A Catholic mother turned to the internet to help her son remain “on the right path” – and Redditors responded in full force.

The mother’s post – which has since been deleted – read: “What else can I do make sure my son with SSA (same sex attractions) remains on the right path? How can I stop being so afraid for him”.

Further comments about her situation stated: “We sat him down and told him that we loved him, and that what he had told us wouldn’t change that in the slightest.” and “Our son has often told my husband and me that he feels very lonely.”

At first glance the post appears to contain genuine care and concern, claiming: “I’m terrified that he’ll succumb to loneliness or depression and seek out a disordered relationship to numb his brokenness when he’s off on his own” – however stating that her son was “broken” triggered negative responses.

The mother added: “We also set up other defenses for his chastity: we pulled him off of the basketball team (the locker room would just be an unnecessary temptation, and his presence there would be inappropriate).”

One Reddit user explained: “Your son is not broken. He is human. He has a right to be treated with as much dignity and worth as every other person on this planet”.

It continued: “Yes the locker room will probably pose some challenges for him, but those are his challenges to face not yours. Same goes for the internet, unless straight people never find challenges to their chastity online?”

In many comments, the woman’s methods to “keep her son on the right path” were referred to as “abominable” and “abusive…teaching him that he’s inherently bad.”

“You need to really reconsider what it means to love someone.” was a comment that got many up-votes – as it continued to convey that God would love him regardless of sexuality.

The Catholic church have also been in the news recently when a Swiss bishop was accused of saying gay people should be ‘put to death’.