A Catholic Take on Conversion Therapy

Please note: This is a Catholic perspective and is written for Catholics. Therefore, the terminology is Catholic as well. Some may not agree with the terminology, but it is designed to help Catholics understand the current issues of Conversion Therapy as they may apply to members of their families.

In Catholicism, any sexual activity outside of a sacramental marriage open to life is a sinful activity. Therefore, the issue is not hetero/homosexual, it is sinner seeking Christ. Sin is a scary word in secular circles but Christ taught it is only the sinner who can find him, the self righteous cannot.

Many focus on the teaching that sinners go to Hell. However, except for Mary, only sinners go to Heaven. Therefore, it is the sinner who seeks Christ, who finds Him; Hell is filled with the self-righteous and the obstinate.

The saints would tell you that they turn from sin not out of fear of Hell, as that is the lowest form of devotion, but out of desire to know Christ to the most intense dimensions.

Heaven is filled with the sinners who humbly seek Christ for that is their greatest desire. Hell is filled with the self-righteous who were too good to need him and the obstinate who closed their hearts to him.

Further, in Catholicism what is defined as sin is considered a sin, but the question is levels of culpability. For example taking this to the current level: St. James says that those who know more are more responsible. Therefore, a priest or bishop engaging in sexual activity of any type, even so called ‘consensual’ activity suffers the disastrous results of a far greater culpability. Someone trying to come to know Christ who fails daily in their desire for chastity as they begin their journey to the deepest levels of Divine wisdom is closer to Heaven than many will lead you to believe.

Sometimes, our culture leads us to be so focused on an issue, we do not see the greater concern behind it. Such is what is happening surrounding the movement behind Garrad Conley’s Boy Erased memoir over the past several years.

Garrad Conley is a gay activist who writes from his experience with conversion therapy, which is therapy designed to change homosexually oriented people to heterosexual orientation. It is also called…

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