Catholic Church: Homosexuality Like Anorexia

by Michael Jones · 2010-01-26 09:08:00 UTC
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Catholic ChurchBelgium has a new Archbishop, and he's not wasting any time in telling the world his thoughts about homosexuality. He's also not passing up an opportunity to offend half the world.

Speaking to his flock via Belgian television, Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard said that LGBT people and people suffering from anorexia have something in common: both are disordered.

"Homosexuality is not the same as normal sex in the same way that anorexia is not a normal appetite," the Archbishop said, showing both an immature understanding of human sexuality and of the biology behind eating disorders like anorexia.

The comparison has drawn fire from a number of civil rights groups, including the Belgium Centre for Equal Opportunities, a government organization that has the power to start legal proceedings if they think something crosses the line toward hate speech. None of these groups are calling the Archbishop's comments hateful just yet. But stupid? Yeah, they're all over that.

"When a comparison is made between homosexuality and anorexia, this suggests that homosexuality is a disease," the groups said. And they're right. The statement shows a pretty weak sense of compassion, and certainly isn't kind to LGBT people, or to folks suffering from anorexia.

For Archbishop Leonard, the timing of his statement couldn't be worse. The conservative bishop just took over for one of the most beloved (albeit rare) liberal Catholic leaders in the entire world, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, who was for many progressives a leading Catholic alternative to the hyper social conservatism championed by religious leaders like Pope Benedict XVI. As he took over for Cardinal Danneels, Archbishop Leonard said that critics shouldn't worry.

"I have heard people say that I am very strict and extremely conservative. Let us take the time to get to know each other. I am convinced that many of those clichés will then disappear," Archbishop Leonard said.

Problem is, if you're going to compare homosexuality to anorexia, and insult both LGBT people and folks living with eating disorders, you're probably not going to win over many friends. Maybe the Archbishop would care to revise his statement.

Photo credit: ricardo martins

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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