Towards a Welcoming and Inclusive Church
IWR News
July 20, 2008
- 1) Pastors defy United Methodist officials to conduct gay weddings
- 2) 'I was a gay priest'
- 3) Gays less likely to divorce
- 4) Church of England split on women bishops
- 5) UK: Religious Rights Trump Gay Rights
- 6) Gays in military don't undermine morale, study says
- 7) Lesbian tries to blaze trail against Arizona ballot issue
- 8) Marriages & families in the Bible: Bible passages describing eight family/marriage types
- 9) 'Ten More Good Years' probes LGBT aging issues
- 10) Researchers find many bisexual animal species
- 11) Links to more news from Welcoming Church Programs
1) Pastors defy United Methodist officials to conduct gay weddings
California, Los Angeles Times, July 17, 2008
Some have officiated at such ceremonies, some plan to and 82 retired ministers have offered their services. Bishop warns that violating church guidelines has consequences. Scores of United Methodist Church ministers in California are putting their careers on the line in an open revolt against religious edicts that forbid them to conduct weddings for gay and lesbian couples. The pastors could lose their jobs and clerical credentials in the church, the nation's second-largest Protestant denomination.
2) 'I was a gay priest'
England, BBC News, July 15, 2008
One of the paradoxes of the row over homosexuality in the Anglican church is that there have been, are, and always will be gay priests. Many gay priests. I know. I was one. . . . What Bishop Robinson is declaring is that gay people are not an "abomination". This is the most important thing that he has to say, much more so than what he thinks about his fellow bishops, or the conference, or even Christianity. With luck, it will be heard by gay men and women worldwide.
3) Gays less likely to divorce
Copenhagen, Denmark, Copenhagen Post, July 14, 2008
Waiting to get married appears to be the key to living happily ever after. When homosexual couples agree to stick with each other until death do them part, they are more likely mean it than than heterosexual couples, according to recent statistics from the National Association of Gays and Lesbians. Only 17 percent of same-sex marriages end in divorce, while half of traditional marriages do.
4) Church of England split on women bishops
London, USA Today, July 8, 2008
Disagreement on the role of women has for years been quietly tolerated within the worldwide Anglican Communion, a 77 million-member family of churches that trace their roots to the Church of England. But the long-standing divisions over how Anglicans should interpret the Bible erupted in 2003 when the Episcopal Church consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.
5) UK: Religious Rights Trump Gay Rights
London, 365Gay.com, July 11,
An employment tribunal has ruled that an Islington city clerk in North London was the victim on job discrimination when she was told she could be fired for refusing to perform civil partnerships for gay couples.
6) Gays in military don't undermine morale, study says
Washington, San Francisco Chronicle, July 8, 2008
[Navy Vice Adm. Jack] Shanahan said he was struck by the loss of personal integrity required by individuals to carry out "don't ask, don't tell." "Everyone was living a big lie - the homosexuals were trying to hide their sexual orientation, and the commanders were looking the other way because they didn't want to disrupt operations by trying to enforce the law," he said.
7) Lesbian tries to blaze trail against Arizona ballot issue
Arizona, Detroit News, July 14, 2008
A famous Chinese proverb teaches that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. For Meg Sneed, a 25-year-old Arizona lesbian, journeys to change a thousand hearts begin with a single thought: There's power in sharing personal stories. In 2006, she and other young activists in Soulforce, a gay-rights group devoted to the peaceful confrontation practiced by Gandhi and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., traveled eight weeks by bus to evangelical colleges to share what it's like to be gay.
8) Marriages & families in the Bible: Bible passages describing eight family/marriage types
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Family types mentioned in the Bible:
God is recorded as promoting the concept of marriage in Genesis 2:18: Referring to Adam, "...the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." (King James Version - KJV) "Help meet" also appears in the Jerusalem Bible. It is translated "helper" in many other translations . . . The original Hebrew word, when used to refer to humans, implies a partnership of two equals, rather than a relationship between persons of unequal status. "Co-worker" or "partner" might be a better translation. . . .
We have found eight types of marriages mentioned in the Bible:
1. The standard nuclear family
2. Polygynous marriage
3. Levirate Marriage [brother-in-law]
4. A man, a woman and her property -- a female slave
5. A man, one or more wives, and some concubines
6. A male soldier and a female prisoner of war
7. A male rapist and his victim
8. A male and female slave
9) 'Ten More Good Years' probes LGBT aging issues
Oakland, Calif., San Francisco Chronicle, June 19, 2008
. . . Michael Jacoby's documentary "Ten More Good Years," which plays Sunday as part of the 32nd San Francisco International LGBT Festival. The documentary is about the special challenges elderly LGBT people confront, from getting survivor's benefits to sensitive issues of long-term care.
10) Researchers find many bisexual animal species
Courier Mail, July 14, 2008
NEW research has found more than 1500 species of wild and captive animals engage in homosexual activity, though they rarely shun the opposite sex entirely. In an article at the Scientific American journal, English researchers reveal many species have ingrained homosexual tendencies that are a regular part of their society. That is, there are probably no strictly gay critters, just bisexual ones.
For full article, go to Scientific American article:
click here.
11) Links to more news from Welcoming Church Programs
- Associational - The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists
- Consensus - Affirm United/S'affirmer Ensemble
- Crossbeams - Open and Affirming Ministries of the Gay, Lesbian & Affirming Disciples (GLAD)
- FlashNet - Reconciling Ministeries Network
- LC/NA News and Events - Lutherans Concerned/North America
- More Light News - More Light Presbyterians
- Outspoken - Brethren-Mennonite Council for LGBT Concerns
- Room for All News and Events - Room for All
- WAVES - Open and Affirming Program of the United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns (ONA)
- WCNnewsletter - Welcoming Community Network
Additional News
News Selections offers news from around the world related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual, and ally efforts to make the world more accepting and welcoming to everyone of every sexual orientation and every gender identity. It is gathered by Sara Boesser, author of Silent Lives: How High a Price ~ For Personal Reflections and Group Discussions about Sexual Orientation, published by Hamilton Books, an imprint of University Press of America, Inc. Silent Lives provides a valuable resource for individuals, study groups, civic groups, congregations, spiritual groups, and other groups discussing issues of sexuality. It is helpful for personal journaling and sharing with relatives and friends, and is also very useful as a college text, therapy supplement, or a catalyst for group discussions. www.SilentLives.com
