The Black Madonna

An article from FOXNews reports that the parents of faithful Catholics want a homosexual couple's adopted children expelled.

The group demanded that St. John the Baptist School in Costa Mesa accept only families that pledge to abide by Catholic teachings, the Los Angeles Times reported in Sunday's editions. Church doctrine opposes gay relationships and adoption by same-sex couples.

"The teachings of the church seem to have been abandoned," John R. Nixon told the Times. "We send our children to a Catholic school because we expect and demand that the teachings of our church will be adhered to."

First of all, perhaps these parents weren't aware of all the Jewish kids who are (and for many years have been) enrolled in Catholic schools. Their parents, like many Catholic parents, want their kids to get a decent education, and respect the job Catholic parochial schools do. But when Jewish parents are strong in their faith, they might not have a problem sending their child to Catholic school, even as it immerses them in Catholic tradition and doctrine. It's just a matter of teaching the child to respect another person's beliefs while standing true to one's own.

And here's my problem with these parents. The children in question are spending 30-40 hours a week with teachers, students, and administrators in a school run by a faith that teaches that homosexual conduct is a sin. These children certainly aren't going to get that message at home. The parents and children of this school have a unique opportunity to practice their faith by inviting these men and the children they are rearing to continue to learn and understand the Catholic faith - while firmly rejecting the homosexual lifestyle they embrace.

The church should be stronger than this. It doesn't need to ostracize these people to prove the point. In fact, by failing to welcome the people while rejecting the sin, the other parents are doing far more harm than good. To those who don't understand the Truth of the Catholic teaching, they probably appear bigoted and judgemental. That's the only way the homosexuals win in this situation.