Don’t bring God into discussions about sexuality

Thursday, August 05, 2010

CAROLINE Molan, in her letter (July 29), states that as humans, "we are more than just our sexuality". I completely agree. How is it though, that in her letter she predominantly refers to sexuality and refers also to "sex" itself multiple times?

In addition to this, she makes no reference to all of the other things that comprise the human condition but merely makes the observation that ‘we are not animals’.

Ms Molan defends the Pope, claiming that he has always said that lesbian and gay people “should be not be discriminated against” and then states that the Church believes that the “gay sex act is sinful”, using a contrived “God’s plan” as the justification.

I’m glad that Ms Moran raised this point because her argument really does sum up the Catholic Church’s position and indeed the position of others who continue to discriminate against and deny lesbian and gay people equality. These people lose sight of the gay or lesbian person as a whole and become preoccupied with what it is that two consenting, homosexual adults do in the bedroom.

More and more people are becoming concerned that the Catholic Church’s teachings on sex are widely outdated and have no place or relevance in the modern world we inhabit. It is no wonder though, that so many people in modern Ireland still lack basic knowledge in the area of sexual education. Ireland is well-overdue a coming of age talk about sex.

If we are ever to create a world in which we can all live equally and side by side, then we must talk — human to human, based on what we know to be moral from our collective human experience. Never have I heard of a relationship, sexual or otherwise, between two consenting adults as infringing upon the lives of anybody else. There is no need to bring any God into these discussions. We are perfectly capable of reasoning and discussing among ourselves without hiding behind a God figure. We must have the courage to take responsibility for our own reasoning.

Laura Harmon
LGBT Campaigns/Human Rights Officer
University College Cork

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, August 05, 2010