Well, I think that Amos is having entirely too much fun in thi s discussion.

But back to the issue at hand, I guess I'd have to say that homosexuality poses a serious problem for Christian churches. St. Paul has some rather choice words against homosexuality. Harvard's Peter Gomes tried valiantly to talk around Paul's ideas in The Good Book, but I don't think Gomes succeeded. As a Catholic layman, I can just say what I think - that Paul was homophobic, and that he was wrong to be homophobic. It's a little more difficult for members of the clergy - they have to dance the dance and try to keep the hard-liners happy, because the hard-liners can make life miserable for them.

Most Roman Catholic priests I know tend to skirt the issue. They see no need to make an issue of homosexuality, and they do their best to minister to the needs of homosexuals. However, they try to avoid being viewed as supporting homosexuality. It's a battle they can't win right now, so they step aside rather than burying themselves in an unwinnable battle. Many Catholic bishops seem to think the same way. They look for ways to serve the needs of homosexuals, but they don't fight battles on the issue because they're not in a position where they can get the Catholic Church to fully accept homosexuality.

-Joe Offer-