so because we're the catholic church, we should be allowed to discriminate

[wannaBeWhateverIWannaBe]

or we'll close our

adoption agencies

cuppa - the Catholic church is perfectly capable of standing up to it's attackers if you can even call them that. It's 2000 years old and in it's time has "viciously" attacked many groups itself. In fact you can't even count the numbers of targets the Catholic church has picked over the years. And the difference between Islam and Catholicism is that Catholicism (all Christian churches for that matter) are very strong, politically and financially, and have been a fundamental part of our society for centuries - Islam is not any of those things. Muslims are often the targets of seriously nasty bigotry - not just words on a web-site.

It is also important to seperate the Catholic (christian) faith and the Catholic church which is a very powerful institution with an exceptionally nasty history.

Do you think YOU chose your sexual orientation, RocketScience?

you seem to mention those things frequently so how is it not ok? who is restricting you? nobody.

Ruty, I don't think the catholic church adopts a policy of monitoring the lives of prospective adoptive parents to establish their 'sin status'. Yes, a future mum and dad must be married, marriage being the cornerstone of catholic family life, but whether or not their souls are in a 'state of grace' or not is not a matter for them.

I notice that religious posters seem to think it is somehow unfair to discuss them.

there we go generalising again.

but what can you expect from mean minded little bigots?

For crying out loud cuppa. Islam is fair game on here. See past threads ad nauseam. Racist remarks aren't, but can you not see the fundamental difference between race and religion? Really, comments like yours make me very uncomfortable.

And about homosexuality and paedophilia. The latter may well be 'inbuilt'. But it can't be tolerated because of the very significant harm it causes to other people. Something that cannot be said for sex between two consenting adults.

So you think that it is fine to say, exclude a gay mother and her child from a toddler group in a church? Or throw a child of gay parents out of a church school?
What is the difference?
If someone choose to discriminate against peopel on the sole grounds of their harmless sexuality, then yes, I would describe that person as a mean minded bigot.

i've made my position clear on this thread.

Rocketscience whether paedophilia is a sexual preference you are born with is dubious. It is proven that people who are abused as children are more likely to become abusers for a start.
But even if it is something you 'can't help' it is something that has to be prevented because it cannot take place between two consenting adults. It can only harm one of the parties. Unlike heterosexual and gay adult sex. There is new research to prove we may be able to prevent people becoming gay in the future, by pregnant women wearing hormone patches Gay rights groups are very worried about this. But it does show that homosexuality is just like heterosexuality in the fact that there is probably no choice involved.

Oi. Aloha. I am a religious poster.I have no problems at all with discussion.

I think sexual orientation and preference is probably a complex, mixture of childhood experiences, early sexual experiences and lots ot do with the subconscious.

Are peadophiles born with their sexual prefernce?

The consensus seems to be 'no'.

But the consensus with homosexcuals is that it is.

Why is that?

genuine question

Why do you compare paedophilia with homosexuality at all?

read my post?

I believe (and the evidence thus far would suggest) that sexual orientation is the product of an interplay between biology but more importantly early formative experience. It is not chosen.

Saying people choose their sexuality if they are gay is the same as saying people choose their sexuality if they are straight....how many of you feel you chose to be turned on by the opposite sex? Of course you don't. Ridiculous argument.

BK, no one is saying ALL catholics are they? but this action is taken by the leading catholic authority in this country. And as you say it is shameful (you posted that you felt ashamed at his statement).

watch it, becky! aloha will suffer logic overload!

religious poster wants discussion... religious poster wants discussion... brain can't process this... logical overload... logical overload... does not fit my stereotypical pre-conceived notions....

There is plenty of evidence that your sexual orientation is largely decided before you are born. For example, girls exposed to a certain medication given to their mothers were much, much more likely to become lesbians. subtle differences in hormone levels seem to have quite a lot to do with it.

What concensus?

What is your source?

I believe that homosexuality is not in the main something that one is born with, likewise all our sexualities. they are still not chosen so I don't see how that is relevant.

if someone said to a straight person 'be gay' they would laugh at them, but somehow gay people are expected to be able to 'choose' to become straight...that is the biggest bigotry of all isn't it?

As you are choosing not to be involved in any discussion at all, find your insults a bit rich, actually BK.

So is bisexuality a choice or not?
Is hetrosexuality a choice or not?

I don't think the answers are as clear as we are meant to accept they are.

of course I totally agree that any type of consenting sex between adults is their own business, unlike paedophilia.

What about S and M? born to want it?

I feel there are only certain views which are acceptable at present and i think THAT is dangerous.

it feels like all catholics are being targeted by the more venomous comments, yes. as i also said, this lamentable statement also allows people to vent prejudices they had anyway, only sadly with justification

aloha there isn't 'plenty of evidence' as far as I can gather, and whilst i'm not a world authority I've written papers about this very subject, and the genetic/pre-birth stuff is inconclusive to say the least.

hey, i'm not the one calling people mean minded little bigots, actively trying to spoil people's lives! what breath taking hypocrisy!

and i have taken part in the discussion.