Yes, Greg, you can quote right-wing Websites like catholic.com and their team of armchair "apologists" and get all sorts of right-wing perspectives on things. You'll find a muuch more balanced perspective on the Websites of the Vatican, or the Jesuits, or Dominicans, or other long-established religious orders.

The teachings on abortion, contraception, and homosexuality were never defined ex cathedra as infallible doctrines. When Catholics stand and recite the Nicene Creed at Mass on Sunday, they do not profess opposition to abortion, contraception, and homosexuality. In fact, those matters are rarely mentioned from the pulpit.

So, no, those sex matters are not fundamental tenets of the Catholic Church. They are official teachings, but not "fundamental tenets." The Catholic Church does put a lot of emphasis on abortion, far more than I would like - but it is still not a fundamental tenet. The fundamental tenets go back 1700 years or more.

-Joe Offer-