There is no reward without struggle, and we are to struggle for the Kingdom of Heaven. God is our creator and our moral arbitrator, and as such God has every right to punish unrepentant inquiry.
If I were a genius and created myself a sentient thinking robot with a conscience and a soul somehow, would it have to be my slave in all things, with the alternative being that I program in a mental loop of pain to torture it for all eternity? Does might make right?
The primary mission of the Church is to save souls, not to cater to the political sensibilities of our age. It's not about what we want, but what is pleasing to God.
Perhaps it should be about doing what's right, which may be none of the above, either what you are favoring or what you're condemning. Perhaps you description of what God wants isn't what God wants. Maybe our understanding of God is still incomplete and developing. Who knows?
I do know that Catholic social teaching is that we are to follow our consciences and do what we think is right.
Christ never promised that Christian life would be easy
"My yoke is easy and my burden is light" -Jesus, The Bible
Do you actually believe in God and the authority of his Church?
Mostly.
Your flippant attitude is beyond astounding. I'm a 25 year old heterosexual bachelor. You don't think there isn't part of me that wouldn't love the licence to indulge my carnal whims?
I wouldn't reduce it to that. Notice I said "used to". Don't get me wrong, if I had a great girlfriend and she wanted to have sex with me, I don't see myself saying no, but largely, circumstances have moved me out of that stage of my life. I'm not as attractive to women as I once was, I'm fairly poor, I have health issues. I think I've had two dates in the last 5-6 years and they didn't lead anywhere. I think I'm following the Catholic teaching on sex outside of marriage by default.
I actually wanted settle down young and get married, but I wasn't able to get it done, and I've gotten less and less attractive to people as I've gotten older, not just in physical appearance but in terms of my situation relative to my peers, etc.. I wouldn't be shocked if it turned out that I dated my last serious girlfriend in my life 6-7 years ago. I'm not joining a monastery and taking a vow of celibacy, but there's not exactly temptation or opportunity around every corner either. Most of my objection to these prohibitions is theoretical rather than practical at this point- I don't think sex outside of marriage is always wrong, or at least I don't think it is severe enough to merit eternal damnation, given that not everyone is given the opportunity to marry, and isn't not that I have a hot date on Saturday night that I expect to end Sunday morning, you know?
I'm in my early to mid 30s, but it's a very old early to mid 30s, in the sense of where I'm at in life and mentally. Lot of physical pain. Curmudgeon-y.
I had some great loving relationships that definitely violated some teachings when I was young, and I cherish those memories, but it's mostly in the past now. Society isn't very kind to people in my situation health, finances, and appearance wise, and I'm harder to get along with than ever. And I wouldn't want to date someone I didn't really like. So, you know, I mostly am the male equivalent of a cat lady now- only I have a dog. Because, you know, dogs are cool.
But I both love and fear God
You know, a lot of the times the word in the bible that is translated as fear, really just means respect. It's an important difference. I don't think a God who demands that we *fear* him in the sense of being terrified of his wrath would be a very morally evolved God. Maybe our ancestors in faith thought that was God at one time, but I would like to think we're moving past that. We should never be able to envision a God who is more ethical than the God who is. If we can, then perhaps our vision of the God who is does not reflect His reality.
Scripture is clear, you must choose between God or the world. You cannot have both.
What makes you think the world loves homosexuality, for example? Just because we've finally legalized gay marriage after like 2000 years of persecuting gays? In 1950, it would have been rejecting "the world" to embrace gay marriage. In fact, if you look at how gays are persecuted in most of the non-western world today, I would still say the world is persecuting the gays.
Be more accepting of what? Sin?
Love.
People who are different from us.