Gay Catholics :: balancing belief and doctrine

Edge, a multicity online publication, has posted a long article about Gay Catholics.  This article includes a brief summary of DignityUSA's origin as well as interviews with several members of DignityUSA.  Here are some excerpts:

"There’s no denying that the atmosphere from the official church has become more and more toxic to gay people in recent years," Dignity USA’s Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burke told EDGE. "But for me the basics come down to what model of church you believe in. I think most people really confuse the hierarchy with the Church. I experience church as the people trying to live out the messages of Jesus Christ."

"The government of the Church does not have a corner on the truth," said Lourdes Rodriguez-Nogues of Boston. She believes one of the problems with the hierarchy "is that it is an all-male group."

[Victor] Postemski cited social action as a key reason why he remains faithful. "That’s one of the strengths the Church has," he said. "We forget all of the good it does for people. Almost every kind of social justice organization that’s fed the hungry or taken care of the homeless is somehow connected to a religious organization. I think the sad thing is that we forget that."