In response to a question about statements made by those affiliated with the president’s administration, President Obama offered his position on homosexual rights with regard to the Church.

“For the gay and lesbian community in this country, I think it’s clear that they feel victimized in fairly powerful ways and they’re often hurt by not just certain teachings of the Catholic Church, but the Christian faith generally,” said the president. “And as a Christian, I’m constantly wrestling with my faith and my solicitude and regard and concern for gays and lesbians.”

“To the extent that I weighed into these debates, what I often discover is that there’s a lot of heat and sound and fury on both sides of these debates, even among people who I consider to be good people on either side,” he added.

“I guess I would stand by my statement in Cairo that a position that dismisses religious belief and faith as intolerant without — in a knee-jerk fashion I think is — doesn’t understand the power and good that faith can serve in the world.”

He acknowledged that there have been times “where religion has been used in the service of not such good stuff” and said that “it’s incumbent upon us to — at least in my own view — to engage in some deep reflection and entertain a willingness to question whether we are acting in a way that’s consistent with not just church teachings, but also what Jesus Christ Our Lord called on us to do: Treat others as we would treat ourselves. Be our brother’s keepers.”