SINGAPORE (UCAN) -- The Catholic Church in Singapore has affirmed its love for homosexual people but condemned homosexual activity, all in response to a public debate that recently surfaced on the subject.

A statement issued by the Singapore Archdiocesan Bioethics Committee states: "We make clear the distinction between showing love for the person with homosexual tendency, while making firm our stand that the homosexual act goes against the natural moral law. Under no circumstances, therefore, can such acts be condoned."

Father James Yeo, the committee's co-chairman, signed the statement, which was published in the Aug. 3 issue of the archdiocesan-run "Catholic News."

The controversy began in early July when local media reported that the government position on homosexuals has "quietly changed" and that it now hires homosexuals to fill "certain positions." The government stance surfaced in an interview with Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong that "Time" magazine conducted and published at the end of June. The revelation led to much public debate, mostly through letters to the editors of local newspapers.

Catholics speaking to UCA News offered various responses to the controversy. For example, Anthony Tan, editor of a local Catholic web-magazine called "The Prompt," praised the archdiocese for releasing its statement but said more concrete pastoral advice was needed for average Catholics. "As Singapore seems bent on becoming a more liberal and permissive society, contrary to Christian morals and values, we need to prepare for more storms," he asserted.

People of other religions "will criticize us," he also warned. "Our youth will question us. The gay lifestyle will seem like just another option. We need to be prepared. We will need help from our priests and catechists."

Cyril Wong, an openly gay poet, reacted by saying, "There will always be a constant reaction against gays being slowly accepted by the Church, like how a gay bishop is now possible." He was referring to Anglican Bishop Gene Robinson being elected in June as Bishop of New Hampshire, the United States. Wong also said the Church in Singapore "pretends (gays) don't exist most of the time."

Doctor John Hui of the Catholic Medical Guild in Singapore maintains that homosexuality is a choice. "The orientation," he explained, "springs from complex interplay of genetic and environmental predisposing factors and the choices that the person suffering from the orientation has made." He also said that a homosexual is no more or less a sinner than a heterosexual person.

Stronger reactions against homosexuality came from the Protestant community. Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong of the Cornerstone Community Church told Christians through a message in his Church's website to raise the matter with Parliament members through e-mail and letters, to write letters to media and to pray.

In late July, the National Council of Churches of Singapore issued a statement saying, "We do not condone homosexual practice and we consider homosexual lifestyle as sinful and unacceptable." The council, which represents mainstream Protestant denominations such as the Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, qualified its position by adding, "This does not mean that we reject or despise homosexuals."

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