Box Turtle Bulletin

Southern Baptists: You MUST Be Anti-Gay

Timothy Kincaid

June 29th, 2009

The interim pastor of Broadway Baptist Church has provided additional detail to the reason that the Southern Baptist Convention has ousted them from communion. It wan’t because they were too pro-gay; it was because they weren’t adequately anti-gay.

More conservative voices on the Executive Committee wanted Broadway to do something clearly not required by the SBC Constitution: take formal congregational action to condemn homosexual behavior. This extraordinary measure has not been required of any other SBC church. It would be unprecedented and unauthorized.
…
The breakdown came when those advocating the more rigorous constitutional test won the day. It became clear several weeks ago from the Executive Committee that Broadway would have to implement measures to identify, isolate, and distinguish our gay and lesbian members from the rest of the congregation in order to be found in friendly cooperation. Of course, conscience, congregational autonomy, and common decency prohibit us from doing so.

Now, it appears that the constitutional language as presently stated in Article III is not sufficient. It is not enough for cooperating Southern Baptist churches simply to take no action to affirm homosexual behavior. They must now take formal action explicitly to disapprove such behavior.

Undoubtedly some well intentioned Southern Baptist will soon stop by to tell us that they “love the sinner” and only hate “the sin.” They will tell us that they believe that God loves everyone, that all sinners are equal in God’s sight, that everyone is welcome at an SBC church, that they really and truly are not haters; honestly.

It’s only fair to let them know in advance that as time goes on I find it harder and harder to believe them.

Hagee and Soulforce Meeting Goes Well

Timothy Kincaid

June 29th, 2009

The San Antonio Express-News had a write-up on the visit that Soulforce and Atticus Circle made to The Cornerstone and their meeting with John Hagee.

Hagee addressed them at a reception after the 11 a.m. service and later spoke privately with LGBT leaders.

If any of them expected fireworks from the gatherings, none erupted. Everyone seemed surprised there were no surprises.

The visit, initiated by two Austin-based groups, Soulforce and Atticus Circle, were portrayed as groundbreaking. It was the first in a series of meetings called Sundays of Solidarity, in which the LGBT community will meet with faith communities. Its goals are to have tough conversations, but Sunday’s was to connect with people on a personal level.

Cornerstone members reacted positively.

“We really enjoyed the people we met,” said Buzz Park. “It was a pleasant experience.”

Kelli Busey, who traveled from Dallas, said Hagee’s welcome “couldn’t have been nicer, more heartfelt and productive. He opened the conversation in a very positive way.”

As expected, this visit did not coincide with Rev. Hagee’s miraculous reunderstanding of the scriptures that have been used to alienate, denigrate, and demonize his gay neighbors. But perhaps the next time he finds the hand of God in a natural disaster he may at least have faces to go with the denunciations he is making.

Small steps, but necessary steps.

LaBarbera Award Winner Hagee Meets With Gay Supportive Group

Timothy Kincaid

June 27th, 2009

NOTE: The original title of this commentary was “LaBarbera Award Winner Hagee Meets With Gay Christian Group”. At the request of the Jeff Lutes, we have revised the title to be more accurate. See update below.

John Hagee, pastor of the Austin San Antonio mega-church The Cornerstone, is well known for his nonsensical rants about gay people. For example, he announced that Hurricane Katrina was God’s judgment on New Orleans for a planned gay event (he failed to explain why God chose to spare the French Quarter - but maybe God just has bad aim).

It was nutcase hatery like that which won him our coveted LaBarbera Award for the “most outrageous, offensive, malevolent, crazy or excessive statement or claim.”

Well, proving that the best policy is to never confuse the unlikely with the impossible, gay groups have scheduled a sit-down discussion with Hagee this Sunday. (Statesman)

Members of [Austin-based advocacy groups Soulforce and Atticus Circle], which support equal rights for the LGBT — lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender — community, wrote to the senior pastor of the church, the Rev. John Hagee , in early June to ask for a meeting.

Hagee invited them to services Sunday and agreed to sit down with organizers afterward.

I don’t think Soulforce or Atticus Circle are fooling themselves into believing that they will change Hagee’s theology. And Hagee seems mostly to be patting himself on the back for even meeting with them.

In an e-mail statement this month about his decision to meet with Austin advocates, Hagee said, “We gather in the spirit of Christ that commands us to ‘love our neighbors as ourselves.’ ”

But if this helps rachet down some of the hateful rhetoric then my hat is off to these groups.

Update: Jeff Lutes, the Executive Director of SoulForce, has provided clarification about my miscategorizing them as a gay Christian group:

One very important point of correction is that neither Soulforce or Atticus Circle identify as “Gay Christian” groups. Soulforce members include a diverse array of folks who simply believe in nonviolent direct action as a method to achieve social justice; Atticus Circle focuses on recruiting straight allies to join in the fight for equality. Because we challenge religion-based discrimination, we are frequently mistaken as religious organizations - which automatically excludes many LGBTQA people who don’t identify as people of faith. We want all those who seek justice to get involved in our efforts, so anything you can do to help us undo the “Gay Christian” misnomer would be greatly appreciated.

Christian Groups Defend Abusive Ex-Gay “Exorcism”

Jim Burroway

June 26th, 2009

This video documents severe abuse, pure and simple:

It shows church members standing the youth on his feet by holding him under his arms, and people shouting as organ music plays. “Come out of his belly,” someone commands. “It’s in the belly — push.” Later, the teenager is back on the floor, breathing heavily. Then he’s coughing and apparently vomiting into a bag. “Get another bag,” a participant says. “Make sure you have your gloves.”

Manifested Glory Ministries in Bridgeport, Connecticut, posted a twenty-minute video on YouTube, but took it down amid mounting criticism of its abuse of the sixteen-year-old boy. (Other copies of that video are now available on YouTube.) This sort of abuse is not that uncommon:

It’s nearly impossible to say how often similar exercises occur in churches nationwide. But Kamora Herrington, who runs a mentoring program at True Colors and has worked with the youth, said she believes it’s fairly common. “This happens all the time,” she said. “This is not isolated.”

Robin McHaelin, executive director of True Colors, an advocacy group for gay youths, said her organization is aware of five cases in recent years in which youths in her program were threatened with exorcism.

At least one Christian dominionist group, Gary Cass’ Christian Anti-Defamation Commission pulls the religious exemption card — along with the race card — on this abuse, saying  that no church should be “maligned” for abusing teens. Exodus International gave its classic non-condemning response:

Exodus International, a Christian group that believes gays can become straight through prayer and counseling, does not advocate the church’s approach, said Jeff Buchanan, director of church equipping.

There are a lot of things I don’t “advocate” either, but that’s a very far cry from condemning that which is clearly in the wrong. This really shouldn’t be difficult, but then I thought that about Exodus’ refusal to address their board member’s active association with a known Holocaust revisionist and hate-group leader Scott Lively. There was a time, believe it or not, when Exodus was able to provide a measure of responsibility on those areas which were obviously dangerous and abusive, but those times appear to be long gone.

Update: According to Rod 2.0: “A minister and trusted source of Rod 2.0 reports the 16-year-old boy no longer attends the church and has found an LGBT ‘inclusive and affirming’ church.”

When Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Jim Burroway

June 25th, 2009

The Southern Baptist Convention has ousted Broadway Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas over the church’s acceptance of gays. Even though that church had sent their own gay-tolerant pastor packing over a controversy surrounding photos of same-sex couples in the church directory, it appears that what remained still wasn’t anti-gay enough to appease the powers that be.

Meanwhile, another Southern Baptist preacher, Rev. Wiley Drake of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, California, has been practicing “imprecatory prayer” for President Barack Obama’s death. Drake and his church remain in good standing.

Newsweek reports that for the fourth year in a row, Southern Baptist Churches baptized fewer people than they did in each prior year. This is taken as a key indicator of church growth — or decline, as the case may be. Two years ago, then-SBC president Frank Page blamed the decline on the perception that Baptists are “mean-spirited, hurtful and angry people.” This year’s theme for the Southern Baptist Convention is “Love Loud: Actions Speak Louder Than Words.” I have no further comment beyond that.

The Synchroblog - A Conversation toward Building Bridges

This commentary is the opinion of the author and may not necessarily reflect that of other authors at Box Turtle Bulletin.

Timothy Kincaid

June 24th, 2009

Wendy Gritter of New Directions is seeking to increase communication and decrease hostility between the Christian community and the gay community. While I do not see these as necessarily exclusive communities, it is unquestionable that conservative Christians and gay people are to some extent at war with each other.

Towards the goal of healing, Wendy came up with the concept of a synchroblog, a time in which everyone would focus on their perspectives about such communication. She chose today, the Wednesday of Pride Week, for this effort. So today, a couple dozen bloggers with various Christian or gay perspectives will be participating in this joint conversation and Wendy invited me to join them.

My perspective:

I was born into a very religious, very conservative Christian family. Where other familes argued sports or politics, my family debated points of faith. And as a consequence, I am not unfamiliar with the mindset of conservative Christians, both the positives and the pitfalls. And consider myself a Christian, though many of the positions I was taught have yielded to different perspectives.

In college, I became involved in Republican partisan politics. Some of the individuals I met at that time have later become players in the battle over equality, on both sides of the issue. I know the dialect spoken by those on the right.

Based on my history, unlike some in the gay community, I do not necessarily look at conservatives and/or Christians and automatically assume that they have nefarious intentions or are motivated by hatred and superstition. Nor do I assume that because we disagree that therefore they are deluded and stubborn and blinded by strict adherence to an archaic text.

My participation:

I was first invited to join the blogosphere as a participant at Ex-Gay Watch. And for a while this was a good match. My interest in politics and religion and how both interacted with the gay community fit with the goals of that site.

But a restructuring at XGW brought their focus a little narrower and deeper. So at the invitation of Jim Burroway I began to blog here at Box Turtle Bulletin. However, as most readers know, I still have a strong interest in the current struggle within Christendom to resolve issues surrounding homosexuality and the place, if any, of gay people within the body of believers.

My perception:

In this process I’ve come to believe that much of the battle between conservative Christianity and the gay community is due to ignorance. We don’t know each other, we don’t trust each other, and we assume the worst about each other.

Recently I traded stinging denunciations with a writer at an organization included in the SPLA’s list of hate groups. I accused the writer of callousness and deceit and she returned the favor. But, oddly enough, this opened a dialogue between us, one which led to a later retraction of a particularly odious claim at the website of that organization.

I should not have been surprised. It was hardly the first time that I found that if I tried a personal approach, many anti-gay activists are receptive to at least listening to what you have to say.

I think that most of those who generate or disseminate anti-gay beliefs and accusations do so out of ignorance. Most do not wish to be telling deliberate lies and genuinely care whether their words are truthful.

And most conservative Christians do not hate gay people, or at least do not think that they do. The culture of Christianity is strongly influenced by Christ’s commandments to love; and most Christians believe that they do love, even if such love is sometimes experienced in ways that others find horrifying or hateful.

One of the biggest pitfall of conservative Christianity is an arrogant and patronizing superiority. Being a religion based on faith - and at times rock-solid certainty - conservative Christians are inclined to believe that they know God’s Will for their life. And far too often, that extends to knowing God’s Will for your life as well - a Will that can be forced upon you for your own good if you aren’t humble enough to submit to it on your own.

One of the biggest problem for the gay community is victimhood. Being a persecuted people, too often we see any disagreement as an attack on our dignity and our personhood. And if others are not inclined to treat us decently, we are quick to use whatever measure is available to force them to do so.

My proposals:

As we go forward,

• We need to know each other. We need to open communication wherever possible and ask about intentions and beliefs and attitudes before we assume the worst about each other.
• We need to believe each other. Should the gay community tell Christians that we aren’t trying to shut down their churches, they need to consider that our motivations may not be directed towards them at all. If Christians tell us that they don’t hate us, we should consider that hate may not be driving their actions, positions, or beliefs.
• We need to tolerate each other. It is not acceptable for either of us to demand that the other must change. Christians cannot insist that gays cease to be gay or that public policy punish those who do not. Likewise, gays cannot insist that conservative Christians change their theology and embrace a change in sexual ethic or that they be otherwise punished by tax law.
• We need to call off the culture war. We are not enemies. We are not mutually exclusive communities. Most gay people consider themselves Christian and most Christians know and love a gay person. This culture war benefits only those who profit from the continued conflict. Let’s stop acting in the best interest of culture war barons and in the interests of our people.
• We need to denounce the haters and the liars. It reflects poorly on each of us when the reactionary and the extreme get to speak for us.

  Christians need to stand up and say that the Traditional Values Coalition and Peter LaBarbera and Scott Lively are instruments of hatred and have no voice in Christianity. While I wish to credit Dr. Throckmorton for having the integrity to speak against Lively and some others, far too often Christians are forgiving of the excesses of their own. It is time for Christian denominations to publicly disassociate themselves from hatemongers and to commit to expressions of love - real love, not the kind that is loaded with contempt, self-righteousness, and demonization.

  And when deceivers like Maggie Gallagher run campaigns of lies, it is the moral obligation of people of faith to denounce those lies and those who are making them. This has not happened in any significant way. Too often Christians have chosen to put the intent of an anti-gay political campaign ahead of an obligation to honesty and objective truth. If Christians really want to build a bridge to the gay community, they need to not only avoid lies themselves but refute the lies of others within their camp.

  And while I believe that the gay community has done a better job of rejecting the liars and haters, we too have a ways to go. While mean spirited bloggers such as Perez Hilton do receive public condemnation from parts of the community, they still have far too many who are willing to listen to their self-centered viciousness.

  And one of the things that our community needs to do - one of the hardest, actually - is to stop mocking Christians. It doesn’t matter if the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have contributed to charities or if we understand how and why they came to be; they are offensive to Christians in the same way that prancing lisping mockery is offensive to us. And while there is a place for those within a faith to protest the teachings of their mother church, it is wrong for gays outside of a faith to desecrate a church or interrupt a service. These are things which needlessly hurt and offend others and which make it difficult for them to accept us as anything other than a threat.

• We need to commit to civility. Even if we cannot agree on theology, perspective, principle, or policy, we can agree to debate and discuss with civility. This has been, I believe, a real challenge for most of us. But it is a challenge to which we can rise.

Let’s hope that this attempt at communication, this synchroblog, will shed light and open doors and lead to a reconciliation between communities. And I thank Wendy for the hard work in bringing it about.

Please go to the New Directions site to link to others who are participating in this event.

Rick Warren Buddies Up to Anti-Gay Ex-Episcopalians

Timothy Kincaid

June 23rd, 2009

In the past couple of years Episcopalians that were furious with their church for ordaining a gay Bishop broke away. Calling themselves Anglicans, they attached themselves to some of the biggest homophobes in Christianity in Africa and South America. All along, they’ve received encouragement from author and “America’s Pastor”, Rick Warren.

This week the break-aways held their first national assembly and Rick Warren jumped at the chance to speak. Warren told the group - who’s sole commonality is opposition to full inclusion of gay people in the church:

“We are to love the people of the world no matter what they believe; we are to not love the value system of the world. And the problem today is lot of Christians are getting that reversed. They love the value system and hate the people”

Those of us familiar with anti-gay activism recognize this type of “love” to be an empty code word for exclusion, condemnation, and political oppression. And by “hating the people”, conservatives mean that those who see God’s welcome to include gay men and women are “hating” them by “allowing them to live in sin.”

Warren’s continued affiliation with anti-gay Anglicans only confirms the fear and betrayal that the community felt when he was selected to speak at President Obama’s inauguration.

Poland’s Gay Rabbi

Timothy Kincaid

June 23rd, 2009

Fox News has an interesting article about Rabbi Aaron Katz of the Reform Synagogue in Warsaw’s former Jewish quarter.

Katz is certainly an anomaly in conservative Poland, where to be either Jewish or gay is challenge enough — at least outside the cities. Of a population of 38 million, about 5,000 are registered as Jews, while thousands more have part-Jewish ancestry, and some have returned to their roots since Poland shed its communist dictatorship.

Prior to WWII, about one in ten Poles were Jewish.

Moderate Mormons Launch Apology Site

Jim Burroway

June 23rd, 2009

Via The Advocate and JoeMyGod: A group of moderate members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has launched a new web site, LDSapology.org, with a plea for reconciliation. The web site asks the LDS church to apologize for their anti-gay activities and to soften their attitude towards gay people. The web site maintains an online petition, which the group plans to present to LDS headquarters on the one-year anniversary of Proposition 8 being passed in California. The web site also maintains a series of articles chronicling church history and personal stories of the church’s impact on gay people.

Welcome to My Fraudulent Religion, Please Pay Tithes

Timothy Kincaid

June 4th, 2009

In a moment of bitter spitefulness, Peter LaBarbera sent an email to Jeremy Hooper, our friend who humorously tracks (and mocks) the nuttiness that is the hallmark of anti-gay activism at his site GoodAsYou.org:

After offering his ill-wishes for Jeremy’s upcoming wedding (yes, really), LaBarbera takes a swipe at gay Christians:

Homosexual behavior is always wrong, which is why the phrase “gay Christian” is so odd. Attaching it to the noble institution of marriage only compounds the sin. Just remember that it’s never to late to repent of this behavior, to humble yourself and embrace Jesus Christ through faith – and move on with your life in a way that is pleasing to God. Tim Kincaid’s pro-“gay” version of (c)hristianity is a fraud – don’t believe it. God bless.

Wait, what?

I have my own fraudulent pro-”gay” version of (c)hristianity? Where’s my mega-church? When do I get to buy three mansions and a lear jet?

But no. Alas. I’ve not started my own religion - with or without odd spelling and scare quotes. I just report my observations on the scholarly work of others, the conflict between Christ’s commandments to love and anti-gay theology’s political campaigns to make the lives of gay people more difficult, and the ever growing movement towards full inclusion of gay men and women into the life of the mainstream Christian church.

However, if you feel the need to send tithes to me, I won’t argue with you.

Claiming the Antichrist Will be Gay can Make You Look Like an Idiot

Timothy Kincaid

May 30th, 2009

Tim LaHaye’s popular Left Behind novels are a series of fictional tales about the lives of those in the battle of good v. evil after The Rapture takes place and Jesus calls all the saved Christians to Heaven. His archvillian, Nicolae Carpathia, is the Antichrist, the world leader who declares himself God and fights against the forces of Jesus Christ.

As an anti-gay activist and author of the homophobic screed What Everyone Should Know About Homosexuality, it’s little surprise that LaHaye makes his Antichrist the son of pernicious Satan-worshiping homosexuals.

But now a Baptist pastor in Alaska has gone LaHaye one better. Believing that “there is no greater sin against God”, he naturally jumped to the conclusion that the Anti-Christ himself will be gay.

But will the Antichrist be a homosexual? Having seen what the Bible says of sodomy, we have no further to look than the book of Daniel, chapter 11 to find our answer. It says, “Neither shall he [Antichrist] regard… the desire of women….” As I said at the onset, I am not the first to draw attention to this, but the verbiage is clear.

Ron Hamman, pastor of the Independent Baptist Church of Wasilla, has written a Religion View in his local paper, the Frontiersman. Poor Hamman, if he weren’t from Sarah Palin’s home town, no one would pay him much attention. But having set himself up for mockery, it’s only fair that I point out that Pastor Hamman is nearly biblically illiterate as well at intellectually challenged.

Many readers will just laugh or wonder why we are wasting time on this story. But I’ll give Pastor Hamman the courtesy of responding to his great announcement on his own terms. And it is on those terms that Hamman’s argument fails. Miserably.

Perhaps unknown to Hamman, “the verbiage” he’s quoting wasn’t written in English. And though it truly is clear, it doesn’t support his rather irrational assumptions.

Hamman, like many a conservative preacher, only trusts the King James Version of the Bible. So his source for the quote above is Daniel 11:37.

Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

We’ll assume for a minute that Hamman is correct in believing that this prophesy of Daniel refers to the apocryphal character known as the Antichrist. We’ll even set aside the irony that Daniel was a eunuch and suppose that “not regarding the desire of women” could mean homosexuality.

But Hamman forgot about context. And original meaning. And the fact that this verse was written in Hebrew. Had he just taken a second to go online and check another translation, he would have realized that this had nothing to do with sexuality at all. Rather, all of what “the king” was magnifying himself above were gods. Here’s the same verse, in the context of the surrounding verses, from the New International Version.

36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.

Alas, poor Hamman. Had he gone to Divinity School, or picked up any study reference, or discussed it with any literate Christian, he would have known that he was basing his entire claim on a misreading of a single verse taken out of context.

Now he just looks like an idiot.

Church of Scotland Approves Gay Minister

Timothy Kincaid

May 24th, 2009

The Church of Scotland, the mother of the Presbyterian churches, has taken a very significant step.

The church’s ruling body voted 326 to 267 Saturday to support the appointment of the Rev. Scott Rennie, 37, who was previously married to a woman and is now in a relationship with a man.

Rennie was first appointed as a minister 10 years ago, but has faced opposition since he moved to a church in Aberdeen, Scotland, last year. He has been unable to take up his post while the Church of Scotland considered appeals from his critics.

Before the vote, the Church had voted down efforts to discuss or debate the greater issue of the place of gay men and women in the Church. Conservatives had hoped that such a debate would result in positions that would make it difficult to seat Rennie.

The decision is a positive indication that the Church is at least willing to allow those congregations that wish to be led by a gay person the right to that position.

UPDATE:

Although the Church voted not to debate sexuality this year, they have put a hold on any other ordination and sent the matter to committee. (
BBC)

At its General Assembly in Edinburgh, it was decided that a special commission should be set up to consider the matter and report in 2011.

There will be a two-year ban on the future ordination of gay ministers.

What Mainline Clergy Believe

Timothy Kincaid

May 22nd, 2009

“Mainline Christianity” has deep roots and wide branches. With about 18% of Americans (and 24% of all voters), the denominations that makeup this more-liberal end of the Protestant Christian world trace to the founding of our nation. When Americans think of church - the steeple, the stained glass windows, the minister in a clerical collar - these are probably the Christians that come to mind.

However, in today’s sound-bite driven media and take-no-prisoners politics, moderate Christians with nuanced positions and non-combatant values don’t make for good television. Instead the fire-breathing “Bible believing” family values culture warrior gets to speak for all of Christianity. So to non-believers, the impression is that Christianity is at war with the rest of the world, and gays are enemy number one.

But a recent survey of Mainline ministers finds quite another Christian response to gay and lesbian Americans. On most issues, these denominations are quite supportive.

The six denominations included, in order of support are:

• United Church of Christ
• Episcopal Church
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
• Evanglical Lutheran Church in America
• Presbyterian Church (USA)
• United Methodist Church
• American Baptist Churches (USA)

(for those unfamiliar, American Baptist Churches is a smaller Baptist organization that is not affiliated with the very conservative Southern Baptist Convention)

Mainline Protestant Clergy Views on Theology and Gay and Lesbian Issues: Findings from the 2008 Clergy Voices Survey was released this month. And it provides us with better understanding of the beliefs of clergy in Mainline Denominations.

In general, these ministers are supportive of gay civil rights. Additionally, they are fairly supporting of the inclusion of gay persons into the body of the church - though that differs by denomination.

Some of the more interesting public policy issue findings are:

• 79% agree with the statement “Homosexuals should have all the same rights and priveleges as other American citizens”
• 67% support passing gay-inclusive hate crime laws
• 66% support employment non-discrimination laws
• 55% support adoption by gay persons

The one area where there is not majority support is for marriage equality. Only 33% support gay marriage with another 32% supporting civil unions. However, as I discuss in another commentary, support for marriage goes up to 46% when religious assurances are given.

There is also a large variance between denominations on this issue.

• 67% - United Church of Christ
• 49% - Episcopal
• 42% - Disciples of Christ
• 38% - Presbyterian
• 37% - Lutheran
• 25% - Methodist
• 20% - American Baptist

After clergy were reassured that churches and ministers would not be forced to conduct such marriages, support for civil marriage laws were over 50% for all denominations other than United Methodist and American Baptist.

The report goes on to break Mainline Christianity into three camps in relation to gay and lesbian issues; 29% are a supportive base, 30% are an opposing base, and 41% are in an uncertain middle. They find that on most issues the middle tends to side with the supporting base.

They also found that 45% of mainline clergy report that they are more supportive than 10 years ago. Only 14% are more conservative. The following is how those who became more supportive explain the change.

Among clergy who reported becoming more liberal on gay and lesbian issues, the top factors they cited as being very or extremely important to this change were discernment through prayer and reflection (66%), having a friend, congregant or colleague who is gay or lesbian (58%), and additional Bible study (55%).

We have long known that coming out is a valuable way to influence public opinion. Those who have real life examples from which to draw - rather than lies and stereotypes from anti-gay activists - are more likely to find that gay men and women are a valuable part of the social fabric.

But those within the Christian fold will also find it interesting that prayer, reflection, and Bible study can yield greater support for gay persons. Religion, when applied by devout and sincere people seeking to find meaning from sacred Scriptures for real life situations, need not be the enemy of freedom and equality.

As for the inclusion of gays and lesbians into religious life, the study found

• 94% - welcome gay persons in their church
• 63% - believe that the gospel requires their full inclusion in the church
• 51% - believe the church should not work towards making homosexuality unacceptable
• 45% - support ordination of gay and lesbian ministers without special requirements
• 13% - lead congregations that have formally become “open and affirming congregations”

These denominations have the potential to become strong allies in our question for civil equalities. Already many ministers from these denominations are active in showing legislators and voting citizens People of Faith who do not agree with the political agenda of “Christian” and “Family” groups that seek the exclusion of gay persons from civil equalities.

As time goes on, it is increasingly likely that Mainline Christianity is going to move in the direction of fuller acceptance, inclusion, and support. We should, as a community, be appreciative of their help and proactive in efforts to build bridges to these churches.

Why Religious Reassurances Matter

Timothy Kincaid

May 21st, 2009

The US Constitution’s Freedom of Religion Clause protects churches from having to conduct sacraments that are contrary to their beliefs. So no minister need fear that he or his church will be forced against his will to conduct a marriage ceremony between a same-sex couple.

But the peculiar practice in this country of having ministers vested with power by the State to make civil pronouncements of marriage have led to confusion. Most people, ministers included, know that Catholics don’t have to officiate at the marriage of non-Catholics, or Rabbis for non-Jews, but the battles over gay rights in recent years have caused a great many people to fear that denying gay couples religious recognition might fall under the category of illegal discrimination.

The 2008 Clergy Voices Survey (pdf) provides illustration of the importance of reassuring the population that religious freedoms will be protected.

The Clergy Voices Survey measures the views of “Mainline” Christian denominations, those six Christian churches that embrace a more liberal theology and whose parishoners make up about 18% of the population.

When asked about civil recognition for same-sex couples, Mainline clergy replied as follows:

• 33% said gay couples should be allowed to marry
• 32% said gay couples should be allowed civil unions
• 35% said gay couples should not have state recognition

But then the survey noted something interesting

Among clergy who initially did not support allowing gay couples to marry, support increased significantly when they were provided with an assurance that no church or congregation would be required to perform same‐sex marriage services. With this religious liberty assurance, support among clergy jumped from one‐third support to nearly half (46%), a movement of 13 points. Nearly all of this movement occurred among clergy who initially supported civil unions.

One would assume that clergy are aware that their religious rights are protected, moreso than anyone. But 13% of Mainline clergy who would otherwise support marriage equality needed assurance that this would not impose on churches or ministers.

If all it takes to get a 13% shift in the position of Mainline ministers - who wield great community influence due to their position - is reassurance of a respect for the rights they already have protected by the Constitution, then by all means let’s reassure them.

Former Milwaukee Archbishop Admits He’s Gay

Jim Burroway

May 12th, 2009

When public figures come out of the closet, the event is usually greeted with joy and applause in the gay community. But when that event is tainted with scandal, the reaction is considerably muted. When New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey announced that he was “a gay American” and was resigning just as a scandal was about to bust open, it was, shall we say, a mixed bag.

And so when the next coming out involves a Catholic Archbishop who was accused of sexual assaulting a seminarian and hiding pedophile priests, I’m reminded that there are those who I really don’t want as a member of my club.

In a soon-to-be released memoir, A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop, former Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland acknowledges he is gay. He also discusses his struggles with his homosexuality and the teachings of the Catholic church. According to Publisher’s Weekly:

When Weakland resigned as Milwaukee archbishop in 2002 after revelations of a past homosexual relationship and a confidential payout, it was seen as another stunning episode in the unfolding clergy abuse scandal. It was especially painful to liberal Catholics who viewed Weakland as their champion. Weakland was publicly penitent, but other events that year—chief among them the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law in Boston—made Weakland’s drama a footnote. With this frank and well-told memoir, that’s no longer the case. A Benedictine monk, Weakland is up front about his homosexuality in a church that preferred to ignore gays, and about his failures in overseeing pedophile priests. But this is really the poignant journey of a soul, not a mea culpa about sex, with chapters on his hardscrabble boyhood and fascinating, and sometimes sobering, insights into the life of a bishop and the tensions between the American Catholic Church and the Vatican. At points the narrative has more than enough detail on the life of a globe-trotting abbot. But overall this is an invaluable historical record and a moving personal confession. (June)

Weakland stepped down soon after Paul Marcoux, a former Marquette University theology student, revealed in May 2002 that he was paid $450,000 in archdiocese money to settle a sexual assault claim he made against the Weakland. The incident allegedly occurred more than two decades earlier. Weakland denied the assault, but apologized for concealing the payment.

Weakland was a favorite among liberal Catholics because of his strong stance on social justice issues and liturgical reform. In a recent statement, Weakland said Christians needed to speak more openly about gays in the priesthood without the “hysteria” that often characterizes the debate.

God and Satan Battled Over Carrie

Timothy Kincaid

May 11th, 2009

Carrie Prejean’s pastor thought she was like Esther, who risked her life to save the Jewish people. Now Carrie thinks that she’s the center of attention for both God and Satan.

“I felt as though Satan was trying to tempt me in asking me this question. And then God was in my head and in my heart saying, ‘Do not compromise this. You need to stand up for me and you need to share with all these people … you need to witness to them and you need to show that you’re not willing to compromise that for this title of Miss USA.’ And I knew right here that it wasn’t about winning. It was about being true to my convictions.”

Oh good heavens.

Episcopalians Win Tentative Ruling about Fresno

Timothy Kincaid

May 7th, 2009

In December 2007, John-David Schofield, the Espiscopal Bishop officiating out of Fresno, declared that his precint was seceding from the Episcopal Church and putting itself under the authority of a South American Anglican Archbishop. The Episcopal Church replaced Schofield with Bishop Jerry Lamb in March of 2008 and the two parties have been in conflict ever since over who owns the extensive properties of the San Juaquin Diocese.

The court has now tentatively sided with the Episcopal Church.

Bishop Jerry Lamb said he is very pleased with a nine page tentative ruling. Lamb said a judge recognized him as the legal authority which means if the ruling becomes final Lamb controls all Central Valley Episcopal Churches including Saint James Cathedral. Lamb said, “A lot of people have been hurt on all sides of this question. It’s not a time of celebration. It’s a time of being pleased that we can go forward.”

This follows a similar ruling in January that returned St James Parish in Newport Beach back to the national body.

Chi Alpha’s Side of the Story

This commentary is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other authors at Box Turtle Bulletin

Timothy Kincaid

May 4th, 2009

Matt Herman, the leader of Chi Alpha, has provided more detail about the change in relationship between the organization and Chris Donohoe. I think it adds some useful perspective.

From Explaining a Complex Relationship

Over the last five semesters Chris and I met on almost a weekly basis to talk about life, spirituality, academics, sexuality and Chi Alpha. There is nothing we have avoided in our conversations. Recently, we agreed that our conversations have been some of the most in-depth and meaningful since we both arrived at Cornell. In addition to meeting over lunch, I have been to Chris’ diving meets, traveled in and out of the United States on service projects with him and for a very brief period of time Chris lived with Tracy and me as he was waiting for a summer internship to begin. My point in sharing this with you is that you come to understand one thing about our relationship with Chris: we are friends. I realize that this is hard for some to believe, but even through our conversations this month Chris reaffirmed to me, “I love you both dearly, and it was incredibly hard for me to drag all of this out into the open knowing that it would cause you pain.” His intention: “is not to punish Chi Alpha, but to work through a very complex issue alongside the group.”

In regards to Chris’ position of leadership in Chi Alpha, the process and decision was slow and deeply discussed. Before last summer, Chris sat down with Tracy, another student leader and myself to discuss some interpersonal issues, his changing view toward the Bible concerning homosexuality and his newly developing relationship with another male on campus. It was during this meeting when we communicated Chi Alpha’s nationally held belief that homosexual behavior is a sin and, as with any sin, those who insist and promote sinful behavior should not hold leadership positions. This point is key, so I will reiterate it. The issue is not that Chris feels same-sex attraction. The issue is that he now celebrates what the Bible calls sin. This is inappropriate for a Christian leader.

When the summer ended I had a long conversation with Chris in which he affirmed his decision to live an openly gay life and stated that he now completely disagrees with Chi Alpha’s theological understanding of the issue. It was at this point that Chris was asked to step out of his leadership position in accordance with our previous conversation. As we talked over the phone, we agreed that we did not want our friendship to change and clarified that he was not being asked to leave Chi Alpha.

Over the next few days Tracy and I contacted those leaders within Chi Alpha who had previous knowledge of Chris’ homosexuality and they affirmed the decision to have him removed from leadership, thus solidifying the decision by those leaders with prior involvement. Upon Chris’ request, we did not bring this to the Chi Alpha community at large and kept true to our commitment to keep the decision private until he began sharing the information with others.

I continue to assure religious organizations that gay people, gay couples, gay marriages, and gay lives are no threat to their religious freedom. I invite all of you to join me in making that true.

Religion vs Sexuality: the right way to frame Donahoe’s dismissal?

Gabriel Arana

May 4th, 2009

Vis-à-vis the discussion on here about the student at Cornell who was dismissed from a leadership position at Chia Alpha Christian fellowship for being openly gay. The student government, which had temporarily suspended funding for the organization, reinstated it. Now one of our readers, who is also a student at Cornell, has written a short piece about this, which I think brings up an interesting point: Is it right to view this as a religion-sexuality conflict? I’d be interested to hear what our readers think.

I was greatly disappointed to read that the Student Assembly has decided to reinstate funding to Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship following the discriminatory acts committed against one of its own members. The rationale for this decision is alluded to in the text of the Student Assembly Financial Committee’s decision:

[I]n a case where religious pursuits conflict with sexual orientation, it is not clear which of the two categories should take priority.

The identification of the problem as being one between “religion” and “sexuality” was inappropriate and resulted in the SAFC’s inability to act on behalf of its constituency. Had the SAFC seen the problem as one between a “student” who had been discriminated against by a “student group,” perhaps they would been better able to evaluate the case for potential recourse against Chi Alpha. Their task in this case should have been to evaluate a discriminatory act by a student group and take appropriate action, not to attempt to reconcile years of umbrage between religion and sexuality.

Had the SAFC not burdened themselves with the weight of attempting to cure major social issues (perhaps swine flu on next week’s agenda?), they would have seen that revoking Chi Alpha’s funds was the most appropriate course of action.

The Executive Committee is reported as having recognized that, “it was unclear whether Chi Alpha violated the goals of the Cornell University [Commitment to] Diversity.” Having glanced at the University’s Commitment to Diversity, I see no ambiguity. Three of the four goals laid out in that document have clearly been violated by the Chi Alpha organization. Namely, “to ensure that the composition of …leadership reflects the composition of the broader society,” “to ensure that our community embraces and supports individuals from all… sexual orientation… groups in their chosen pursuits,” and “to ensure that individuals from all backgrounds achieve to their full potential.”

There is no question these tenets were violated by removing Chris Donohoe ’09 from his leadership position based solely on his sexual orientation. This further suggests that the SAFC has misidentified the issue at hand, and, in turn, their subsequent role in resolving the problem. It is clear from the University’s diversity statement that acts of discrimination and intolerance are not welcome on campus and offer the SAFC a solid basis for revoking Chi Sigma’s funding. Instead, we are currently faced with the reprehensible situation in which Chris continues to pay a student activity fee that funds an organization to which he is not allowed to contribute as a full and equal member. In an act of cowardice, the Student Assembly has failed to take action. The SAFC should revoke funding for Chi Alpha and send a clear message that our student activity fees will not be used to fund organizations that discriminate against members of the Cornell community whom they purport to serve.

— Patrick Ayscue

The New Look of Conservative Christian Values

Timothy Kincaid

May 1st, 2009

Many in the world of anti-gay conservative Christianity have praised Miss California, Carrie Prejean, as having courage, belief, convictions and Christian values.

Maggie Gallagher: Her example resonates, especially to many young Americans, because she chose to stand for truth rather than surrender her core values.

Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins: Prejean’s Christian beliefs were no secret to the organization; she quotes a biblical passage in her official bio on the Miss California USA website, citing Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” as a daily source of inspiration.

American Family Association’s Tim Wildmon: What I was most impressed with was Miss California’s courage, as she knew her answer could very well cost her the opportunity to fulfill her dream to be Miss USA. But she went ahead and expressed her convictions.

Carrie Prejean: We have to be strong and true to our faith and our beliefs.

Carrie has become the poster girl for Christianity - or at least the anti-gay variety. And this pictorial from the center fold of B!isss Magazine must be the new look of Conservative Christian values:

I hope that some Christians will recognize the irrationality of rushing to embrace anyone, no matter who, so long as they espouse an anti-gay agenda. It’s time that conservative Christians do some soul searching and distinguish between a principled position based on their theological understanding of scripture and a knee-jerk homophobic endorsement of anything anti-gay.