United States. And I do consider myself religious. I am Catholic, but I'm still critical of the Church. For example, I believe that women should be allowed to enter the priesthood, and I think that priests should be allowed to marry. I like the basic teachings of the Church, but I am critical to some of the customs that seem to be there for the sake of tradition. Just remember that if any "Christian" hates you or treats you badly for being gay, then they obviously don't practice their Christianity in a correct manner.
I aint Catholic so I figure I can't tell anybody in your church how to run it. But I do think the reason they had men not marry was in the past, and now we can make legally that the land owned by church is not given to his sons. So I think from what I have seen it is hard on pastors and missionary men and their kids to have so much time for the church congregation and yet be a good dad and hubby. Most kids of pastors end up either stuck up or go as heathen as possible to prove they are not like their dad. Not any have I personally known who was not one of the extremes, but that does not mean a Catholic man should not be a priest if he wants to marry, cuz if he has a calling to preach who is man to say no? my calling i just found out a year ago, really clearly, is to help all deaf and hoh have equality, who knew? only me and God. it aint "religious" except it was Christians who originally gave a care to make sign language available for deaf kids. Yep, I also think God maybe trying to teach me to feel differently towards gays, and that is why he made me this way. People told me homosexuality is a sin and to hate the sin not the sinner, but I think that is wrong thing to say now. I think we should be saying we love you regardless any action or thought or words you say, nothing you can do will end my deep and true love for you. By being aware of what I really am, I am suddenly able to see things through the eyes of my male gay friends and I had no idea that maybe I and my friends were hurting them. It actually makes me cringe now to hear one woman go on and on about Obama and gay agenda. I have now an opportunity to show my friends how to love gays better too. It scares me.
it's awsome that he had a mature response. A friend of mine is a minister and is accepting of us gays. It's a shame when people use religion as a sword to slay everyone they don't like. I'm glad you had a good response.
It's good to see some religions leaders have a mature response. Congrats on ahving the courage to come out to him.
yup. my uncles use the Bible only to thwack me on the head with, to literally quote how bad I am for this and that, then it go back on shelf as it is never read. I would rather be in a closet and full of love of everyone, then have a Bible on a shelf and get it down only to hate with. ---------- Post added 23rd Jun 2012 at 10:46 PM ---------- Thanks! I wonder if it is God who is pushing me to do it? I keep giving more hints to peeps I know too. Like when some guy was joking around with my fake name Kat on FB, I joked back about it, and then added, so if I were to change my name to David you would not be able to find as many fun ways to mess with my name, right? And yeah, if I do one day come out to multiple faiths and they accept me and want to learn more about my situation by reading about it, I will tell everyone so they know they have churches they can attend perhaps that will not hate on them but welcome them just as God made them.
For not being Catholic, you sure do know a lot about Catholicism lol! You've pretty much hit most of the reasons as to why women can't be priests & why priests can't marry. One other reason as to why women can't be priests is because the Church says that Jesus was male and only chose male apostles. I don't agree with this because, in my opinion, Jesus probably wouldn't have been taken seriously by anybody if he were female. Women were treated unequally back then. Heck, Jesus' attitude toward women was revolutionary as it was; he was friends with a prostitute for goodness sake! And I, too, am glad that you had a positive experience coming out to this priest
Well, my ex best friend did become a Carmelite nun. So I guess you can give her the credit i know some of this. She wishes they would have let her be in the mens monastery, and I agree it was really cool, well no, it was actually way too warm and need trees to get that summer heat down. They sure didn't seem poor, they had 3 kids of coffee creamer! Actually one things I like to think about, as if we are making any mistakes in what we do to worship, cuz we can't all be doing it 100% right, is what Jesus did going north, he said we got to go through Samaria. Well, any good Jew would shun that area and those half breed pagean peeps by going the long way around it. So the disciples went, but didn't tell anybody there Jesus was in town, they just got supplies and wanted to go. But Jesus sat at the well and asked a Samaritan, a woman, and kinda a modern worldly one at that to give him some water. She did, but she was surprised as Jews were never in town, he was dressed like and talked like a rabbi, and men do not speak with women. So she was bold with men, and talked and listened and in the end found out he was the messiah she has been waiting for. But Jesus only kindly corrected her, he told her actually the Jews are correct you are supposed to be in the temple in Jerusalem not the mountain of Moses, but if only the Jews would be a passionate for loving God as you Samaritans. So in his correction, he also told her that God sees love in you and it is equally important. In the end, she was told to go get her live in lover she was not married to and she also told all the men in town to come see Jesus, and they did. So the cult-like worshiping, female, who slept around with men unmarried, but loved God even though she lived in sin was the very 1st chosen missionary on earth. Guess God loves everybody equally. An equal-opportunity saviour. Well, got to go to bed, going to church tomorrow.
