Q&A: Fr. Mychal Judge's Sexual Conduct Does Not Alter Moral Code     2/20/2003 Sexual conduct has no bearing on morality? A Culture & Family Report reader, writing under the name "John Kelley," e-mailed the following letter regarding the alleged homosexuality of Father Mychal Judge, the New York City Fire Department chaplain who perished in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack. CFI Senior Policy Analyst Peter LaBarbera, who edits C&F Report, responds. John Kelley writes: Re: Dennis Lynch's article, "How 'Gay' Activists Smeared Father Mychal Judge ." While Father Mike may not have "come out" to Mr. Lynch, it seems undeniable that Father Mike did in fact identify himself as gay. Former FDNY [Fire Department City of New York] Commissioner Tom Von Essen and Mychal's fellow friar, Fr. Brian Carroll, OFM, repeatedly bear witness to Fr. Mike's statements of gay self-identity, as do many others in Michael Ford's biography, Fr. Mychal Judge: An Authentic American Hero. I'm a practicing Catholic and conservative, but find that the example of Father Mike forces us to reconsider if homosexual orientation is not more akin to left-handedness. Despite the excesses of the "gay agenda," I know many gay persons who are upright, conservative Christians. Peter LaBarbera responds: I'm troubled by your conclusion. I'll grant you that Father Judge may have identified as "gay," acted homosexually, or maybe just deeply sympathized with homosexuals in New York City, but why does that translate into acceptance of homosexuality as an innocuous trait? Because he was a priest? Because he was a "good guy"? Many "good guys" have besetting, even crippling, sins; does that require reclassifying the sin? I feel much surer getting moral direction from the divinely revealed Bible and sacred tradition (the Catholic Church is pretty clear on this issue). Did you know that "gay rights" as an organized movement in America is only about 55 years old? I am opposed to the idea of rewriting the ancient Judeo-Christian moral code to satisfy the demands of a sexual revolution (homosexuality, heterosexual promiscuity, abortion) that is a mere blip on the historic timeline of sexual morality. You write: "I know many gay persons who are upright, conservative Christians." Let's substitute the actual meaning of "gay" and see if your assertion stands: "I know many persons [have erotic feelings for people of the same sex, leading them to practice historically taboo acts such as homosexual (man-to-man) oral sex and anal sodomy] who are upright, conservative Christians." Sorry, but the issue here is behavior, not feelings or "identity." Morality is not man-determined but flows from a holy God. And it does not change according to worldly trends: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings" (Book of Hebrews 13:8-9). I'm afraid that your friends, though deeply conflicted, are neither morally upright nor conservative Christians. There are many people who once were like them-who identified and lived as "gay"-but who have returned to historic Christianity. They have been healed of their homosexual urges and are now living morally in the sexual part of their lives (or seeking with God's help to do so). I encourage you to heed their testimonies rather than your "gay Christian" friends. (See the website of Exodus International, the world's largest "ex-gay" organization.) Other people still struggle daily with homosexual urges (as we all battle temptations of some sort or another, although I don't mean to minimize their struggles), but have chosen to live chaste lives according to Church teachings. See the website for the Catholic group Courage (Philly chapter). No, Fr. Judge's lifestyle does not "force" us into anything. Remember that the human heart is capable of justifying immense evil. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah declared: "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Book of Jeremiah, 17:9). I believe this truth is at the root of your friends' wrongful contention that homosexuality and Christianity are compatible.