Posted on 09/21/2008 3:44:13 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
How does it feel, I wanted to know, to be tossed out of your job as a church music director and choir leader because you’re gay?
It happened this summer to Charles Philyaw. After four years at St. Andrew Catholic Church in the Dane County community of Verona, he was fired for living an openly gay life — monogamously, I would add — with his partner, who also was an active member of the parish.
The story was told last Sunday by Wisconsin State Journal writer Doug Erickson, who found that five of the congregation’s 1,600 adult members complained about Philyaw, who made no secret of being gay when he was hired.
Madison Bishop Robert Morlino got involved, and Philyaw was gone. Churches can get around some anti-discrimination laws.
The diocese had Monsignor James Bartylla explain to Erickson that same-sex attraction is seen by the church as a disorder. But actually engaging in gay sex is a sin and “a grave depravity.”
Philyaw now works part time for less pay as an administrative assistant. He and his partner say they may have to sell their Madison house or face foreclosure.
I contacted Philyaw to inquire about the state of his soul. Here is the gist of our conversation.
Me: It must be tough to be told you’re unworthy of serving the church.
Him: I’ve never felt unworthy serving the church or God. I accept the way God made me; it’s others who see me as unworthy and haven’t learned what acceptance is about.
Me: Does it shake your faith in God or just in some of his followers?
Him: It does shake my faith in God, but in a positive way — learning to trust God in all situations whether good or bad, and to learn from all our circumstances.
Me: As a gay person, what do you think of the Catholic Church teaching on homosexuality?
Him: The church also advises each person to examine their own conscience, assume responsibility for one’s actions, and not to act contrary to one’s conscience. Therefore I cannot make a true and contrite confession before God that my sexuality is sin. My conscience is clear, and I am not ashamed of the loving relationship I have with my partner.
Me: How do you get people to understand that you don’t need to be fixed, spiritually or physically?
Him: I think it’s human nature to try and fix or alter things to make them acceptable in one’s eyes. People cannot be made to understand; people have to want to understand. It is easier for some to just accept conformity rather than have their eyes opened.
Me: Do you believe they sincerely care about the salvation of your soul?
Him: If people are sincere about the salvation of my soul, then they can pray for me. God hears the prayers of everyone and answers them accordingly.
Me: Are your five accusers misinterpreting God’s words to us?
Him: Some people take Scripture out of context and interpret it literally, and that’s a problem. If all people lived a faithful life interpreted from the word of God, we would obey the more than 600 rules and laws for living outlined in the book of Exodus. So don’t misuse Scripture to try and regulate my life.
Me: Do you feel the church will eventually come around and fully welcome gays and lesbians?
Him: I don’t foresee the Catholic Church changing its beliefs about homosexuality anytime soon.
Living a ‘monogamous’ gay life is a gay life. If you want to be a Catholic (and it is a voluntary organization), then gays have to live celibately.
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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
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Did I leave out any other deep moral deprivation's or sins that should not disqualify one from "honorable service" in a church? If this was not so sick it would be incredibly funny...
So is it OK to be a murderer as Catholic, as long as you only wish you could kill people, but never act it out???
No; as a murderer you a) must confess and b) turn your self into the authorities. What’s more, you must know that it’s not Catholic but Christian doctrine that sins of desire are sins as well.
What does that have to do with living a celibate life?
Faith in what?
**********************
How is one a murderer, if one has not murdered?
If one resists temptation, does one still sin?
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Faith in the "church of whatever I want it to be".
I definetly do believe GOD does condemn homosexual relationships, however GOD condemns quite a few other behaviours human beings fall into trappings with....
I know some some wonderful upstanding homosexual people and like I told one friend of mine...I beleive homosexual relationships are wrong, but I will let GOD be your judge and I will continue to be your friend...
Exactly! And it’s equal for heterosexuals too as anyone who is not blessed with a sacramental marriage must live a life of celibacy. ;-)
I’m not reading this, but I do play violin and I am great at sad songs. For a fee I’ll play background music if he wants to record this.
Like a girl complaining when the Boy Scouts won’t let her play.
rolling eyes.
Maybe in addition to retaining his faith, he might choose to follow its tenets.
So... Catholic's don't follow Christ's teachings? Wow! That's a new one...
"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
That's completely bogus because if one if an AVOWED HOMOSEXUAL, they are not resisting diddly do. That's as absurd as saying "I've been a card carrying member of Nambla for the past 20 years, endorse all they stand for, but never had sex with young boys so hence, according to Freeper trisham, I'm a Catholic in good standing".
I think I made my point.
That statement would carry a whole lot more weight if Milwaukee hadn't paid out millions to settle sex abuse by priests lawsuits.
So he’s a practicing homosexual. Sounds like the church did the right thing.
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