The Guardian is reporting that Wayne Besen, executive director of the British homosexual activist group, Truth Wins Out, accused the new app of "helping to create neurotic individuals who are ashamed of who they are".
"This is cyber spiritual abuse that promotes backward ideas in a modern package," said Besen. "Gay Catholics don't need to confess, they need to come out of the closet and challenge anti-gay dogma. The false idea that being gay is something to be ashamed of has destroyed too many lives. This iPhone app is facilitating and furthering the harm."
The app, called "Confession: A Roman Catholic App," has already climbed to No. 26 in popular downloads, and is designed to guide Catholics through confession. A spokesman for the app's creator declined to comment, but the company did say the questions were all written by Catholic priests.
After a similar outcry from activist groups, Apple pulled an app for the Manhattan Declaration late last year because portions of the 5,000 word petition for Christians in the public square included a section on opposition to same-sex marriage.
In his popular blog, What Does The Prayer Really Say, Father John Zuhlsdorf calls these attacks into question because the app is focused only on homosexual acts, not on the orientation itself.
"Of course, the orientation itself is a departure from what is normal for a human being. But what is necessary to distinguish are the acts from the orientation. The app does not go beyond activity," he said.
Gay rights groups say they are becoming concerned about the use of technology to target minorities, but Fr. Zuhlsdorf calls this "just silly."
"As if homosexual groups haven't ever employed technology to target the Catholic Church."
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
Activists Target Another iPhone App
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Homosexual activists are now targeting the popular new Catholic Confession app for Apple's iPhone, saying it promotes "anti-gay spiritual abuse."
The Guardian is reporting that Wayne Besen, executive director of the British homosexual activist group, Truth Wins Out, accused the new app of "helping to create neurotic individuals who are ashamed of who they are".
"This is cyber spiritual abuse that promotes backward ideas in a modern package," said Besen. "Gay Catholics don't need to confess, they need to come out of the closet and challenge anti-gay dogma. The false idea that being gay is something to be ashamed of has destroyed too many lives. This iPhone app is facilitating and furthering the harm."
The app, called "Confession: A Roman Catholic App," has already climbed to No. 26 in popular downloads, and is designed to guide Catholics through confession. A spokesman for the app's creator declined to comment, but the company did say the questions were all written by Catholic priests.
After a similar outcry from activist groups, Apple pulled an app for the Manhattan Declaration late last year because portions of the 5,000 word petition for Christians in the public square included a section on opposition to same-sex marriage.
In his popular blog, What Does The Prayer Really Say, Father John Zuhlsdorf calls these attacks into question because the app is focused only on homosexual acts, not on the orientation itself.
"Of course, the orientation itself is a departure from what is normal for a human being. But what is necessary to distinguish are the acts from the orientation. The app does not go beyond activity," he said.
Gay rights groups say they are becoming concerned about the use of technology to target minorities, but Fr. Zuhlsdorf calls this "just silly."
"As if homosexual groups haven't ever employed technology to target the Catholic Church."
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
The Guardian is reporting that Wayne Besen, executive director of the British homosexual activist group, Truth Wins Out, accused the new app of "helping to create neurotic individuals who are ashamed of who they are".
"This is cyber spiritual abuse that promotes backward ideas in a modern package," said Besen. "Gay Catholics don't need to confess, they need to come out of the closet and challenge anti-gay dogma. The false idea that being gay is something to be ashamed of has destroyed too many lives. This iPhone app is facilitating and furthering the harm."
The app, called "Confession: A Roman Catholic App," has already climbed to No. 26 in popular downloads, and is designed to guide Catholics through confession. A spokesman for the app's creator declined to comment, but the company did say the questions were all written by Catholic priests.
After a similar outcry from activist groups, Apple pulled an app for the Manhattan Declaration late last year because portions of the 5,000 word petition for Christians in the public square included a section on opposition to same-sex marriage.
In his popular blog, What Does The Prayer Really Say, Father John Zuhlsdorf calls these attacks into question because the app is focused only on homosexual acts, not on the orientation itself.
"Of course, the orientation itself is a departure from what is normal for a human being. But what is necessary to distinguish are the acts from the orientation. The app does not go beyond activity," he said.
Gay rights groups say they are becoming concerned about the use of technology to target minorities, but Fr. Zuhlsdorf calls this "just silly."
"As if homosexual groups haven't ever employed technology to target the Catholic Church."
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
