There was a time when opponents of LGBT equality or inclusion could claim, without contradiction, that these were “obviously” and necessarily contrary to scripture. No more. Bible scholars, theologians, pastors and other people of faith, from all denominations, are increasingly…
Monthly Archives: December 2011
How gay rights supporters are confronting ALL the presidential candidates
For this non-American, the fascination of the GOP primary campaign has been the free-for-all among the (mostly) crazies attempting to be the anyone-but-Mittens eventual nominee. But there’s another side to this, which has long - term importance. While most of…
Bullying, and Catholic Schools.
A reader has placed the following deeply personal and moving testimony in a comments thread, relating to the Church’s need to listen, and pastoral sensitivity. 1 and 1/2 years ago I decided to kill myself, but I felt compelled to…
New Ways Ministry: “Bondings”
New Ways Ministry has done sterling work on behalf of gay and lesbian Catholics, ever since it was founded by Sr Jeannine Gramick and Fr Robert Nugent, SJ,, some 35 years ago. I have known of and admired their work…
Penguin (Gay) Parenting: Lessons for Gay Adoption
A few months ago, the Toronto Zoo was in the news, taking flack for a decision to separate two male penguins who had formed a pair bond. In China, the authorities at a zoo in northern China have taken the…
Lutheran Bishop’s Advice to Catholic Counterparts: Listen to your Church!
The Catholic Church claims to be a “listening church” - but it manifestly isn’t. In Minnesota, where the Catholic bishops have launched an all-out war in defence of what they claim to be defence of marriage (but is in fact…
Catholics Should Support Civil Partnerships, in Church.
At the Catholic Herald, William Oddie is on another rant about Archbishop Nichols and civil partnerships. As usual, he stokes the fires of his and his readers’ anger with several misrepresentation of facts, but buried in the hysteria he quotes,…
Rainbow Sash Movement Challenges Archbishop to Debate on Gay Marriage.
Joe Murray, Executive Director of the Rainbow Sash Movement in the USA, has challenged Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York to a debate on gay marriage. Such a debate would no doubt be valuable, both useful in clarifying the issues…
“Religious freedom” cannot mean only freedom for the religious right.
In the UK, a change in the law comes into effect tomorrow, which will allow civil partnership registration ceremonies to be conducted on religious premises, and with religious texts. Up to know, the prohibition on religious elements has been one…
“The Double Lives – And Second Lives – Of Gay Priests”.
The existence of gay priests is not a new phenomenon. For as long as the Catholic Church has had priests, a fair proportion of them have been gay (in modern terminology), or have been men who have had sex with…
