I had no idea that a queer interfaith coalition existed until my state of blissful ignorance was by punctured by the article below. Apparently, it includes Muslims, which is odd, since countries in which Muslims have unfettered control enjoy throwing members of the alphabet community from the top of tall buildings.
So far, eighteen people from the Anglican Church of Canada, a bastion of inclusion in spite of having been deserted by those it purports to include, have signed the resolution. They include the Primate Linda Nicholls, Bishop Lynne McNaughton from the Diocese of Kootenay, and a further assortment of gentlemen and lady reverends, many of whom have come out as queer. Not that they have an axe to grind.
As of today, there are 182 signatories: the entire religious gay population of Canada. Not quite all are clergy. No Muslims have signed it; they probably all suffer from vertigo.
You can find the signatories here, in case you need a list of churches to avoid.
I didn’t dredge up the photo from a sleazy gay website, it accompanies the article.
Read it all here:
In celebration of June as Pride Month, I would like to share a resolution that unanimously passed on May 25 at the annual meeting of the Anglican Church of the Diocese of the Kootenays.
Resolution to Support the Queer Interfaith Coalition
The Queer Interfaith Coalition was formed in late 2023 in response to an increase in homophobic and anti-trans* rhetoric. The Queer Interfaith Coalition is a group of religious leaders and laypeople from Jewish, Muslim, Christian and other backgrounds. The QIC seeks to reclaim the word “religious” to mean a word of faith, of safety, of inclusion and especially of love. As well, they seek to acknowledge that every human being is born in the image of God and that God’s love has always been and will always be inclusive.
On the 14th of March, the Queer Interfaith Coalition launched an open letter to the Canadian government demanding action in response to the rise in homophobic and anti-trans rhetoric. In this open letter they write: “We affirm that the shared understanding of our religious duty is to dedicate ourselves to advocating for the full and comprehensive human rights of all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community; promoting mental health, realizing the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ children and youth, and ending gender-based violence.”
Here’s a dispatch from the front – the church I attend hosted a pride party last Friday with 170+ people attending. Our associate rector said that many people reported to her that they never thought they would feel welcome in church again. I have no doubt there was a great deal more joy at this event than at the Sunday morning service with all of 35 parishioners, including a few guests for the blessing of our new pollinator garden. I have no doubt in the sincerity of those who seem to have found a spiritual home where they are not having to pretend or to look over their shoulder. Where this leads I do not know, but a telling example was that the only person who went to both the pride party and was back at 7am the next morning to serve at the community breakfast was an 81 year old gentleman who left the catholic church a few years ago.
Congratulations. I have no doubt that, in one years’ time, most of these 170+ people will be back for NEXT years’ pride party. And so on, every year. For some obscure (or neglected) reason, almost all of the churches that have bustling pride parties seem to be dwindling, not growing, when it comes to regular attendance, and whatever attendance they are seeing tends to be heavily biased towards the grey-haired. In the future, you will have ever more 81-year-old gentlemen and ladies. For some reason, very few youth and even middle-aged persons, are committed to the liberal denominations. While this theological focus provides tactical successes (well-attended pride parties), it seems destined for strategic defeat (extinction of the liberal faithful within the next few decades).
Thanks DG, my 16 year old son has said as much, on who is attracted to such congregations. It rings true. Despite a small number of people who have joined the regular church from the church on tap meetings, perhaps their exception proves the rule. As we search for a new rector, with Bishop David Parsons words in my mind, added to your comment on tactical success and strategic failure, it’s going to be an interesting process.
The ACOC seems ready to sign anything but will NOT stand for the truth. The time has long since passed for the Anglican Church of Canada to make a firm stand for the TRUTH and stop its rapid descent into apostasy.
‘…rapid descent into apostasy.’ With respect, you may have missed the memo but the ACoC actually arrived there many years ago.
I am well aware of the descent into apostasy lead by several apostate so-called bishops. In Abbotsford our building was legally stolen by the ACoC. Anglican parishes should take action to ensure their properties are registered to them.