Vatican Says Opponents Of Gays Are Victims, Too

By Francis X. Rocca
Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY (RNS) A Vatican official told a United Nations body on Tuesday (March 22) that people who openly object to homosexual behavior are at risk of losing their human rights when they are prosecuted or stigmatized for their beliefs.

"People are being attacked for taking positions that do not support sexual behavior between people of the same sex," said Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, the Vatican's representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"When they express their moral beliefs or beliefs about human nature, which may also be expressions of religious convictions, or state opinions about scientific claims, they are stigmatized, and worse -- they are vilified, and prosecuted," Tomasi said.

"The truth is, these attacks are violations of fundamental human rights, and cannot be justified under any circumstances."

In his statement, Tomasi said the Vatican "condemn(ed) all violence that is targeted against people because of their sexual feelings and thoughts, or sexual behaviors." The Vatican also rejects all legal discrimination "based just on the person's feelings and thoughts, including sexual thoughts and feelings."

But the Vatican envoy said that there is an international "consensus between societies that certain kinds of sexual behaviors must be forbidden by law," citing pedophilia and incest as examples.

In 2008, the Vatican's delegation to the U.N. General Assembly called for an "end to all criminal penalties" against "homosexual persons," but voted against a proposed U.N. gay rights declaration that it called vague and excessively far-reaching.

Comments

[richdibo]

02:47 AM on 05/06/2011

"But the Vatican envoy said that there is an international "consensus between societies that certain kinds of sexual behaviors must be forbidden by law," citing pedophilia and incest as examples."

What is the relevance of incest and pedophilia? Apparently the Vatican equates them with homosexuality and implies that homosexual behavior should be prohibited by law.

In this article the Vatican alleges that some people are "victims" for their beliefs against homosexuality. What about victims of pedophilia - the sexual behavior that the Vatican specifically says must be prohibited by law?

Rather than fabricating self-serving victimization, when will the Vatican recognize and fully compensate those that they victimized?

The Vatican has ignored the true traumatized victims that they have brutalized for decades. If they are so concerned with victimization and loss of "human rights" then they should see that the abusers are prosecuted and victims are fully compensated.

I guess that they are concerned with secular law only if it can further their evil and morally depraved institution.

The should be Vatican is the last concern to appeal to the propriety and international standards of secular law.

[Liam Murray]

11:25 PM on 05/05/2011

Oh sure. Like it was much less a "violation of fundamental human rights" to have burned people at the stake for not accepting Christianity in the past than it is today to prosecute and try anti-gay people for not supporting the movement. That one sentence tells me that hypocrisy and bigotry still reign in the Vatican.

[noteaforme]

05:32 PM on 03/29/2011

The Vatican is always willing to look out for those victims no one else will think about, like pedophile priests, homophobes, and German war criminals on the run from Allied justice. Glad they still have their priorities straight.

[noteaforme]

03:39 PM on 03/28/2011

Oh no! I've also been making sexists, nativists, and racists feel bad about themselves! I knew I wasn't a good Catholic.

[Ioan Lightoller]

03:46 PM on 03/28/2011

They need to be made to feel badly about themselves! Wish I could fan you again but I will fan you.

[Jonna Brewer]

09:01 AM on 03/29/2011

No, he/she is saying bigotry is bigotry is bigotry, no matter who you're bigoted against.

[Jonna Brewer]

09:02 AM on 03/29/2011

sorry I posted on the wrong thread!!

[Tracy Fortune]

04:33 AM on 03/28/2011

Using any religious doctrine (which is supposed to preach love & acceptance) to polarize & exclude, whilst picking & choosing what you will follow or not in order to achieve this= hypocrite.

Being prejudice, inflammatory, & hateful towards homosexuals = insecure of your own sexuality.

[savia Dcunha]

10:09 PM on 03/28/2011

There is a difference between opposing people and opposing actions.

[mercury613]

02:27 PM on 03/29/2011

Remember that the next time someone discriminates against you for your religious beliefs, which are, without question, *actions*.

[Ioan Lightoller]

05:08 PM on 03/29/2011

No there is not. You use the actions which are natural to us, to deny us rights, thus perpetuating your ignorant religion in law.

[wonderweirdo]

02:12 AM on 03/28/2011

When someone engages in open bigotry, they invite ridicule and ostracism.

[Ioan Lightoller]

05:11 PM on 03/29/2011

Fanned and faved! Exactly. Ridicule and ostracism are far milder than what has historically been meted out to GLBTs by religious bigots. Wish I could fan you again for your moniker. I LOVE IT!!!

[RedRat]

09:43 PM on 03/27/2011

Well under this reasoning, then I guess the Nazis and the current Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists are victims too. Good lord, don't they even see the error of their ways.

[savia Dcunha]

10:09 PM on 03/28/2011

Are you saying homosexuality is a race?

[Jonna Brewer]

09:03 AM on 03/29/2011

Right thread this time. No, he/she is saying bigotry is bigotry is bigotry, no matter who you're bigoted against.

[consequenceofsounds]

08:52 PM on 03/27/2011

Wait… they're complaining about being (rightfully, I might add) demonized for espousing hateful, intolerant and EXTREMELY outdated views, and then attempt to rationalize their way of thinking by comparing it to pedophilia and incest? I don't even know where to begin with this ridiculousness…

[richdibo]

02:54 AM on 05/06/2011

And while engaging in pedophilia for decades!

Ridiculousness is an understatement.

[Rachael Crawley]

08:26 PM on 03/27/2011

Human rights do NOT cover people thinking that you are hateful or wrong, and telling you so.

When discrimination against same-sex marriage opponents is written into law- when they are denied the same legal status as other citizens- when they are afraid to reveal their beliefs for fear of personal injury- then that's another story.

[mercury613]

02:48 PM on 03/29/2011

Exactly. Religious freedom does not include freedom from criticism.

[WheelsOnFire]

08:23 PM on 03/27/2011

It was the Christians who fought against gay marriage in California.

It was the Christians who fought against gay marriage in Maryland.

They thought it was just dandy to impose their will -- their beliefs -- on all residents of those states, regardless whether they practiced Christian faith or not.

They thought it was okay to deny gays equal rights -- to discriminate against us and treat us as second class citizens (using tax-free dollars, no less).

Then they try to claim that they are victims?

Hilarious.

[Ioan Lightoller]

08:26 PM on 03/27/2011

And they were the ones who put up the lying, distorting ads against marriage equality. It wouldn't have passed had they not lied through their teeth.

[Seeker71]

08:34 PM on 03/27/2011

I thought the return of Christ as the Lion was what they sought. If allowing people in love to have the same rights as everyone else is indeed a sign of the End Times I would think they would be promoting it. Instead they are victims of not feeling comfortable spewing lies and hatred.

[WheelsOnFire]

08:35 PM on 03/27/2011

Exactly.

The Christianistas lie and lie, even though it is against one of their oh-so-sacred 10 Commandments.

Shouldn't there be a federal law against and enormous fines imposed for hypocrisy?

That would be the end of Christianity in this country.

[pene]

08:22 PM on 03/27/2011

Well, this is proof that the pope is a dope. you do NOT have a human right to deny others their rights. therefore, being forced NOT to deny other's their rights does NOT make them victims.

educated as he was by the national socialists and then the RC church, one should not expect too much intelligence from him but even a baby could tell you that his logic is is faluty on this one.

[pceasy]

08:18 PM on 03/27/2011

I guess then racists are victims too. They face persecution for their beliefs. Great logic by the Vatican.

[ThirdSection]

03:43 AM on 03/28/2011

It must have been untold horror when those country clubs had to integrate.

Sally Struthers should do a series of commercials about that!

[mercury613]

04:54 PM on 03/27/2011

Quit squirming! You're oppressing our religious freedom!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3I6eIowAe7I/TD4p8ijT2kI/AAAAAAAAAxs/frIqlpLkCZM/s1600/Quit+Squirming+Cartoon.jpg

[Ioan Lightoller]

07:15 PM on 03/27/2011

Thank you! What about the rights of non-Christian religions as well as the welcoming and affirming churches to offer legal civil marriage to same-sex couples? Oh yeah, only the Christians seem to count in this country.

[savia Dcunha]

07:25 PM on 03/27/2011

You can marry in your places of worship. You do not need to turn this into a civil rights issue.

The state is in fact behaving like the church.

[Ioan Lightoller]

07:35 PM on 03/27/2011

Get over yourself. I and many other couples want the 1100+ rights and protections given to straights when they marry. We are not equal with heterosexual citizens hence, it IS a matter of civil rights. Marriage in a religious ceremony without a marriage licence will not confer those rights and protection. How arrogant you are to think that straight couples (regardless of having a religious or civil ceremony) should have those rights and we should not.

[ThirdSection]

11:36 PM on 03/27/2011

Obvious trøll...

is obvious.

[mercury613]

04:36 PM on 03/27/2011

Martyrs are so boring.

[turfkiller]

10:49 AM on 03/29/2011

Self-made martyrs are dangerous because of the propaganda value.

[Ioan Lightoller]

05:33 PM on 03/29/2011

True and the right wing is SO good at playing the victim card.

[savia Dcunha]

03:48 PM on 03/27/2011

Grada,

We do not pick on Mormons, because they have the courtesy to admit that their views on marriage are religious. Instead all these arguments about civil rights, fail to take into account the fact that the very idea that we can have an orientation that is different from our biological gender, or be minds trapped in our bodies, is also a religious concept, since it claims the age old theory that soul is person, distinct from body.

[John David Riser]

08:41 PM on 03/27/2011

The problem is that you continue to make this a religious issue. According to the first amendment, the government in the US cannot institute laws based on religion. We have no state religion. This is not a religious issue. It's a matter of civil rights. That you continue to resort to religion just shows how illegitimate your opinions are in the eyes of the law.

[savia Dcunha]

09:07 PM on 03/27/2011

The very basis of these arguments on sexual orientations are rooted in religion. These people here even being up Ancient Greece and Rome. Forgetting the fact that none of these people had separation of religion and state.

Their views were based on the fact that their gods had different sexual orientations.

This is a religious belief being imposed on the state.

Science is not indifferent to the physical world.

"Homosexuality Is Not Hardwired," Concludes Dr. Francis S. Collins, Head Of The Human Genome Project

http://www.narth.com/docs/nothardwired.html

[savia Dcunha]

09:08 PM on 03/27/2011

If these civil rights are a sacrament in the church then it becomes a religious issue. That is the point.