David Deavel, writing for Unique for a Reason , explores the difficulties that homosexuals who are interested in living celibate, orthodox Christian lives often meet with from within the Church as much as from without. Ron Belgau, a Catholic homosexual pursuing his PhD in philosophy at St. Louis University, explains:
We embrace the traditional understanding that God created us male and female, and that His plan for sexual intimacy is only properly fulfilled in the union of husband and wife in marriage. However, this blog was born out of frustration with the prevailing narratives about homosexuality from those who embrace this traditionally Christian sexual ethic: an excessive focus on political issues, and the ubiquity of reparative therapy in one form or another. We want to see more discussion of celibacy, friendship, the value of the single life and similar topics.
To this, Dave responds:
He is realistic, noting that there are certainly “unhealthy and destructive ways” to achieve celibacy. But he is also hopeful, because he understands that this paradox is a human phenomenon, applicable not just to same-sex attractions, but many other conditions in which we find ourselves. We all struggle with our own temptations and failures to resist them—we all know some part of life in which the pain of dealing with them honestly seems too much to bear. At least it feels that way.
Of course, describing homosexual attraction as just another sinful inclination among many others have doesn’t have much purchase even inside some Christian circles.
Read more here .
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
