Is it a sin to be homosexual?

So…remember from the retreat that the questions can often lead to a misunderstanding (or a twisting) of the truth? This is another perfect example of that :).

This question implies several things…some true, and some not so true. Let’s break this down, following the steps we learned at the Confirmation Retreat.

1) Identify the truths and 2) Identify the lies

A) There is such thing as sin…which is something that implicitly separates us from God.
TRUTH

B) The statement, “to be homosexual” implies that all people can be categorized as a homosexual or not-a-homosexual.
TWISTED TRUTH

- Truth: people experience same-sex attractions
- Truth: people engage in homosexual activities
- Lie (implied): either of the above makes you a “homosexual".” If you are neither of the above, you fall into the category of not-a-homosexual.

C) You can only answer this question with a “yes” or “no.”
LIE

-The way the question is phrased, it presents what is called a “false dichotomy.” In other words, it makes a very complex discussion into a “yes” or “no” answer. This is a common Trap. So, based on the phrasing of the question, only one of the following two statements can be true:

1) If someone experiences same-sex attractions or engage in homosexual activities, they are forever in sin regardless of what they do.
2) Neither homosexual activities nor same-sex attraction are a sin.

Alright…now that we’ve identified the truth in the question and identified the lie, let’s explain why the lie is a lie:

3) Explain why the lie is a lie

There is a big difference between “experiencing same-sex attractions” and participating in same-sex activities. The way the question groups 2 different ideas together causes confusion.

Our culture tries to tell us that our tendencies define who we are - so if we experience same-sex attractions, we must be homosexual. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We are beautifully and wonderfully made. We are complex creatures, made of both Body and Soul. In the midst of all of that, we experience many, many attractions. Some are virtuous, and some are vicious (lead to vice/sin). HOWEVER, our attractions DO NOT define us. If I’m attracted to the idea of becoming a Harvard Graduate, that in and of itself doesn’t make me a Harvard Graduate. I have to DO a lot of things to get accepted, get good grades, and GRADUATE. For this to become a reality, I have to ACT.

So, as you can see…having certain attractions and acting on those attractions are VERY different.

This brings us to another part of the lie…actions in and of themselves don’t define who we are, either. I would argue that just because someone has engaged in homosexual activities does not make them a homosexual -nor should we as Catholics readily identify them as such. We should FIRST AND FOREMOST identify ourselves and others as Children of God. His children whom he LOVES dearly. Remember, if there were only ONE lost sheep who needed saving, He STILL would have come down to the earth and sacrificed HIs life for that person’s salvation.

So…what makes someone a “homosexual”? I would offer…it doesn’t matter. Using this categorization is unhelpful: it typically blurs the truth and causes sinful reactions (like hatred, disdain, fear, etc when there should be only love).

4) Explain reality, starting with the truth from the statement.

When the lie is hidden in the question, it's typically helpful to re-phrase the question using the same words from the question, but fixing its syntax (the way it’s structured/phrased). That way you acknowledge the truths (the words that you keep) while eliminating the twisted truths (through restructuring it).

I’ll put the re-phrased questions below, along with their corresponding answers.

Is it a sin to experience same-sex attraction?

No. That which draws you or attracts you is not a sin. Period.

Temptation is the perfect example of something that is a drawing/attraction to a sinful act. Even Jesus experienced temptation! It is part of the reality of being a part of the Church Militant (the Church on earth) where we are in the middle of a battle between good and evil.

That said, the same-sex attraction is still a disordered attraction. Just like if you feel the attraction to eat too much after reaching satisfaction (temptation to gluttony) or if you feel an attraction to disobedience of your parents. It’s objectively disordered, which means twisted in and of itself. It is based in something good, but has been shifted slightly to make it an attraction to a non-truth. Per the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity” (CCC 2358).

So…bottom line: experiencing same-sex attraction is NOT a sin. It’s what you do with it that can become a sin.

Is it a sin to engage in homosexual activities?

Yes. To quote the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they [homosexual acts] be approved” (CCC 2357).

So….as seen, per the Catholic Church, homosexual acts are in-and-of-themselves sinful. HOWEVER. Realize that the degree of culpability (responsibility for that sin) for each person depends on three things: the objective act, the intent, and the circumstance - and only God is the judge of the intent and circumstance. In other words, though theses acts are gravely sinful by themselves, it is between God and the person committing the act whether the sin is mortal or venial (even though it is still a sin, regardless of the intent and circumstance). It is not for a third party (us as “other” lay people) to determine whether those persons committed a mortal or a venial sin.

Remember, in his interview with Associated Press on 24 January ‘23, Pope Francis was quoted as saying that a homosexual act is “not a crime. Yes, but it’s a sin. Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime. It’s also a sin to lack charity with one another.”

Remember what we talked about in the retreat. Any act that desecrates the sanctity of the marital embrace is intrinsically twisted. This includes looking at pornography, lusting in one’s mind, sex outside of marriage, contraception, etc. Let’s be mindful of the temptation to put homosexual acts in a category of their own with an unnecessary stigma.

So what’s the bottom line of this conversation? We should have one goal when it comes to these topics: teach the truth about the beauty and sanctity of the marital embrace. We need to live that truth according to our Vocations and states in life. We can be Christ’s light to the rest of the world through being a witness of this truth and through LOVING our neighbors. It’s never enough just to quote the Catechism and move on. We…YOU…are called to more.

TLDR: The question was asked incorrectly…really there are two separate questions.

1) Is it a sin to experience same sex attractions? No

2) Is it a sin to engage in homosexual activities? Yes