Allowance vs. Acceptance | Vincent Testa | TEDxSalveReginaU
The speaker asserts that the Catholic Church is currently stuck in a gap between mere "allowance" and true "acceptance" regarding the LGBT community. This gap is evident despite recent progressive papal statements, as codified rules, like those regarding priesthood, still create separation. True change requires the Church to interpret scripture morally—like the creation story—and operationalize acceptance by creating equal lived experiences for all Catholics.
## Speakers & Context
- Speaker identifies as a self-respecting gay male.
- Provides an analogy of Broadway and uses the Pope's recent progressive statements as context for hope.
- Notes the struggle within the Church between current policies and the progressive views of the younger generation.
## Theses & Positions
- The relationship between the Church and LGBT parishioners is characterized by a separation that is "fixable."
- The core issue in the Church regarding LGBT individuals is the difference between mere *allowance* (providing permission) and full *acceptance* (believing something to be true or valid).
- Biblical passages, like Leviticus, should be interpreted morally rather than taken literally as unbreakable law.
- True acceptance means living out Christ's actions, accepting differences, and allowing LGBT individuals to express their faith without having different experiences than other Catholics.
- Faith, unlike religion, is presented as an innate being, similar to love, and should not be framed as a choice leading to guilt.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Allowance:** Insinuates providing permission, analogized using the request *"please sir may I have some more of my human dignity."*
- **Acceptance:** Insinates believing something to be true or valid, analogized using Annie being fully adopted into a family.
- **Moral Life Guide:** The speaker advocates using the Bible as a moral guide rather than a literal life guide.
- **Hymnal Interpretation:** Focuses on the fourth verse of the hymn "All Are Welcome," interpreted to mean that the Church should actively dispel fear and danger among outcasts and strangers.
- **Innate vs. Choice:** Faith is likened to love, described as "innate in our being," contrasting with the perception that it is a conscious choice.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Biblical Interpretation:** Shifting focus from literal verses (e.g., Leviticus regarding shellfish or male relations) to drawing moral lessons, such as the "magnificence" God created out of nothing in seven days.
- **Analogical Application:** Using *Oliver Twist*'s appeal for dignity and *Annie*'s adoption story to differentiate between allowance and acceptance.
- **Corrective Interpretation:** Interpreting the phrase "All are welcome" to mean the Church should invite and welcome people, while simultaneously addressing the caveat that this welcome does not grant rights to hold ministerial positions while publicly engaged in "immoral relationship or activity."
## Named Entities
- **Pew Research Center:** Conducted a study mentioned in 2014 regarding Catholic views on homosexuality.
- **Dignity USA:** A national organization established in 1969 that provides Catholic services for the LGBT community; noted as not being recognized by the Catholic Church.
## Numbers & Data
- **2014:** Year of the Pew Research Center study.
- **70%:** Percentage of all Catholics who stated homosexuality should be accepted within the church (2014).
- **85%:** Percentage of 18 to 29 year olds who stated homosexuality should be accepted within the church (2014).
- **57%:** Percentage of all Catholics who believed same-sex marriage should be accepted (2014).
- **65 and older group:** The lowest group in the 2014 poll, which did not achieve a majority approval for same-sex marriage.
- **1969:** Year Dignity USA was established.
- **35:** Current number of chapters for Dignity USA.
## Examples & Cases
- **The Comparison (Allowance vs. Acceptance):** The analogy contrasting the community asking for "dignity" (allowance) versus being fully adopted (acceptance).
- **The Biblical Overreach:** Using Leviticus to argue that if one forbids certain acts, one must also forbid shellfish or wearing multiple fibers.
- **The Creation Story:** Drawing the moral lesson from God producing "magnificence... out of nothing" in seven days.
- **The Hymn Text:** Quoting the fourth verse of the hymn, *"Here, the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God's face. Let us bring an end to fear and danger."*
- **The Modern Parallel:** Comparing the current institutional struggle to the inability to find members even for Dignity USA, due to the separation between "antiquated ideas and policies" and the younger generation.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Broadway:** Used as an analogy framework.
- **Pew Research Center:** Source of data regarding Catholic attitudes.
- **Hymn:** "All Are Welcome."
## References Cited
- **Bible:** Cited as the ultimate source of doctrine, with specific mention of Leviticus.
- **Leviticus:** Specifically cited passage regarding sexual prohibitions ("a man shall not lay with another man").
- **Marty Hogan:** Author of the hymn "All Are Welcome."
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- The Catholic Church's stance that while "All are welcome," not everyone is suited for the community, suggesting a distinction similar to an AP class or football team.
- The author acknowledges the separate, potentially controversial conversation about using the word "lifestyle" to describe the LGBT community.
## Methodology
- Employing word association and analogy (Broadway/Oliver Twist) to build a persuasive framework.
- Drawing from historical data (Pew study) and canonical texts (Bible/hymn).
- Reinterpreting religious texts by prioritizing moral implication over literal textual adherence.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- The immediate goal is providing "opportunities to meet with LGBT people and groups to hear their stories to want to know why they want to be LGBT and Catholic."
- Final hope: A day where LGBT people do not have different experiences than other Catholics.
## Implications & Consequences
- The current institutional policy creates a systemic barrier where LGBT Catholics are "allowed to, but they're not accepted."
- If the trend of separation continues, it jeopardizes the continuity of the faith community, as demonstrated by the struggle to maintain chapters like Dignity USA.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"I am going to guarantee that it is not Catholicism."*
- *"It's fixable. It's fixable."*
- *"Allowance insinuates providing permission... and then you have acceptance which insinuates believing something to be true or valid."*
- *"Please sir may I have some more of my human dignity."*
- *"Who am I to judge?"*
- *"God had nothing. And look at what he did in seven days."*
- *"Here, the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God's face. Let us bring an end to fear and danger."*
- *"The author says it does not mean that someone is entitled to work for the church or fill a ministerial position while being publicly involved in an immoral relationship or activity."*
- *"Faith is similar to love in that it's innate in our being."*
- *"Acceptance is actually living out the words and actions of Christ, not just talking about it, accepting those who are different and bringing them into the house of God and allowing them to express their faith the way they would like to."*
- *"And that is my hope. That is my prayer."*