Father James Martin on Jason Collins: Loving means accepting a person as God created him [View all]

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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/01/father-james-martin-on-jason-collins-loving-means-accepting-a-person-as-god-created-him/



Father James Martin praised NBA player Jason Collins in glowing terms on Wednesday for becoming the first active professional athlete to come out as gay. His comments provided a sharp contrast to the chorus of Christians who have publicly denounced, downplayed, or dismissed Collins’ sexuality.

“There are many times that Catholics are called to support their gay brothers and sisters wholeheartedly,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “This is one of them. All of us are created by God, and all of us have an undeniable and unassailable human dignity. And part of that dignity is accepting that you are a beloved creation of God.”

Martin noted that “coming out” was often a difficult process that was rife with psychological distress and interpersonal conflict. But he said accepting one’s sexual identity was necessary for “spiritual wholeness.”

“The public honesty of people like Mr. Collins may be especially important to gay and lesbian young people, who sometimes experience a deep sadness and crushing isolation around their identity,” he continued. “As most of us know, they are far more likely to consider suicide, thanks to the often overwhelming social pressures that they face.”