Allies upholds Catholic teachings
Issue date: 2/16/05 Section: Forum
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Allies is a Mount student club for lesbian, gay, and bisexual students and their straight allies. The group-like all student groups at the Mount-upholds Catholic teaching, including that of the U.S. Catholic Bishops (in "Always Our Children," a helpful document that can be found at http://www.nccbuscc.org/laity/always.htm) that:
* Every person has an inherent dignity because he or she is created in God's image;
* Like all gifts from God, the power and freedom of sexuality can be channeled toward good or evil;
* Christ summons all his followers - whether they are married or living a single celibate life - to a higher standard of loving;
* Respect for the God-given dignity of all persons means the recognition of human rights and responsibilities. The teaching of the Church makes it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any form of injustice, oppression, or violence against them; and
* The Christian community should offer its homosexual sisters and brothers understanding and pastoral care.
Allies exists as a response to this call for "understanding and pastoral care." Allies' charter as a student club received approval from the Board of Trustees in 1999, is housed within Campus Ministry, and functions within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, with a Catholic priest as its club moderator.
As the U.S. Catholic Bishops point out, "God loves every person as a unique individual. Sexual identity helps to define the unique persons we are. One component of our sexual identity is sexual orientation. Thus, our total personhood is more encompassing than sexual orientation."
Allies' events and conversations thus do not focus solely on sexual orientation but rather are wide-ranging, alternating between social and educational activities. We've watched movies, eaten pizza, done Bible study, gone to the Holocaust Museum, talked about plays, and annually discussed the club's mission. In other words, we respect and nurture one another as whole people-emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.
* Every person has an inherent dignity because he or she is created in God's image;
* Like all gifts from God, the power and freedom of sexuality can be channeled toward good or evil;
* Christ summons all his followers - whether they are married or living a single celibate life - to a higher standard of loving;
* Respect for the God-given dignity of all persons means the recognition of human rights and responsibilities. The teaching of the Church makes it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any form of injustice, oppression, or violence against them; and
* The Christian community should offer its homosexual sisters and brothers understanding and pastoral care.
Allies exists as a response to this call for "understanding and pastoral care." Allies' charter as a student club received approval from the Board of Trustees in 1999, is housed within Campus Ministry, and functions within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, with a Catholic priest as its club moderator.
As the U.S. Catholic Bishops point out, "God loves every person as a unique individual. Sexual identity helps to define the unique persons we are. One component of our sexual identity is sexual orientation. Thus, our total personhood is more encompassing than sexual orientation."
Allies' events and conversations thus do not focus solely on sexual orientation but rather are wide-ranging, alternating between social and educational activities. We've watched movies, eaten pizza, done Bible study, gone to the Holocaust Museum, talked about plays, and annually discussed the club's mission. In other words, we respect and nurture one another as whole people-emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.