As a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show in January 2009, I said, "Being gay is a gift from God." Those seven words -- spoken to a call-in viewer from Atlanta -- set off a ripple of response that lit up Oprah's switchboard, almost crashed our parish email server and continues to bring people toward us here at All Saints Church in Pasadena. And that moment continues to be for me an iconic example of how important it is for people of faith to confront discrimination against our LGBT brothers and sisters by standing up and by speaking out.
It is why on this National Coming Out Day 2011, I believe it is no longer enough for LGBT people to come out and let the world know who they were created to be, although that continues to be a courageous and transformational act. It is time for Christians to come out and let the world see the Church as it was created to be: a vehicle of love and justice, not a bastion of bigotry and homophobia.
It is time for people of faith to speak out against the religion-based bigotry that has for too long fueled the fires of homophobia that perpetuate violence against LGBT people and plant the seeds of self-loathing in LGBT youth.
And it is time to take to heart the words of Rabbi Abraham Heschel, who famously said, "Few are guilty, but all are responsible." I may not be guilty of the religion-based bigotry that has wounded countless members of God's beloved LGBT children, but I am responsible for offering a counter-narrative to the lies that have been told about the God I serve -- the God of love, justice and compassion.
My faith tradition teaches that the truth will set you free -- and the truth is: God loves.
The truth is: love trumps.
And the truth is: Being gay is a gift from God.
No wonder Obama gives then all his love and special favors.
Second, in any of the scriptures you quote or use, did Jesus say any of them? NO! There is not one verse where Jesus specifically mentions or even eludes to homosexuality, instead he was there helping the people that others were condemning...hmmm.
Then personally I would have to ask, do you believe that a "non-practicing" homosexual would have better favor with God than one who is in a 30 year relationship with a person of the same sex? Even if the person not having sexual relations with a person of the same sex, they still have the same thoughts and the same genetic makeup. I bet if you were the 1800's, you would have been the same person to condemn people for loving a person of another race or culture. Oh wait, that was just in the a few decades ago! It wasn't until 1967 that in the US a white person could legally marry an American Indian or an African American. Get with the times and quit misquoting scripture that's over centuries old.
In the same way, an Institutionalized Religion has a dogma, tenets, a liturgy and more, that do not (or should not) allow it to strip any part of itself just to appear more liberal or moderate. It would only bastardize itself.
Besides, there is no such thing a Liberal, or a Moderate Christian. A religion either has The Truth, through its Scriptures, or it has nothing; this is what is called the Orthodoxy (or fundamentalism) principle. If the Christian (and Jewish) scriptures say that Homosexuality is a Sin, a breach of God's laws, then there is no getting around that, and trying to coat the pill. Either Religion is true, or it is not, period!
I am sorry to say that if one is looking for a Religion that accepts gays, one will have to create one, but don't look to the existing ones for solace, you will be luring yourself and asking the religion to bastardize itself, which it cannot do.
Just for clarity here, I have nothing but compassion for Gays, but this is a stark reality. Religion is NOT about Love and Justice, it's about obeying to the Scriptures.
Actually, Christianity was founded upon a rejection of many passages in the Hebrew Bible and has continued to evolve since then.
Re: "If the Christian (and Jewish) scriptures say that Homosexuality is a Sin, a breach of God's laws, then there is no getting around that ..."
Sure there is. First of all, you have no right to tell me what I believe. Second, Christians study scripture, like one might look at a photo album of one's grandparents. The Bible is the foundation documents of our religious tradition. We have a rich tradition, one which has evolved over two thousand years. Is the Bible perfect? No. Are our traditions for the last two thousand years without problems? No. Each generation struggles with finding meaning in our traditions for their present life. It is a rich and diverse heritage.
Re: "Religion is NOT about Love and Justice, it's about obeying to the Scriptures."
You couldn't be more wrong. Christianity is about accepting God's grace in our lives through faith. It was never about obeying Scriptures, but obeying a living God. That is the reason the early Christians could reject the kosher commandments, circumcision, and observing the Sabbath. And we have this same freedom today.
You can try to detach Jesus from the OT all you want, but he was first and foremost Jewish and obeyed the laws of Moses.
Either the Church has the Truth, or other churches have. There no compromising about the truth. And if this truth varies each time you ask a Christian about the so-called Word of god, then it loses its validity and authority on this god.
As for mainline Protestant Churches, I can't speak for them all, but I do know how my Church reached it decision to ordain those in same-sex relationships. It was a process which took decades of prayer and study. Papers were written by leading theologians and scholars, and these were summarized into reports. These reports were read and studied by our various congregations in Sunday School, and then the whole process repeated itself. When it came to vote on this issue, lay representatives and clergy voted as a national body.
Re: "People are frightened of death and and church leaders used this fear to manipulate and control. They kept people ignorant by claiming to be the only channel for the almighty."
Actually, none of what you are saying is actually true in my Church. And I doubt it is true for most mainline Protestant Churches. We don't use fear to manipulate, nor do we try to keep our people ignorant, and we most certainly don't teach that the clergy is one's only channel to the almighty.
Your analysis couldn't be more wrong. Indeed, each detail of your analysis is wrong.
Is this why you embrace your homophobia for you think god is alos homophobic...?
The Bible - both the Old Testament and Paul's words in the New Testament - provides cover for the homophobes. The passages that condemn homosexuality are some of the most harmful in the entire Bible. They are appalling to much of modern society, but the Old Testament also defends slavery and gave cover to the Confederate States in our Civil War.
In this episode we hear from Rich McCullen of Mission Gathering Church in San Diego, Kathy Baldock of Canyon Walker Connection, Jules Kennedy, and Jay Bakker of Revolution NYC.
--ez