Category Archives: Homosexuality and the church

McMaster University is looking for LGBTQ2SI research assistants

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So if you qualify – and there are so many letters, including an asterisk, who wouldn’t? – email bowmkams@mcmaster.ca

McMaster

Notice that reality is immaterial for this research: you don’t have to be a member of the alphabet soup brigade or a Christian, you simply have to identify yourself as such. Similarly, if I choose to identify as a poached egg, I am a poached egg.

The poster is shameless in its admission that the intent of the research is to conform “problematic texts” in Scripture to the demands of a “queer identity”; what a surprise.

Anglican bishop pleads with gays not to leave the church

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From here:

Church of Ireland bishop Paul Colton has apologized for the hurt Christian churches have caused LGBT people but noted that many Christians “who believe that God’s justice, God’s love and the inclusiveness of God must bear fruit in unqualified equality for gay and lesbian people too.”

Speaking Monday in the city of Cork to launch Cork LGBT Awareness Week, the 64-year-old Colton encouraged LGBT people to stick with their faith and enter into dialogue with those who are opposed to gay rights.

“I want, therefore, to encourage especially those gay and lesbian people who are involved in church life, or who once were, to engage with the debates many churches are having at the current time,” he said. “I ask you not to give up on religion and religious institutions.”

He encouraged gay and lesbian people not to leave the church.

Bishop Colton’s plea is not particularly surprising: if all gay and lesbian people left the Anglican Church there would be hardly any clergy left.

Anglican Church of Nigeria leaders must renounce homosexuality

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From here:

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has introduced a clause in its constitution subjecting members, who intend to hold positions in church, to take an oath of allegiance to God denouncing homosexuality.

[…..]

The text of the vow reads: “I declare before God and his Church that I have never been a homosexual/bisexual or (have repented from being homosexual/bisexual) and I vow that I will not indulge in the practise of homosexuality/bisexuality.

“If after this oath I am involved, found to be, or profess to be a homosexual/bisexual against the teachings of the Holy Scriptures as contained in the Bible.

“I bring upon myself the full wrath of God and subject myself willingly to canonical discipline as enshrined in the constitution of the Church of Nigeria, so help me God.’’

One of the oath-takers, Mr Lucky Erhaikhuemen, 43, the Vicar’s warden of the church, said two decades ago the oath would have been of no significance in the Church of Nigeria.

“But with what is happening in Western countries and the churches there, there is a lot a pressure on church leaders and members here to compromise the teachings of the church.

“The oath is a guide and warning that those in leadership positions in the church must uphold scriptural teachings and point to the godly part to the younger generations,’’ he said.

There are a few things I find particularly interesting about this:

The first is that the opposite tends to apply in Western Anglicanism. For example, a priest applying for employment in the Diocese of Niagara can expect to be asked where he stands on same sex blessings. If he gives the wrong answer – the wrong answer is that he is not for them – he might as well move to Nigeria and seek employment there.

The second is, the remarks by the church warden that the oath is a reaction to Western pressure and  20 years ago would have been unnecessary is somewhat heartening. Indaba away, Justin Welby, Nigeria is not going to buckle.

Lastly, the Anglican Church of Nigeria is simply applying a Biblical principle to its choice of leaders. The probability of Western Anglican clerics foaming at the mouth when they hear about it is of no particular import, but as a side-effect, I find the mere anticipation of it profoundly satisfying.

Archbishop Stanley Ntagali Comments on Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, the Church of England’s “Pilling Report,” and the Open Letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York

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A blast of clarity, received via email:

The Church of Uganda is encouraged by the work of Uganda’s Parliament in amending the Anti-Homosexuality Bill to remove the death penalty, to reduce sentencing guidelines through a principle of proportionality, and to remove the clause on reporting homosexual behaviour, as we had recommended in our 2010 position statement on the Bill. This frees our clergy and church leaders to fulfill the 2008 resolution of our House of Bishops to “offer counseling, healing and prayer for people with homosexual disorientation, especially in our schools and other institutions of learning. The Church is a safe place for individuals, who are confused about their sexuality or struggling with sexual brokenness, to seek help and healing.”

Accordingly, we are grateful for the reminder of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to fulfill such commitments as stated in the 2005 Communique of the Primates Meeting held in Dromantine, Northern Ireland.

We would further like to remind them, as they lead their own church through the “facilitated conversations” recommended by the Pilling Report, that the teaching of the Anglican Communion from the 1998 Lambeth Conference, from Resolution 1.10, still stands. It states that “homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture,” and the conference “cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions.”

It was the Episcopal Church USA (TEC) and the Anglican Church of Canada’s violations of Lambeth 1.10 which caused the Church of Uganda to break communion with those Provinces more than ten years ago. We sincerely hope the Archbishops and governing bodies of the Church of England will step back from the path they have set themselves on so the Church of Uganda will be able to maintain communion with our own Mother Church.

Furthermore, as our new Archbishop of Canterbury looks toward future Primates Meetings and a possible 2018 Lambeth Conference of Bishops, we would also like to remind him of the 2007 Primates Communique from Dar es Salaam, which says that there are “consequences for the full participation of the Church in the life of the Communion” for TEC and those Provinces which cannot

1.       “Make an unequivocal common covenant that the Bishops will not authorize any Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions in their dioceses or through” their governing body;

2.       “Confirm…that a candidate for episcopal orders living in a same-sex union shall not receive the necessary consent.”

It is clear that the Episcopal Church in the USA and the Anglican Church of Canada have not upheld these commitments, and so we do pray for the Archbishop of Canterbury as he considers whether or not to extend invitations to their Primates for the next Primates Meeting or to their Bishops for the 2018 Lambeth Conference. To withhold these invitations would be a clear signal of his intention to lead and uphold the fullness of the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10.

The Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali

ARCHBISHOP OF CHURCH OF UGANDA.

Bishop apologizes for Franklin Graham’s mission to Iceland

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Franklin Graham is going to Iceland not to talk about gay marriage but to preach a “message of God’s hope and unconditional love for all people”, and “to renew, encourage and strengthen the people of Iceland through the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The Festival of Hope “is open to everyone and is about the good news that unites us through Jesus.”

One might be forgiven for falling into the trap of thinking that a festival intended to save souls would be welcomed by a Christian bishop, even a bishop of the Evangelical – never was a word less applicable – Lutheran Church of Iceland. Not so!

The Rt. Rev. Agnes M. Sigurðardóttir doesn’t want anyone spreading God’s unconditional love in Iceland unless they also promote homosexual marriage.

Once again, the liberal church’s obsession with the ecclesiastical legitimisation of gay sex overrides every other consideration.

BishFrom here:

The Bishop of Iceland the Rt. Rev. Agnes M. Sigurðardóttir, has apologized to the island’s gay community for the participation of the Church of Iceland in next month’s Festival of Hope meeting in Reykjavík due to the presence of U.S. evangelist and missionary Franklin Graham.

Anna Pála Sverrisdóttir, chair of Samtökin 78, an Icelandic gay activist organization told the news website Ruv.is she was angered by the state Lutheran church’s participation in the Christian rally as Graham opposes gay marriage.

Church of England to allow homosexual bishops

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Clergy in celibate same-sex civil partnerships can become bishops under the new rules. I’m not sure what the point of a celibate civil partnership is or whether the sustained maintaining of such a thing is believable – but that is the latest naive or surreptitiously scheming, depending on one’s perspective, CofE edict on how to accommodate homosexual bishops. The Dean of St Albans, Dr Jeffrey John, falls into this category and was denied his appointment as bishop last year; I suppose he will have another go this year.

It’s hard not to see this as a next step to the position reached in North America: clergy at every level vigorously engaged in homosexual activity. Including bishops.

From the BBC:

The announcement, from the Church’s House of Bishops, would allow clergy in civil partnerships to become bishops if they promised to be celibate.

Conservative evangelical Anglicans say they will fiercely resist the development in the synod.

The issue has split the church since 2003 amid a row over gay cleric Jeffrey John becoming Bishop of Reading.

Mr John, now Dean of St Albans, was forced to step down from the role after protests from traditionalists.

He was also a candidate for Bishop of Southwark in 2010 but was rejected. Evidence emerged that this was because of his sexual orientation.

Evangelicals have warned they would be willing to bring in bishops from overseas to avoid serving under a gay bishop.

The Church has already agreed to allow people in civil partnerships to become clergy, provided they promised they would remain celibate, and repent for active homosexuality in the past.

Those conditions are now to be extended to clergy becoming bishops.

Catholic diocese ends gay Soho Masses

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From here:

England’s leading Catholic prelate has called an end to the “Soho Masses” that had drawn homosexuals to a London church, and announced that the church will be dedicated to the Anglican ordinariate of Our Lady of Walshingham.

The obvious move for a Catholic church geared to homosexuals: give it to the Anglicans – albeit the Anglican ordinariate.

The Queen James Bible

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Queen JamesIt was first published on November 27, 2012 and ranks #20,842 in Amazon book sales. That is before the ACoC and TEC get wind of it and adopt it as their pew Bible, of course.

Take a look here to see what was expunged, massaged and tinkered with to discourage anti-LGBT  interpretations.

Naturally, the Bible has its own Facebook page, adorned with this image:

 

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From here:

Homosexuality in The Bible
Homosexuality was first mentioned in the Bible in 1946 in the Revised Standard Version. There is no mention of or reference to homosexuality in any Bible prior to this – only interpretations have been made. Anti-LGBT Bible interpretations commonly cite only eight verses in the Bible that they interpret to mean homosexuality is a sin; Eight verses in a book of thousands!

The Queen James Bible seeks to resolve interpretive ambiguity in the Bible as it pertains to homosexuality: We edited those eight verses in a way that makes homophobic interpretations impossible.

Who is Queen James?
The King James Bible is the most popular Bible of all time, and arguably the most important English language document of all time. The brainchild and namesake of King James I, who wanted an English language Bible that all could own and read, it has been in print for over 400 years and has brought more people to Christ than any other Bible translation. Commonly known to biographers but often surprising to most Christians, King James I was a well-known bisexual. Though he did marry a woman, his many gay relationships were so well-known that amongst some of his friends and court, he was known as “Queen James.” It is in his great debt and honor that we name The Queen James Bible so.

A Fabulous Bible
The QJB is a big, fabulous Bible. It is printed and bound in the United States on thick, high-quality paper in a beautiful, readable typeface. It is the perfect Bible for ceremony, study, sermon, gift-giving, or simply to put on display in the home or Church.

You can’t choose your sexuality, but you can choose Jesus. Now you can choose a Bible, too.

h/t: MCJ

Another play about a gay Jesus: how original

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Corpus Christi is a play by Terrence McNally in which Jesus and the apostles are homosexuals living in Texas. Judas betrays Jesus because of sexual jealousy and Jesus presides over the marriage of two of the apostles.

The whole thing is so patently absurd that, were it not for the fact that it upsets Christians, no-one would pay any attention to it.

But it does upset Christians and it has upset the Greek Orthodox Bishop, Seraphim of Piraeus enough for him to launch a lawsuit against the production for “insulting religion” and “malicious blasphemy.”

I think this is a mistake: the play deserves all the obscurity it can get.

Since I believe in the importance of free speech, Terrence McNally who, coincidentally is married to another – much younger – man, is entitled to say what he likes about whom he likes.

Just as I am entitled to refer to Terrence McNally as a snivelling, pusillanimous pile of parrot droppings who doesn’t have the guts to give Mohammed a similar treatment and has to make do with a catamite because no woman would have him – if I so choose.

From here:

The actors and creative team behind a play that depicts Jesus Christ and his apostles as gay face charges of blasphemy in Greece, according to court officials.

The production of Corpus Christi, a 1997 play by U.S. playwright Terrence McNally, was greeted with protests by priests and the right-wing Golden Dawn movement during its run in Athens in October. The Greek-language staging was eventually cancelled earlier this month.

Greek Orthodox Bishop Seraphim of Piraeus launched a lawsuit against the production and called for charges of “insulting religion” and “malicious blasphemy.”

As is permitted under Greek law, charges were laid without specifying who would be charged. Police were told Friday to identify who involved in the play could be summoned to stand trial. No trial date has been set.

If convicted, the actors and creative team face prison sentences of up to two years.

Pastor runs out of money after supporting same-sex marriage

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From here:

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – The reverend of a St. Paul church says he needs to raise $200,000 to pay off a church loan after most of his followers left because of his support for gay marriage.

The Rev. Oliver White runs Grace Community United Church of Christ in St. Paul. The 69-year-old said he needs to raise the money by June 30.

“We lost our income when we lost a number of people from our congregation.” White said.

White said two-thirds of his followers left after he said he supported same-sex marriage, and said he was against the marriage amendment that will be up for a vote in November.

Surely the answer for Rev. Oliver White is that all the gay people flooding to his church to get married will join his congregation, tithe, and fill his coffers to overflowing. That should work.