Can I be Catholic even though I'm gay?

"Can I be Catholic even though I'm gay?"

You can. But be aware that Catholicism requires gay people to avoid any romantic relationship with a person of the same sex. Basically if you want to remain Catholic and stay in the church's good graces, you will need to remain a lifelong single.

"Should I leave the Catholic Church?"

Do you believe that Catholicism is actually true? Do you believe that its stance on gays is divinely inspired, or that it's just the human opinion of some long dead biblical writers and church fathers that later became enshrined in "Holy Tradition"?

Personally, I'm not a Catholic, so I see nothing wrong with gays entering into relationships and getting married. In fact, it can be emotionally and mentally damaging to require gays to remain single all their lives.

But ultimately, it's your life and your faith. I can't tell you whether or not to leave the Catholic Church. You have to decide that for yourself.

Depends... do you plan on fighting against your 'sin', and not giving in to it, and following church teachings? If so, that's fine. You can be Catholic and homosexual as long as you remain celibate and resist the urges and admit they're 'sins'.

Do you plan on giving in to your urges, having homosexual relationships, etc.? If so, then you might as well leave the church. You're in a state of excommunication latae sententiae anyway. If you don't agree with Catholic doctrine, might as well hit the road.

Being a Catholic does not mean being sinless. WE ARE ALL SINNERS. Just because you engage in per-marital sex doesn't mean that you can't be a Catholic. All you have to do is NOT want to sin and do your best to not engage in sin.

If you believe in God and Jesus as your savior, you will not be able to escape the fact that you are sinning. Changing religions is not going to change the sin. God simply doesn't want us to have sex outside of Holy matrimony, He wants us to have sex to make children.

How bad of a sin is it? I don't know. That's between you and God. For all I know, you can have same-sex intercourse all the time and still get into heaven. I'm not God.

The words of Jesus, the source of everlasting life, are taught by the Church. To who would you go?

I encourage you to stay, but you must find a parish that you can be in communion with. There are parishes that seem to be ghettos of gay Catholics. If things were perfect your neighborhood parish would be for you, but it is not.

If what the Church teaches, which it says is the teachings of Jesus, are difficult, bear it. It is the life you are called for. If you are not ready for it know that you are not the only Catholic that is troubled by Church teachings yet stays in the Church. Not just gays, all of us. We hope with thought, prayer, and life experience we will come to se the wisdom of the Church. Others, more liberal, would say they wait for the Chuch to acknowled the Holy Spirit speaking through the People of God, but that is a controversy.

If you feel that the Church is making it impossible for you to mature spiritually only after deep contemplation and consulting with a priest and a Protestant minister both, decide to stay or go.

"Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." (2 Timothy 3: 4). This describes the character of some men in the last days. "You shall have no other gods before me." these verses lay out the choice before you; give into your desires or exercise extreme will power (ask the Holy Spirit for help and power to overcome). You can't have both, regardless of what Christian denomination you choose.

In Alcoholics Anonymous they teach once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic, even though it may have been years or decades since the last drink. This is to remind them of their vulnerability to relapse (fall off the wagon". The same goes for homosexuality.

It depends on whether by "gay" you mean subject to homosexual temptation or an active participant in sexual sin. Even Jesus was tempted, and he was likely drawn toward sexual sin, but he resisted the temptation. Any temptation successfully resisted loses its drawing power.

In Matt 5, Jesus talked about those tempted to adultery, which is an example of sexual sin. He explained that it is possible to sin in the imagination. "“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Thus, if a person actively cultivates homosexual fantasies, it is not mere temptation, but a participation in sin.

If you are a Catholic, you have the opportunity to confess your sins and change your sexual bad habits. Thus, remaining a Catholic is to your advantage. However, if you are committed to a life of sexual sin, which is a mortal sin (see I Cor 6), membership in the Catholic Church will not save you.

I know a few guys who are gay and profess to be Catholic

Can you be pro life even though your an atheist?

Atheist: No, our dogma says abortion is moral and good. We will label you as a wannabe atheist if you don't agree with us that abortion is moral!

Christian: Sure, atheists have no dogmas other than no belief in God.

Like many Christians that are gay they remain Christians because they abstain from homosexual acts.

Agree with Michael. You can be gay but your cross to bear is to avoid sexual activities.