Hi M (forwarded by Stephen W)
Thanks Clare, it's given me an opportunity to get some things of my chest.
<s> I'm glad to have given you the opportunity, and pleased to say hi to a new poster. I'm also sorry it took so long for me to respond.
I'm a Christian. I'm gay. Whether I'm a "practising" [How I hate that word!!!] homosexual man or not, is none of the church's business. I don't ask questions of members of the church about their sexual practices. I don't ask, "Are you a practising heterosexual person?" What gives anyone the right to question my sexual practices?
Agreed. And I think you touch on something that bugs me too - not so much that church members have fixed views on what is and isn't christian, but that by extension they then believe they have the right to examine other church members' lives, beliefs and activities in order to work out who "belongs" and who doesn't. It edges dangerously close to totalitarianism, IMO. It also fosters (and is fostered by, creating a cyclic progression) an "us and them" mentality, which I don't believe is Christ-ian at all.
(I'm not gay, but being a clergy abuse victim who's come to a different understanding of faith and god than the conservatives, and being in a category of people who make many in the church uncomfortable, I can identify with much of your experience of church, I think)
- and just for the record - "homosexual" is an adjective - just as is "heterosexual."
Point taken. Although may I counter it with the point that English is a living language, that terminologies and usages do change, and I think that word is one which has changed. (A similar example is the word contact. It used to only be a noun, but is now used as a verb all the time)
So what "is" it that gives anyone to act in this way? What is it that gives certain sections of the church - namely EMU and RA - the right to villify and demonise gays and lesbians in the church and to "demand" that the church conforms to its way of thinking? As it is doing at present. If they are threatening to leave the church, why don't they just go and let the rest of us going on being "Church?" I sometimes wonder why we even bother with the terminally bigoted - whether it is in the church or in the larger community. Whatever happens they will continue to villify, verbally harrass and condemn because they believe they have to "God given" right to do so. Well, my God doesn't act in that way!
Neither does mine. Not only because god is too loving to behave like that, but because in my view, god is big enough to allow the lines to blur and not be afraid of being corrupted.
It's about time the Uniting Church accepted the fact that there are gays and lesbians in many many congregations around Australia. That they are exercising there God given gifts and talents as requested in the Basis of Union and that they are not frightening the horses! And shock! horror! Some of them are even ordained Ministers of the Word and Deacons!!
And - without wanting to denigrate the qualities of the compassionate clergy I've encountered, none of whom are gay - gay clergy, having known what it is to be marginalised, may well be far more compassionate towards other marginalised people than their straight counterparts.
Even if "I'm not really your type of person" It's my church too - and I'm staying whatever the outcomes of all the discussion - which we've been having for 22 years as a Uniting Church and since the early 1960's in the churches who formed the UCA.
And the church would be the poorer if you and all those in similar shoes left. Yes, it's your church too. And when we finally understand that your church is my church, and that our church is also their church, and the bigger and more diverse church is, the better it becomes, then we'll *really* be Uniting!
I've had my say. It's the first time I've responded to anything on the Inslights list. - It might just be my last!
I hope not. Thanks for stepping up to the microphone :-)
Regards Clare *************************************************** Clare Pascoe Henderson http://www.clergyabuseaustralia.org Clergy Sexual Abuse in Australia Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***************************************************
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