How can I defend the Church's teaching on homosexuality?
The short answer
People with same-sex attraction are called to chastity, as everyone is. The Church holds that the inclination is disordered and that acting on it offends God, though the desires themselves are not sins. Far from excluding anyone, the Church insists such persons be treated with respect, compassion and sensitivity.
Chastity for everyone
The call to chastity is not special to people with same-sex attraction; it is addressed to all of us.
Desire and action
The Church describes homosexuality as a disorder (CCC 2357). The desires are not sinful in themselves, but acting on them is clearly offensive to God (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). It is therefore right to judge homosexual acts as wrong.
Not exclusion
The Church teaches that these persons must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity, and that every sign of unjust discrimination against them should be avoided. They are called to do God's will in their lives and, if Christians, to unite the difficulties they meet to the sacrifice of Christ's cross (CCC 2358).
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