Ms. Little writes " Surely the bishop knows that the tension within church communities is so great that to rise up against Peter Akinola could pull down the churches in a battle for the soul of the church, and that is the reason for the silence. We are not "cowed," but cautious in the face of an evil almost beyond comprehension."
Her letter ends with this statement. "The heavy task is to find a way out and to continue in a mission that befits the church and its followers, being not cowed, but cautious."
Ms. Little, you forgot to include the gay community in this pronouncement. What about us lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered people -- what response befits us in the face of this great evil? Here in America, WE are the ones being stripped of our civil rights, our families, our access to health care and equal opportunity. WE are the ones being beaten up by off duty soldiers. WE are the ones being denied lifesaving CPR. Our LGBT brothers and sisters are facing criminalization of their very identity in Nigeria.
How much outrage will it take Ms. Little for you to agree that the "the reason for the silence" is no longer acceptable?
Last night, KDKA talk show host John McIntire interviewed a local presbyterian minister under investigation for joining two women in marriage. Reverend Janet Edwards is facing disciplinary action for officiating at the June 2005 wedding of two lesbians. A wedding your lesbian correspondent attended.
John and Janet discussed the issue for nearly 45 minutes and took an array of telephone calls. Some were typically homophobic, even hostile. Janet responded with aplomb and compassionate rationality.
But toward the end of the segment, a male caller asked why churches are regressive rather than progressive. Janet gave a wonderful answer about history, values and classical tradition. The caller listened attentively and then quietly told her that this was the first time he has ever heard a member of the clergy affirm homosexuality on the radio. He thanked her and hung up.
Now both John and Lynn Cullen speak often and loudly in support of the gay community and gay issues. And while we appreciate their love and their words, its even more powerful that they create a forum mfor the world to hear OUR voices. As the caller implied, hearing it from a member of clergy MATTERED to him.
So thank you to John and Lynn for creating that connection. You both rock!
Tune into the John McIntire show tonight on KDKA when John interviews local Presbyterian minister Janet Edwards. They'll be discussing the Presbyterian Church response to Edwards' performing a wedding for two women this past summer.
"Marriage is a sacred union of two people who are committed to each other, without regard to gender," Janet Edwards said. "I do not feel I have done anything wrong. On the contrary, I felt I was holding up the vows of my ordination."
This is an excellent article about a local Presbyterian minister facing scrutiny for performing a wedding for two women.
I was honored to be a guest at this wedding. Perhaps it is the latent Catholic in me, but the wedding was sacramental and reverential and real. It was important to me in at least a million ways. Again, I am not particularly artful today. I hope you'll read the article in the Trib and tune in to John McIntire's upcoming interview with Janet Edwards on KDKA.
From Wednesday's Post-Gazette, this response from the Rev. Luke Mbefo, C.S.Sp., associate professor in the Theology Department at Duquesne University to Sunday's Forum "A Gospel of Intolerance"
I'm having a rather unpleasant day so I'll refrain from too much editorializing. Reverend Mbefo seems to believe that Africans' worldview of the ordering of society (divinely ordered) prohibits them from accepting homosexuality. He's much more artful in his article.
While I respect and honor Reverend Mbefo's intent to portray Africans as active defenders of classical values rather than passive "consumer" of foreign ideals, I cannot help but wonder how African women feel about these same classic family values.
Its the same family value crap over and over again. God's will, the order of society, etc, etc, etc.
None of it justifies the Anglican Archbishop openly supporting attempts to criminalize homosexuals. His moral obligation is to treat all of us with love and human dignity. This legislation is so far from any pretense of love or dignity that he appears to be doing Catholic Vatican retro "I am holy man" paraodies rather than leading his church.
In Sunday's Post-Gazette, I found this piece from John Bryson Chane who is Episcopal bishop of Washington.
The Bishop questions the pastoral concern of the conservative wing of the Anglican church for the gay and lesbian community.
Archbishop Peter J. Akinola, primate of the Church of Nigeria and leader of the conservative wing of the communion, recently threw his prestige and resources behind a new law that criminalizes same-sex marriage in his country and denies gay citizens the freedoms to assemble and petition their government. The law also infringes upon press and religious freedom by authorizing Nigeria's government to prosecute newspapers that publicize same-sex associations and religious organizations that permit same-sex unions.
This clearly crosses the line from opposing gay marriage to criminalizing homosexuality and, in fact, homosexuals. This is clearly an assault on the human rights of gays and lesbians in Nigeria.
Where is the pastoral concern for the citizens of Nigeria? Is this the future direction of the worldwide Anglican church? Or the Pittsburgh church?
Here in Pittsburgh there is growing sense of schism (I'll get called out for using that term) within the Episcopal church led by our own version of Akinola, Bishop Robert Duncan and the Anglican Communion Network. In November 2005, Akinola was a prominent speaker at a local meeting of the Network. A meeting filled with battle cries to gird the loins of faithful Episcopal conservatives against the threat of homosexuality.
You may recall that the US Episcopal Church ordained an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire in 2004.
(Santa Rosa, California) A longtime Presbyterian minister who was the first of her faith to be tried for officiating at the unions of gay couples was acquitted Friday of violating her denomination's position on same-sex marriage.
A regional judicial commission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) ruled 6-1 that the Rev. Jane Spahr of San Rafael acted within her rights as an ordained minister when she married two lesbian couples in 2004 and 2005.
Because the section of the faith's constitution that reserves marriage for a man and a woman "is a definition, not a directive," Spahr was "acting within her right of conscience in performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples," the tribunal said in a written ruling.
The tribunal stated that Reverend Spahr acted within the "normative standards" of her region. The ruling may mean that all ordained clergy are permitted to preside at same-sex weddings. Read the full story at http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/03/030306pastor.htm
A tearful Spahr, 63, a longtime activist who could have faced sanctions ranging from a rebuke to removal from the ministry, rejoiced at the verdict. Flanked by her lawyers and the two couples she married, Spahr said she would continue performing same-sex weddings.
"The church said God loved everyone, and for years I believed it," she said. "Today, for just one moment, to hear this is remarkable."
In another example of homopersecution, the Presbyterian Church is at it again. This time, the Reverend Jane Spahr is facing a trial for conducting wedding for same sex couples in 2004 and 2005. Spahr is a native of Pittsburgh's Northside.
Spahr choose to use the term wedding at the couples' request in order to honor their union and avoid deeming it second class. The Presbyterian church is arguing that this is not a larger debate over the status of gay weddings but merely a determination of whether Spahr violated the Church constitution.
Spahr's attorney disagrees, likening the issue to the ordination of women for which there is a need for larger dialogue.
The Presbyterian Church (USA) is among several Protestant denominations embroiled in a bitter debate between liberals and conservatives over what role gays should have in their churches. Under a ruling by the national church's highest court in 2000, Presbyterian churches may bless same-sex unions as long as they do not equate the relationships with marriage.
Ms. Spahr is one of a half-dozen Presbyterian ministers across the nation facing disciplinary action for marrying same-sex couples, although her case is the first to come to trial, Mr. Cahn said. The others include the Rev. Janet Edwards in Pittsburgh.
Click here for the details on situation facing Pittsburgh's Janet Edwards.
It appears that our community must gird for continuous battle on every front in order to secure our civil rights. Gay Christians in particular are under siege and hurrah for heroes like Janet and Jane for standing up on behalf of us all.
I've been noticing more and more references to second class citizenship around gay civil rights issues. The wingnut have done an incredibly good job of setting gay marriage up to foil heterosexual marriage. But when I describe the consequences of second class citizenship, I notice a profound difference in the tenor of the conversation. Separate but equal is not good enough. We've been down that path and continue to experience the fallout even today.
I pray for the members of the Presbyterian church as they struggle through this moral dilemna.
A quick round of the PG's latest gay coverage ....
First, the ugly. From Jennifer Freker of Bethel Park a letter to the PG editor ....
God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!
You tell 'em Jennifer. Make sure we know all about the abnormalities of a Godless society and how much friggin' bravery it takes to calls gays "sick and perverted."
Listen up you homohater... before you continue spewing about the Pledge of Allegiance being ripped out of the schools, you should take a look at how YOU have excluded God from your personal beliefs. Remember the parts about loving your neighbor? The things Jesus said. People like you give Christianity a bad name.
Now the good, a letter from Devin Browne of the Hill District pointed out that while homos are good enough to teach in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, our families aren't deserving of equal health insurance coverage ... he correctly writes:
This restriction is something most conservative megacorporations gave up years ago.
A group of teachers in San Leandro High School (California) are refusing to display posters promoting gay diversity.
The posters were designed by the school's Gay-Straight Alliance and show a rainbow flag and bear the words "This is a safe place to be who you are."
The "educators" are hiding behind the illusion that the posters violate their religious beliefs. Since when is making school safe for children in conflict with any religion? Did I miss the encyclical declaring bullying a sanctified activity?
Here's a breath of fresh air from the school district
"This is not about religion, sex or a belief system,'' district Superintendent Christine Lim told the San Francisco Chronicle.
"This is about educators making sure our schools are safe for our children, regardless of their sexual orientation," said Lim, who sponsored the poster measure.
I can only imagine what these edu-bigots have overlooked in the way of gay bullying in their classrooms. Or gender bullying. Only a truly ignorant rube would object to creating safe spaces for all kids in which to learn.
How long til the AFA and the Thomas More Center weigh in on this?
