Thursday, August 9, 2012

The churches' stance on gay marriage is not homophobic


From The Guardian (London)

Public reactions to the churches' views on gay marriage currently range from weary indifference to head-scratching bewilderment to angry consternation and all the way to incandescent outrage. Andrew Brown's blogpost attacking two recent church interventions on the question tends towards the third of those responses. It is certainly the case that some such interventions needlessly place the churches in the line of fire.

One of the things attracting Brown's ire was a letter to David Cameron from Anglican Mainstream, an association of conservative Anglicans, responding to the PM's remarks at a reception for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups at 10 Downing Street. The letter was within its rights to challenge Cameron's ill-informed misrepresentation of the churches' attitudes towards gay people. But it included the unsustainable claim that people of homosexual orientation "have always been fully welcomed" in the churches. Whatever the official teaching of the churches may have been, their practice has all too frequently fallen lamentably and hurtfully short of the goal of "welcome". Many homosexual Christians – including some I have known, and including many who would call themselves theologically conservative – will readily confirm this, at least if asked by someone who by their practice and tone of voice has earned their trust.

More here-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/aug/09/churches-gay-marriage-homophobic

1 comment:

Leonard said...

Everytime, everytime a LGBT person is denied equality it is a slap in the face against a God that commands US to Love one another...not on ¨Anglican Mainstreams¨ terms for Christian ¨propriety¨ or on ¨Inclusive Churchs¨ wish for equality, something that ought be respected by self-soul seekers throughout the Anglican Communion. LGBT Anglicans/others have for lifetimes respected heterosexuals at Church (often exhibiting great generocity of spirit in the face of pure hate)...it´s time to focus on ones individual ability to struggle, if necessary, to return the Grace.