Can we please stop pretending now that Georgetown is a catholic institution.
From Lifesite: The president of prestigious Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic university in the United States, has promised homosexual activists that the school will fully fund a center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and “questioning” (LGBTQ) students by next fall. The pro-homosexual nature of the center is rejection of what is considered serious Catholic moral teaching.
University President John DeGioia, said “How do we respond to legitimate requests for a more supportive environment? We can continue to do this in a somewhat informal manner … or we can move forward in a more organized way, through more formal and institutional structures and processes. In this case, it is time for the latter.”
Supportive sounds so nice, but it is a lie. Can we please remember what we are supporting, sin. Are requests for support of a sinful lifestyle legitimate? As Catholics we are always called to love and respect the sinner but to also un-categorically reject the sin. When we attempt to legitimize the sin, we do neither. This action says, we do not care about your souls.
This action by the president of the university is profoundly un-catholic and unchristian.
October 31, 2007 at 4:03 am
Sadly the author conveniently left out the fact that this decision came as the result of two homophobic assaults, one of which required a student to be hospitalized.
Hopefully people are able to realize that in advocating for its gay and lesbian students–who are after all human beings, many of them confirmed Catholics–Georgetown is not advocating for sexual practices outside the boundaries of traditional marriage. It’s advocating for their acceptance and dignity. Why should anyone be discriminated against based on the way our God made them?
As a Catholic institution, it’s pretty clear to me that Georgetown has a tremendous moral obligation to uphold the dignity of each human person, and make sure it’s doing its best to create a safe, supportive learning environment for all its students, gay or straight. I don’t think the administration took this decision lightly, and if they feel that this center is necessary to ensure that gay students aren’t getting beaten up then so be it.
Standing by while individuals are assaulted based on their sexual orientation is profoundly un-Catholic and un-Christian. Supporting the dignity of each human person, and rejecting discrimination based on his or her sexual orientation, while directing him/her towards a celibate life is certainly not.
October 31, 2007 at 6:49 am
Anonymous,
Supporting individual rights are one thing – being assaulted, whether gay or straight is not the issue here. Supporting a sinful lifestyle is at issue, however.
By fully funding a campus gay center, this Catholic University is essentially supporting and communicating to the world that a sinful lifestyle is just fine and dandy. We Catholics ‘really’ don’t believe in its doctrine – wink, wink.
The fact is it is NOT OK… It weakens our faith and supports the idea that we can pick and choose doctrine and submit ourselves to a kind of ‘secular peer pressure’.
Why not just fund a campus center? Why do we need to provide a separate center for a homosexuals? This sends the wrong message. Catholic teaching is clear. Homosexual acts are gravely sinful – period.
Mark
October 31, 2007 at 1:49 pm
As a member of the Georgetown community I appreciate you shedding light on this important situation, however, there is a deeper conversation occurring that you simply aren’t capturing in reposting portions of an incomplete story.
As the other commenter indicated this conversation is a result of two recent incidents on campus. And, yes, that fact is important to understand. Since violence such as this is unacceptable in our community or any other community for that matter. And I believe you would agree with that statement due to your earlier reply.
So the conversation is concerned more with the complexities of community and how individual members can be supported and respected within it. Yes, there are tensions that are present in such a dialogue and a balance must be struck. This passage of Dr. DeGioia’s remarks in particular provides a more complete context:
In order to do this work, we will need to pay close attention to the nature of the work that will be done. At a Catholic and Jesuit university, a University administrator or Center cannot advocate for policies or practices that are counter to Catholic teaching. All work must be consistent with, and authentic to, our identity as a Catholic and Jesuit university. Part of my responsibility as an administrator, and ours as inheritors of this University, is to ensure that nothing can compromise the integrity of our mission and identity.
At the same time, at the heart of the Catholic tradition we find resources that profoundly support our work for LGBTQ students. I am referring, for example, to the Catholic insistence on the dignity and worth of each and every individual, the emphasis on social justice and multicultural understanding, and the Gospel call that we engage all of our sisters and brothers in a spirit of love. The character of our heritage supports the call to deepen the services and support we provide to LGBTQ students. Indeed, to bring some clarity to the term “advocacy,” at a Catholic and Jesuit university we most certainly can “advocate” for LGBTQ students. We can and must advocate for respect, inclusion, understanding, safety, mentoring, dignity, growth and equal opportunity. We can and must advocate for freedom from prejudice, exclusion, discrimination, and homophobia.
The full remarks are here:
http://president.georgetown.edu/speeches/jjd10242007.html