A liberal Catholic blogger thoughtfully and methodically analyzes the recent and sometimes stereotypical reasoning of Ron Belgau, who is an activist in Courage, the Catholic antigay, pro-chastity movement.
(Note that I describe Courage as both antigay and pro-chastity. In fact, I recognize there are individuals in Courage who affirm gay rights to a limited extent while affirming a preference for chastity. Unfortunately, Courage as a whole tends to oppose tolerance and political, social or religious equality for gays.)
Hi Mike. I found this site recently, and I really enjoy it. I’ve been commenting for years at other sites about the lies and manipulations of many ex-gays and far right Christians.
My boyfriend sent me this from cbn.com. It is a Q&A section from Pat Robertson. I can’t even fathom how any truly Christian man would be so hateful.
In the first answer, he somehow brings homosexuality into an answer in which the question has nothing to do with it- seemingly just to demean and badmouth gay folks.
In the second he recalls a fictional (I think) movie as his sole source. Again, it seems like he just wants to bad mouth gays. I am in utter disbelief. Maybe if the religious right and ex-gays would practice the love and tolerance they teach, they might have more look spreading their word to more people (especially gays).
Here are Pat’s words:
Question: `I know this is a sensitive subject, but my husband thinks by using little sex toys in the bedroom, it may spruce up our love life. They’re not vulgar things, but it still makes me a little uncomfortable. I know the bedroom is supposed to be a sacred place, and I wonder if it’s OK for us to experiment with this type of behavior.’
Pat Robertson: There’s a lot of stuff going on in the world today. But the basis of sex, the greatest sex organ anybody has is the brain, the emotional center. And the emotional center comes out of love and affection and shared relationships. This isn’t some mechanical gimmick where you’re trying to do little funny things with each other to heighten the sensation. Some of the homosexuals use stuff they call poppers, a nitrite substance that’s supposed to heighten them. Some of them actually take a rope and try to choke themselves just before they experience some sexual climax to heighten it. Listen, that isn’t what God put you in this world for. What he wants you and your husband to do is to love each other, not use gimmicks. Because the more gimmicks you have, the more it becomes mechanical. And the more mechanical it does become, the more sex is cheapened. Very simply the answer is don’t do all that stuff because it’s not wise. In fact, if you begin to move toward mechanical devices, then all of a sudden, it’s a pornographic video. Then the next thing you know, it’s menage a trois. It’s always some other gimmick.
Terry Meeuwsen: Now let me ask you: It sounds to me like this husband has initiated this. So how does the wife approach him. Does she say, `I’m uncomfortable with this and I don’t want to do this?’
Pat Robertson: Well, you know, the thing is to sit down and say, `You know, I love you and I know you love me. And let’s ask the Lord to heighten our relationship in every aspect. You know, there’s a union of a couple in the the spirit, in the mind and in the body. It’s a triple coupling. And this is cheapening our relationship.’ And you need to sit down and talk to him and say, `Honey, I know you’re trying to do something nice to make me happy, but this isn’t working, and I feel bad about it. I feel like it’s wrong. And I would ask that you just let this be an _expression of our love for one each another and not some mechanical gimmick.’ But she’s got to talk. I mean, we have to have frankness. You know, couples don’t want to talk about it. They just kind of turn the lights off and do it, but they don’t want to discuss it. So you need to discuss this with your husband what’s going on.
How should I counsel a homosexual man who wants to adopt a child?
Question: `A friend of mine who is homosexual is considering adopting a child. This particular child has been in a physically abusive home, and my friend feels that he can at least give this child a loving home. He wants my advice, and I’m not sure what to say. I’ve been trying to lead my friend to Christ and just want to be cautious with my answer. What would you suggest?’
Pat Robertson: You know, USA had a movie recently with Valerie Bertinelli about lesbian couples and adoption, and so forth. And I know about what happened when a young man was taken away from his Christian mother by a court and given to his homosexual father. And the next thing you know, that guy was a flaming homosexual, and if I’m not mistaken, he contracted AIDS. I don’t think that homosexuals, especially single homosexual men, should be adopting children. I think it’s just wrong. I think for any single man to think of adopting a child is in itself a dangerous practice because you don’t have time, you don’t have the mothering instinct. If you have to go to work, how are you going to take care of a child? It’s very difficult to do for anybody that’s single. To take on somebody else’s child is difficult enough, but to do so in a homosexual environment where the contacts that the man is going to be having–his various male lovers coming in, and this youngster’s going to be exposed to all that? The answer is: this would be a terrible environment. So if there’s any way you can do it subtlety say, `Look, Jesus loves you, but I think right now we ought to get you straightened out before you start taking on some other responsibility.’ A life of a child is very significant, and that won’t be a help for him.
Greetings!
Thanks for the plug to my site. I’m glad ya’ll found something I wrote worthwhile.
Peace and God’s blessings!
Joe
It’s OT, I know… But Pat Robertson…what idiocy: where do you start. The saddest thing is that so many mindless people actually listen to this man. Their fear of homosexuality is pathologic.