"In the gay (Catholic) community, it would seem, the maxim is: love the sin and love the sinner, but hate anyone who calls it a sin or him a sinner"

This quote by Richard John Neuhaus speaks to the paradoxical nature of the Catholic Church's position on homosexuality. On the one hand, the Church encourages its members to love and accept those who recognize as gay, while on the other hand, it condemns the act of homosexuality itself. This quote recommends that within the Catholic community, there is a propensity to accept and like those who recognize as gay, while simultaneously rejecting anybody who speaks out versus homosexuality or labels those who identify as gay as sinners. This quote highlights the intricacy of the Church's position on homosexuality, and the difficulty of reconciling the 2 relatively inconsistent positions. Eventually, this quote functions as a reminder of the importance of understanding and respecting the beliefs of others, even if they vary from our own.