Rutgers Suicide, Celebrities, and This Catholic

Recently a talented 18-year-old man had a sexual encounter with another man.

A clever roommate saw to it that the act was broadcast on the Internet.

The young man then stepped off a bridge, hit the water below, and drowned. Almost certainly a case of suicide, since the young man left a suicide note - online.

Today, celebrities are carrying on something fierce about how this "gay youth" was driven to suicide; CBS News has an op-ed piece about a "disturbing trend;" and at least one family is grieving.

Homosexual Suicide, Celebrities, and This Catholic

I'm a practicing Catholic. What this young man did, and what was done to him, touches on a number of my beliefs.

I grieve with the family of the young man who opted to kill himself.

I pray for the eternal repose of the young man's soul.

Does this mean that I think

• Homosexual acts are okay?
• Suicide is painless, it brings on many changes, and I can take or leave it if I please?
• The pope is a poo-poo head?

No, across the board.

That's because I'm a practicing Catholic.

This may sound corny, but we're supposed to love people: "hate the sin and love the sinner." No, really. I've discussed that before, in the context of homosexual behavior. (March 13, 2009)

Suicide is wrong: I've discussed that before, too. (January 28, 2009)

Hating people is wrong, too. So is pressuring someone until that person commits suicide. Good grief, and I've discussed that before. (December 8, 2009)

"Love the sinner." It's not that hard to remember.

Particularly since as a Catholic I believe that I'm a sinner, myself. Which doesn't mean that I'm wracked with pathological guilt - and I've written about that before, too. (September 27, 2010, August 22, 2010)

Related posts:

• " 'Army of Oppression,' Unmentionables, and Being Catholic in America"
  (August 17, 2010)
• "Why State Definitions of Marriage Matter to This Catholic"
  (June 23, 2010)
• "Hating People: Not a Good Idea"
  (January 22, 2010)
• "The Manhattan Declaration: Hateful? - Who Knew?"
  (November 21, 2009)
• "Three Killed in Tel Aviv Gay Youth Club: There's No Excuse"
  (August 1, 2009)
• " 'Dumb B*ch' Carrie Prejean: Faith, and an 'Apoplectic' Blogger"
  (April 21, 2009)
• "Sex, Condoms, AIDS, an 'Immoral' Pope, and What Everybody Knows"
  (March 17, 2009)
• "The Catholic Church and Homosexuals: Harsh and Soft, Judgmental and Understanding"
  (March 13, 2009)

News and views:

• "Gay Student's Death Highlights Troubling Trend"
  CBS News (September 30, 2010)
• "Ellen DeGeneres 'Devastated' over Rutgers Student Suicide"
  People (September 30, 2010)
• "Rutgers Body Identified"
  The Wall Street Journal (September 30, 2010)
• "Perez Hilton 'Crushed' After Tyler Clementi, Other Suicides"
  MTV News (September 30, 2010)