ARE YOU HOMOPHOBIC?

JOURNAL QUESTION: From your understanding, do you agree with the Catholic Church’s stance on homosexuality? Why or why not?

“SCORING” YOUR INDEX CIRCLE the following question numbers: 1,2,4,5,6,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,21,22,23,25 Add up the scores of the questions that you DID NOT CIRCLE and write it down. For each of the numbers you circled, “reverse” the score you gave yourself. Change a: 1 to a 5 2 to a 4 3 stays the same 4 to a 2 5 to a 1 Now, add up all the ones you “reversed” Then, subtract 25. Then see where you fall.

WHERE DO YOU FALL? 0 to 25= HIGHLY NON-HOMOPHOBIC 26 to 50= MODERATELY NON-HOMOPHOBIC 51 to 75= MODERATELY HOMOPHOBIC 76 to 100= HIGHLY HOMOPHOBIC

SOME DISTINCTIONS… What the Catholic Church teaches about homosexuality: The homosexual inclination or “orientation” is neither morally good nor morally bad. There is no definitive scientific explanation for homosexual orientation What the Church sees as sinful is PARTICIPATING IN homosexual sexual activity

Some Statements… “It is deplorable that homosexual persons have been and are the object of violent malice in speech or in action. Such treatment deserves condemnation from the Church's pastors wherever it occurs.” (LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THE PASTORAL CARE OF HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS, #10)

Some Statements… There seems to be no single cause of a homosexual orientation. A common opinion of experts is that there are multiple factors— genetic, hormonal, psychological—that may give rise to it. Generally, homosexual orientation is experienced as a given, not as something freely chosen. By itself, therefore, a homosexual orientation cannot be considered sinful, for morality presumes the freedom to choose (ALWAYS OUR CHILDREN)