According to 17-year-old Jake Midura, he has always known he was gay. He struggled with it and then courageously came out to his parents at the beginning of his junior year in high school. In general, his high school has been a safe haven for him and this is not a knock on that. By his own admission he says he has felt safer at his Catholic high school than he had at his public high school. Unfortunately for Jake, however, Catholic schools are still teaching Catholic dogma and that includes all of the
homosexuality is a sin stuff. On an end-of-the-year exam, Jake found himself incorrectly answering the following question.
Homosexual sex acts are immoral because
A. a homosexual orientation is evil.
B. God disapproves of gay people.
C. they are not open to life.
D. none of these.
Jake answered "D". He was given an incorrect since the "correct" answer, according to the school is "C. they are not open to life." Jake and his mom, Donna Belanger, hope that questions like this can be revised—to be maybe "a little more tactful."
The Principal of Trinity, Denis Mailloux, issued this statement to NH1:
"This was a question on a test administered to students in a high school junior level class called "Life in Jesus Christ," which is a Christian Morality course. The question was taken verbatim from the textbook: "Your Life in Christ: Foundations in Catholic Morality," which is in conformity with USCCB guidelines. The correct answer is C.
"Our faculty and staff strive to be sensitive to the needs of all of our students, and we have no desire to be hurtful or coarse in presenting Catholic teaching on this or any other topic. However, as a Catholic school, we also have a responsibility to teach authentic Catholic doctrine, or to 'teach the truth in love' as Ephesians 4:15 so well puts it."
And then from Father John Fortin, Superintendent of NH Catholic Schools:
"Church teaching on homosexuality is complex, and this particular test question should not be taken as representing the fullness of the Church's teaching on it. The Church teaches that persons who experience same-sex attraction should be welcomed into full participation in their local faith community, and explicitly rejects unjust discrimination and harassment of any persons, including those with a homosexual inclination.
"The Church also teaches that all persons are called to live a chaste life in keeping with the particular states of life. In particular, the Church teaches that sexual activity is reserved for married couples."
I think it was Jesus that said during one of his all-male camping trips, "Gay people are not open to life. Judas, please pass the hummus."
So homosexuality is still the big sticking point. Not this or this.