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MORE THAN ONCE in the past year, religious leaders in the Roman Catholic Church, and in other Christian churches, have said that gay men and lesbians should be barred from ordination because of their sexual orientation. Such assertions have usually associated gay sexual identity with pedophilia, as part of an effort to account for pedophilic behavior.

Starting with a lie isn't a good way to begin. The Church has been considering banning (again) homosexuals from ordination, not because of a link with pedophilia, but because homosexuality is a mental disorder. Period.

There are several reasons, I believe, why this is being considered. First, homosexuality is a severe disorder - causing men to put each other's sexual organs in their mouths and rectums. Second, homosexual men living together in close quarters have a very, very difficult time remaining celibate (just like normal men living in close quarters with able and willing women). Third, most homosexuals (including homosexual priests) reject Catholic teaching about sexuality. Most parents would NOT want such men advising their children on Catholic teachings on sex. Fourth, homosexual men are highly promiscuous, on average. Fifth, active homosexual activity (such as occurs in the Catholic priesthood), spreads serious and often fatal disease. And sixth, a great many homosexual men are attracted to teenage boys, and cannot resist that temptation - making them a danger to teenage boys. The Catholic Church should have compassion for homosexuals, and minister to them in God's truth (which does not condone homosexual activity). But they should not be priests.