Gay Catholics/ Christians, marriage & family

Church’s “Error” on Gay Marriage Undermining Christian Witness

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A conservative, evangelical Presbyterian pastor, Rev. Mark Achtemeier, speaking at an event associated with the PCUSA General Assembly 2014, has described the Church’s error on gay marriage as an “unprecedented spiritual disaster” that is undermining the credibility of Christian witnesses for an entire generation. The disaster he describes is not that of the church moving to accept marriage equality, but its long delay in doing so. Rev. Mark Achtemeier, who used to be associated with the evangelical, conservative wing, and like many others used to be actively opposed to same - sex marriage. (Even after becoming an outspoken advocate for LGBT inclusion in church, he describe himself as an “out, self-affirming, practicing conservative evangelical”).

Achtermeier speaking to Covenant network

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Sexuality & Gender

Cardinal Nichols, on the Importance of Sexuality

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In his address to the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Wesminster made some important more general points, which are of particular relevance to gay men and lesbians. First of these, which he correctly states is drawn directly from standard Catholic moral teaching, concerned the importance of human sexuality:

Human sexuality is a strong and vital component of our humanity and of each person’s nature. The exercise of that sexuality, in sexual relations, is something that touches the deepest aspect of our identity and personhood. A fundamental aspect of the Church’s teaching about sex is that sexual acts must always take place within the context of authentic freedom. This is because, properly understood, human sexuality has the capacity to unite two people, body and spirit, at the deepest level, in a completeness of self-giving that has within it the call to a permanent commitment between them and which, of its nature is open towards the creation of new human life. What is most relevant in this teaching for us today is that there is no place in sexual relations for brutality, aggression or any kind of de-humanisation of a person.

This is just a restatement of some important but often neglected lines in the Catholic Catechism:


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marriage & family

Theology of Marriage: London Conference

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Responding to my report that the Presbyterian Church of the USA is about to debate proposals to allow for same - sex marriage in their churches, a reader placed this comment:

It’s time the world got itself educated. Marriage is not primarily about ‘relationships’; marriage is the discipline [varying from society to society] by which societies organise their family structure; or to put it another way it is a ‘licence to breed’. Of course we hope it will be a lot more than that but that is the base from which we start not ‘loving relationships’. There are millions of couples in the world today who are married but who hardly knew one another at the time of their marriage. But they are surely married and have families.

In fact, the real history and nature of marriage shows clearly that it really is about relationships. However, there is a qualification. In a follow-up comment, my reader has pointed out that “relationship” sometimes is interpreted as nothing more than an informal arrangement by which two people are having sex with each other. That is not, in my view, adequately covered by the term “relationship”. That requires something more - commitment. and emotional intimacy.

Marriage takes and has taken many different forms, in different societies and periods of history. Social anthropologists, whose job it is to study these things, dispute your thesis. While marriage is often “a licence to breed”, this is not always so (no state or church authority asks for an undertaking to do so, or proof of reproductive capacity, before granting a marriage licence or church wedding).

wedding_rings_2

The only common denominator in marriage agreed by anthropologists, is precisely that it is about relationships, and specifically about social approval for sexual access in those relationships.

Nor is it only in the secular field, or outside of Europe and North America, that the nature of marriage has been constantly shifting. As Professor Adrian Thatcher and many others have explained very clearly, the Christian church itself has constantly redefined its understanding of marriage. For St Paul, it was a remedy for lust, for the early Christians, it was a symbol of God’s union with the Church and for which, virginity was more highly esteemed than child-bearing.For many centuries thereafter, it was primarily a matter of protecting property and inheritance, and as such had no relevance for those the great mass of people, who had no wealth to dispose of.  The modern understanding of marriage by Christians is a relatively new one - and even today, Christians do not agree among themselves on key elements: for Catholics, marriage is seen as a sacrament. For most Protestants, it is not.

Just as Christian understanding of marriage, just like our understanding of gender equaltiy, of usury, and of slavery has constantly adapted over the centuries to changing social conditions, so that understanding will and must continue to adapt and grow.

I welcome the news of a one day conference hosted by The LGBT Anglican Coalition, on the theology of marriage, to be held in London in September.



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queer families

Adoption Agency Appeals for More Gay Adoptive Fathers.

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As we approach Father’s Day, a British adoption charity  is encouraging gay men to apply as adoptive dads - so that next year, some of the 6000 kids waiting for adoptive parents, will have a dad to celebrate. Sir Tony Hawkhead, chief executive of Action for Children, said:

In the UK there are 6,000 children waiting to be adopted and we know that gay men can make loving fathers.

If more people came forward we would be able to help give loving homes to thousands of children.

We need to make sure that everyone knows that they can adopt - so by next year many more will celebrate their first Father’s Day

via  - ITV News.

Source: Wikipedia

Source: Wikipedia




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The Catholic Church and others opposed to adoption by gay men and lesbians, make claims such as that a child needs (or has a right to) a mother and a father, and that we must always put the best interests of the child before the selfish desires of those wanting children. These claims (they hardly qualify as rational arguments) completely miss the point.

Even if it were true that children do better when raised by two opposite sex parents (a claim which is contradicted by research comparing like with like family composition), the issue for many children awaiting adoption is not whether they should have opposite - sex or same - sex parents, but whether they can have the chance of any parents at all, or none. The simple fact that we have 6000 kids waiting to be placed is tragic evidence both that they their own, biological parents (of difference sexes) have been unable to give them suitable care, and also that where adoptive parents are available, the children who are most easily placed, are usually young, healthy babies. Older children, those with severe health problems, or behavioural difficulties (possibly resulting from earlier neglect by unsuitable opposite - sex couples) are left at the back of the queue.  To exclude all same - sex couples from parenting, some of whom have demonstrated extraordinary willingness to take on the most troubled children, and make a real difference in their lives, is to condemn some kids to no parents at all, putting simple sexual ideology ahead of the true best interests of the child.

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marriage & family

Will US Presbyterians Approve Gay Church Weddings?

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Now that the majority of Americans live in states where same - sex marriages either are already legal, or where bans on such marriage have been struck down by courts but where marriage has been stayed pending appeal, many churches are facing a crunch decision: how to respond to faithful members of their congregation who wish to marry, and can do so legally - but not in church. This applies particularly to ministers of religion who are in committed same - sex relationships, and want to make these publicly accountable to their communities, just as their heterosexual colleagues are required to do. The dilemma also applies to ordinary pastors, who see the value of their parishioners’ relationships, and understand and sympathise with their desire for church weddings - but fear church sanctions if they perform weddings (which they would be required to do, not banned from doing, for other couples).

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The Presbyterian Church of the USA (PCUSA) has tried before to have the rules changed, but narrowly failed. At this year’s General Assembly 221 (June 14th to 21st), there will be another attempt.

American Presbyterians are not alone in addressing the issue. Some denominations have already approved church weddings for gay and lesbian couples, some have left decisions to local dioceses or regions, Anglican Provinces in Ireland, England and New Zealand are engaged in study and decision processes over blessing same - sex unions, and even some Catholic bishops have been proposing some support for civil unions / partnerships. In North Carolina, there are Baptists joining with the more usually progressive groups seeking to overturn the state’s ban on gay marriage - on the grounds of freedom of religion.

Just as same - sex marriage in law has been sweeping the US, and either full marriage or civil unions have spread across Europe and Latin American, weddings or blessings in church will similarly spread steadily, in years to come. For the PCUSA, I suspect there’s a good chance of victory this year - but if not in 2014 - then perhaps next time.

(After the fold, the complete statement by More Light Presbyterians)

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Natural & Animal Sexuality, Video

“Out in Nature” (Video Series)

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Homosexuality in the Animal Kingdom

From fruit flies to killer whales, same - sex encounters and bonding are commonplace throughout the animal kingdom: for more effective parenting, for help in seeing off competitors, for community social cohesion, for conflict resolution - and for simple sexual pleasure.

Complete playlist

Beginning with an explanation of science, citations from the bible, and Darwinian Theory, this film debunks previously held ideas about homosexuals by examining homosexuality in the animal kingdom. From fruit flies to dolphins, amazing footage from around the globe captures homosexuality in its natural state.

Part One

“The Science That Dare Not Speak Its Name?”

Sex has one purpose, reproduction? Not so fast

One animal mounting another is not necessarily a male mounting a female.

Part Two

Bonobos

Part Three

Savannah baboons: male pairs, teaming up in long term relationshops to face down rivals.

Bottle nosed and spotted dolphins, pairing for life, and sharing females for short term procreation purposes.

Lions: females pair for life, for care of young.

Greylag geese: three parents - two dads, one mom.

Part Four

Roseate terns: same - sex parenting.

Part Five

Parasitic wasps
Fruit flies

Part Six

Macaque monkeys: female homosexual behaviour, for the purposes of pleasure.

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