CELEBRITY STYLE SPY: See all the latest celeb photos

Pope claims gay sex a human threat

By Carla Bevan on Tuesday 23 December 2008

Print
Share
Comment

The Pope, News, Marie Claire

Pope Benedict XVI has used his annual end-of-year speech to claim that homosexuality is a greater threat to humanity than the destruction of the rainforests.

Speaking to his Vatican staff, he said that gender theory – a model which explores sexual orientation and biological identity, and is used by many gay groups in American to promote understanding and tolerance – could lead to the 'self-destruction' of the human race.

'If tropical forests deserve our protection, humankind... deserves it no less,' he told the assembled prelates in the Vatican, adding that the Church 'does not only defend the earth, water and the air... but also protects man from his own destruction'.

He also said it is not 'outmoded metaphysics' to teach respect for the 'nature of the human being as man and woman'.

Unsurprisingly, his words haven't gone down too well with gay and lesbian groups.

Rev Sharon Ferguson, the chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, told The Independent: 'It is more the case that we need to be saved from his comments.

'It is comments like that that justify homophobic bullying that goes on in schools and it is comments like that that justify gay bashing.

'There are still so many instances of people being killed around the world, including in western society, purely and simply because of their sexual orientation or their gender identity.

'When you have religious leaders like that making that sort of statement then followers feel they are justified in behaving in an aggressive and violent way because they feel that they are doing God's work in ridding the world of these people.'

Tuesday 23 December 2008

Have your say ...

Add your own comment

Many regimes entrench their power by putting up a minority to hate. The Nazis did it, Mugabe does it. The Catholic Church has done it for years (burning witches, the inquisition...on and on). What is the surprise? You don't have power unless you exercise it. What's new? They've been at it for centuries! The Pope's obsession with homosexuality has a real political reason, have no doubts about that.

So much for universal love and charity! Always press hype that.

Comment by scott on December 26 02:41