Second Stone #49 - Nov/Dec 1996

Second Stone #49 - Nov/Dec 1996

49

1996

Nov/Dec 1996

THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER FOR GAY/LESBIAN/BISEXUAL CHRISTIANS 2.95
~~m ( NEW ORLEANS, LA 70182
ADDRESS CORRECTION
REQUESTED
TIME DATED
MATERIAL
1996 ISSUE #49!
Two thousand attend
Cathedral's gay seivice
LONDON (q> - A service organized
by the Lesbian and Gay Christian
Movement drew more than 2,000
worshipers to Southwark Cathedral
Nov. 16, along with a few dozen protesters.
The Right Rev. John Gladwin,
bishop of Guildford, said in his ser mon
that British society "abounds in
self-deception, delusion and sheer
humbug when it comes to matters of
sex." ·
He s~d ·there had been a loss of confidence
in marriage, but endorsed the
church's traditional teaching that it
was strictly for heterosexual couples.
The service at Southwark, on the
south bahk of the Thames, had
caused some controversy in the
Church of England, and protest vigils
];lad been organized at about 50 par-
_. ,sh churches during the week.
About ·three dozen protesters stood
outs ide the cathedral.
The Rev. Richard Kirker, one of the
organizers of the service, said it was
a sign of growing acceptance of gays in
the church.
"The numbers of people who oppose
us are diminishing rapidly and that
is one of the reasons why there is such
anger amongst them," Kirker told
reporters.
Atlanta Presbyteiy votes to
keep transsexual minister
ATLANTA (AP) - A transsexual who
was ordained as a Presbyterian minister
before undergoing a sex change
has been allowed to retain her ordination.
The Rev. Erin Swenson, 48, formerly
known as Eric Swenson, closed her
eyes in relief after the Presbytery of
Greater Atlanta voted 186-161 in her
favor Oct. 22.
"I'm really looking forward to getting
on with my life and counseling,"
said Swenson, a marriage therapist.
The Rev. Bill Adams, executive
presbyter, said .he was glad the decision
had been made.
"I think it's an indication that there
are a lot of things in life that we
don't understand, and this is one of
them," he said. "This is a very fine
person, always has been." ·
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Welcome!
IF YOU FOUND this copy of Second Stone at a gay
pride event , a P-FLAG meeting, or some other event
or location , there 's a Second Stone Outreach Partner
in your area. Their brochure is enclosed . They are a
Christian church or organization with a specific outreach
to gays and lesbians. We encourage you to visit
them for their next service or meeting. In the meantime,
you may be asking some questions like the
ones that follow.
When I told my church pastor I
was gay, I was referred to an exgay
program. What's that all
about?
Recent scientific research is indicating that sexual orientation
is innate and cannot be changed. Ex-gay programs
are effective in redirecting a heterosexual person
who has experimented with homosexual activity
back to heterosexual relationships . For a gay or lesbian
person, however, an ex-gay ministry can only
teach one how to "act as if' heterosexual, often with
painful results. An ex-gay program cannot change
your sexual orientation . Remember that most ex-gay
church counselors are heterosexual and cannot speak
from the experience of being gay . Also, any psychologist
or psychiatrist who offers "treatment" for homosexuality
is not following guidelines established by
the American Psychologi ·cal Association or the American
Medical Association . .
After.all the rejection I got from
my church, why should l even care
about God?
Your church may have rejected you, but God never
has . God 's nature is to draw you closer to Him , not
to reject you. The church is administered by pastors ,
bishops, lay people, committees ; people like you and
me - sometimes connected with God at work among
us, and sometimes not. Sometimes the people who
run the church, because of fear, selfishuess or other
reasons, are not able to follow as God leads.. In the
past. the church failed to speak out against the Holocaust
and slavery. At some point in the future, the
church's present failure to affinn gay and lesbian people
and its failure to speak out against the hoinophobia
that leads to discrimination and violence will be
seen as a terrible .wrong. As Episcopal Bishop Barbara
Harris once said, the church is a follower of society,
not a leader.
Does this mean I shouldn't go to
church?
Absolutely not! (It means the church needs you probably
more than you need the church.) There is a place
for _you in a church in your neighborhood . 111ere are
many Christian churches and organizations around the
country that have a specific ministry to gay andlesbian
people. Even in the mainstream denominations
gay and lesbian people have prominent, although
sometimes closeted, places in the church as pastors,
youth leaders, choir masters, lay leaders, and so on.
Many mainstream churches across the country have
moved into positions of welcoming and affinning gay
and lesbian people.
How do I know that God doesn't
reject me?
- E-;en if you've never"set foot in a church or thought
much about God, you were created by a _ loving God
who seek~ you out. If there's a barrier between your self
and God, it is not God's responsibility . Blackaby
and King in Experiencing God say there are seven
realities of a relationship with God: 1. God is alway;
anv~rk aronnd you . 2. God pursues a continuing love
relationship with you that is real and personal. 3. God
iuvites you to become involved with Him in His
work. 4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the
Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal
Himself, His purposes, and His ways . 5. God's invitation
for you to work w_ith Him always leads you to
a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. 6. You
must make majqr adjustments in your life to join
-God in wl)at He is doing. 7. You come to know God
by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes
His work through you.
If you've never really believed in God, and
. want to know more, ask a friend or pastor
to talk to you. He or she may be able to
PAGE 2 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
recommend · a reading resource, a video, a
Bible study group or -a church. And don't
be afraid or embarrassed to -ask. Sue)). a
friend or pastor will be glad you asked. It
is how God works among us. · If you've
never read the Bible before, start with
Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-10; and
10: 13 .
But can I really be gay and Christian?
Sexual orientation , ei titer gay or straight - is a good ,
God-given part of your being. A homosexual orienta tion
is not a sinful state . . The Bible condemns some
heterosexual activity and some homosexual activity;
when someone gets used or hurt rather than loved.
The Bible supports commitment and fidelity in loving
relationships .
Doesn't the Bible say homosexual
activity is a sin?
Daniel Helminiak in What the Bible Really Says
About Homosexuality says: TI1e sin of Sodom was
[not homosexuality .] Jude condelllOs·sex with angels,
not sex between men . Not a single Bible . text clearly
refers to lesbian sex ... Only five texts surely refer to
male-male sex, Leviticus 18:22 and 20: 13, Romans
1:27 and I Corinthians 6:9 and !"Timothy I: 10. All
these texts are concerned with something other than
homosexual activity itself... If people would still
seek to know outright if gay or lesbian sex in itself is
good or evil... they will have to look elsewhere for an
answer ... The Bible never addresses that question.
More than that, the Bible seems deliberately tmconcemed
about it.
I would like explore further. What
can I do now?
While there are many good books and videos available,
there's something powerful in being "where two
or more are gathered." You may want to check out a
ministry in your area with a specific outreach to gays
and lesbians, including Second Stone's Outreach
Partner. The worship style may not be what you're
used to , btit the point is to cotmecl with gay and lesbian
Christians with whom you can have discussions
about where you are . Or you m ay want to try a variety
of churches in your neighborhood, even those of
other denominations. (There is no "one true church .")
There are gay and lesbian people in almost every
church and God. who is always at work around you,
will connect you to the people you need to know - if
you take the first step.
Wouldn'tit just be easier to keep
my sexual life a secret?
Some gay and lesbian people who are happy, whole
and fully integrated may have to be silent about their
sexuality because of-their job ·or other circumstances.
(The day will come when that is no longer the case.)
But a gay or lesbian person who cannot integrate their
sexuality with the rest of th~ir being faces a difficult
stmggle indeed. To de11y on~•s-sextiality to oneself
while in church or at work or 'whii straight friends.
and then to engage in periodic sexual activity is not a
self-loving, esteem-building experience. An ·inability
lo weave your sexuality into the fabric of your life in
a way that makes you feel good about yourself and
.allows _you to develop relationships with others is a
cause for concern and should be discussed with
someone skilled in gay and lesbian issues . ·
w ,.,.,,,,,_ "~" - -.. ' the other "
Front Page
news past deadline
Commissioners decided to award the
permit to the pastors' group.
KeyW estO Ksμ tradfeo rp astors
opJX)StoO gOay s
"We're glad we have our parade,"
Gary Redwine, pastor of the Big Coppitt
First Baptist Church in Big Coppitt
Key and a leader of the pastors'
group, said. "It's been something of a
tradition for approximately 15 years.
... 1 think the city's going to see two
By Raju Chebium very nice parades."
· Associated Press Writer
MIAMI (AP) - A pastors' association
has gotten the go-ahead from Key
West, a nationally known mecca for
gays and lesbians, to hold a Christmas
parade on Dec. 7 even though a
gay church won't be invited.
As a compromise, the city decided to
hold its own parade on Dec. 14. The
gay Metropolitan Community Church
and all residents of Key West, about
200 miles south of here, are ii1vited.
The pastors' group banned the gay
church from last year's .parade, causing
an uproar in Key West's large gay
population.
Key West commissioners in October
told the Lower Keys Ministerial
Association - a group of 15 pastors
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from about a half-dozen churches -
parade permit would not be issued
unless everyone was invited.
The pastors' group pointed to a U.S.
Supreme Court ruling making that
stand untenable on First Amendment
grounds. The court allowed a Boston
veterans' group organizing the St.
Patrick's Day Parade to ban gays saying
the private .parade was a symbolic
form of free speech.
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Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
New York City
1010 Park Avenue at 85th St.
Phone: (2) 2) 288-3246
\Vorship: Smt<lays at 11 a.m.
-Open & Affirmh1g-
The lV!_etropolitan Community
Church said it's happy to be taking
part in the city-sponsored parade.
"City agencies and Key West High
School are coming to the holiday
parade, which is going to dwindle
the Christmas , parade participation,"
said the Rev. Julia Seward, an
associate _ pastor at Metropolitan
COmmunity. "Key West is very com-
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Distribution of Second Stone in some
communities is sponsored by our
Outreach Partners. We invite you to
visit them for worship.
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SERVING THE MID-SOUTHPROCLAIMING
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munity .oriented. (There are) not too
many places you're going to go where
you will be excluded."
She said the city has never sponsored
a Christmas season parade
before.
Some 200 people held a protest
prayer vigil last year when the pastors'
parade peacefully proceeded
down Key West's famed Duval
Street. Abou~ 400 others dressed as
angels and shepherds and marched
past the vigil.
Some_ bystanders held protest placards
and gay groups accused the pastors
of unchristian behavior.
The city was eager to avoid such
problems this year, said Commissioner
Merili McCoy.
"The commission felt that we should
have a parade that everyone could be
a part of," she said. "We're a small
island community and we don't want
to be divisive at Christmas time."
the NEWSc ontinues
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PAGE 3 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DEC!;MBER, 1996
!W!t j
:-:;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::· iE4i6i . A new dOOr o~ns ...
•Prayer •The Bible •Words & Deeds
Holiday gifts of reconciliation
Second Stone asked 100 gay and lesbian
Christians on America Online to
tell us a holiday story. We got two
responses from this usually very
''.chatty" group. Here are their stories.
A home among fiiends ... ·
By Kurt L. Jacobowitz-Cain
Contributing Wtiter
FoR ME, 1989WAS the year of more
life-changing events since my decision
to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord
and Savior. It was the year of my
liberation from the closet, from
homophobic ex-gay ministries, and
from singleness.
After three years in the ex-gay
movement, I was a wreck. I wasn't
receiving the promise of "healing" . or
"deliverance" from homosexuality
that so many like myself sought. As
a leader in the movement, other s
would confide in me their inability to
control their homosexual desires.
While I tried to comfort them, my
own failure indicated to me that I
was living a lie.
In desperation, I turned to a bornagain
Christia n psychologist who
specialized in treating sexual compulsive
disorders. One thing he told
me I'll never forget. He said he
would never judge me if I embraced
my homosexuality, and that my decision
was between God and me. Never
abundance. From the moment I
arrived, I knew I was home.
I continued attending Casa de Cristo,
but nagging questions remained • if
this is of God, what about all the
scriptures I had . learned that condemned
gays and lesbians? Senior
Pastor Fred Pattison began a series on
sexuality anc;I the Christian. I
absorbed his teachings like a sponge.
I realized that other Christians
interpreted the "clobber scriptures"
differently . Fred challenged us to
study scripture for ourselves. In so
doing, like Saul of Tarsus, scales of
spiritual blindness fell from my eyes.
I saw that God .loved me just as He
created me, that my sexuality was a
gift from God, and that I was to
respect the gift He gave me.
In August 1989, I met my husband
Paul through a personal ad in a local
alternative newsmagazine. What
drew me to his ad was his statement
that he was a Chri stian. Despit e
this, I was hesitant to pursue the
relationship; so many people had
failed me before. Yet I trusted God.
in all my Christian walk had a As Christmas 1989 approached, I
Christian told me he/ she would not felt called to make a more permanent
judge me based on my sexual orienta- commitment.to Casa de Cristo. I was
tion. After all the years of struggle, accepted into membership at the
his words were the impetus I needed Christmas Eve service. Reflecting
to jump off the fence. back on 1989 that evening, I realized I
During this time, one of my gay co- began the year in turmoil, afraid of
workers told me about his church, my sexuality and disbelieving of
Casa de Cristo . The first service I God's love for me as I was. I ended
attended at Casa de Cristo was the the year walking in freedom as an
Sunday of The Evangelical Network openly gay man . I threw the closet
(TEN) conference in-1989. Throughout door wide open and proclaimed to my
my Christian life I'd been taught to family and friends of my deliverance
look beyond the gifts of the Holy from ministries determined to change
Spirit to the fruits of the Holy Spir- what God fully intended me to be.
it. Were the fruits of love, joy, peace, God didn't heal me of homosexuality;
--- 1Jafa!rrce, kindness, goodness, gentle- there was nothing from which I
ness, faithfulness, and self-control · needed to be healed except my own
evident? Indeed they were, and in inability to accept God's love for me.
PAGE 4 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
By Robert Ellis
Contributing Wtiter
I HAD BEEN RAISED in a Christian
home receiving Jesus as my Savior at
the age of four. As I grew up and the
truth about my sexual orientation
became known to me, I learned to be a
master of deceit. Closeted and
believing the myth of the sinfulness
of my thoughts about other men, I
married in the mistaken belief that it
would somehow cure me. After l4
years, the real me fought to the surface
and my marriage (made in heaven)
came to an end .. The world I had
created by deceit could no longer be
maintained and my dark secret would
no longer be contained.
My parents were devastated by the
divorce, especially my father . I, on
the other hand, was relieved . It was
at this juncture I had my reckoning
with my heavenly Father. The
divorce became a test case 'that
proved God's unconditional accept•
ance while all others (including my
parents) showed their acceptance was
conditional. A line had been drawn
distinguishing God's love from all
others. The difference between what
people said about God and what God
said about Himself was and is true
revelation. A door that I didn't even
know existed was suddenly opened .
and the love of the Heavenly Father
c~me streaming through . The truth
about my identity could now reveal
itself because the cushion of God's
love was there to break my fall. It
was then I met my beloved Ray. He
swept me off my feet. I had never
before had a real loving relationship
with another man and it was the
beginning of my coming out to myself
and God, and to the world, that is to
Rev. Bob Ellis, seated,and partner Ray
all the world except my parents.
After mother died of cancer, I saw an
opportunity to reacq .uaint myself
with my father . We began spending a
. lot of time together . . When he· would
ask me to go to a movie or out to eat
somewhere, I asked him, of course, if
Ray could come too. Pretty soon on
these occasions, he would automatically
ask both of us. This went on for
some time with no direct word of
information about the true nature of
our relationship. On formal occasions
when my father would come to our
house, we removed things that might
lead him · to the truth. This was the
last dark corner of my closet which
kept me from being completely myself
at all times and on all occasions. This
went on for four years.
At Thanksgiving one · year, we
invited my father, Ray's mother and
several other friends, all of whom
were in the know about Ray and me .
But my father still did not know.
Rushing to get things prepared for my
favorite holiday, the house had not
been completely "de-gayed" and so
after a very pleasing meal and truly
positive time of fellowship, my
father suddenly noticed a picture of
Ray and me and the way we related
to one another as we cleaned up the
kitchen together. A revealing light
of truth came on. He sat on the couch
wide eyed as the true nature of his son
welled up in tears. His pride was
quickly replaced by shame because
the lie had consumed his love and
replaced it with disgust. He said
nothing. Then, quietly excusing himself,
he finally announced that he
had to go home . I sensed the change
in his • appearance and mannerisms
and as I waiked . him to hi s car, his
composure was close to collapse and
though he said nothing, I knew he
knew.
In the month separating Thanksgiving
and Christmas, conversations
with my father were short as he
exasperated himself in th e attempt
to know how to relate. It never
oc~urred to him to just keep doing
what he had been doing. Several
attempts to confront me directly were
made. From his point of view, somehow
he had failed as a father and I
had been duped by militant homosexual
propaganda. But I knew that
what had really happened was the
love of my Heavenly Father had
become so real, ·that it was okay (if
necessary) to lose the love of my
earthly father for the sake of the
truth.
Faith 1n Daily Life
Noe asya nswerwsh ens hoppinfogr '~' Bible
By Dave Gathman
ElginC ourier-News
ELGIN, Ill. - Mariy religions rely on
the Bible as a source of guidance, of
divine instruction and an archive of
the ultimate truth. ·
But which Bible is the truest?
The New Life Bookstore in Elgin
stocks 16 translations ranging from
the King James Version, written in
Shakespeare's "time, fo David C.
Cook's comic book-style Picture Bible.
The store can order al least 35 other
variations.
But even the novice readers need not
fear choosing the wrong translation,
some Bible experts .say.
"You hardly ever have people
(deliberately) making some new .
translation with the goal of adulterating
the Scriptures," says the Rev.
Phil Congdon, pastor of Elgin Bible
Church and a former teacher of biblical
studies.
Most translations, in fact, have been
done by large committees of scholars
representing many denominations . .
Ninety linguists have been work ing
on the New Living Translation,
which hit the shelves last month, for
six years.
Originally, the Old Testament was
written in Hebrew; the New Testa ment,
in Greek.
Some English versions, such as the
King James Version and the New
Revised Standard Version, are translated
from these original languages,
more or less word for word.
But if your first priority is to understand
clearly what you 're reading,
without extensive research, that may
not be the best approach. Your best
bet, some say, is "paraphrased
Bibles." ·
Best know .1 of the paraphrases is
The Living Bible.
Somewhere between a literal translation
and a paraphrase is a
"dynamic equivalence translation. "
These translate into "thought for
thought" rather than · "word for
word ." It js in this category that the
current best seller, the New International
Version, falls as does the New
Living Translation.
Dr. Philip Comfort, a senior editor
for the New Living Translation and a
professor at Wheaton College, say~
students often ask him what is the .
"best" translation .
Comfort asks, "Best for what? For
reading? For studying? For memorizing?
And best for whom? For young
people? For adults? For Protestants?
For Catholics? For Jews?"
"A modem reader would do well to
use five or six different translations,"
some literal, some paraphrased and
some thought -for-thought, Comfort
writes in the Complete Guide to Bible
Translations .
Dr. Leslie Keylock, a professor of
. Bible at Moody Bible Institute, Chicago,
says there isn't a best Bible. .
For those just delving into the Bible,
Keylock suggests a dynamic equivalent
or paraphrase .
"In my own devotions, I tend to use
the NIV," she said. "But I find many
places where the NIV is mystifying,
where the Good News Bible makes
the meaning clear."
Cynthia Popejoy, manager of New
Life Books, recommends that newcomers
μse an edition called The Journey.
"The text is the New International
If you're facing a life-threatening
illness, you know how precious time is.
Don't let money stand between you
and the way you want to spend that time.
Faced with news of a terminal illness ...
John paid off the mortgage and bills, then set money aside for his future
personal care needs.
Davidr ented a convertible,d rove his mother to DisneyW orld and spent a
week living a cltildhood fantasy.
Sue Ellen found the best doctor in the country and participated in a special
treatment program.
Scott donated money to his community theater and attended the dedication
ceremony in his honor.
Elizabetgha thered her scatteredf amily and cltildhood friends for a longoverdue
"reunion."
How did they do it?
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Version; But it includes a lot of questions
that might guide someone," she
says.
Popejoy also recommends The Inspirational
Bible. This combines the text
of The New Century Bible, whiclt has
a third-grade reading level, with
daily devotional paragraphs from
writers such as Max Locado and Billy
Graham .
Someone in a more advanced study
might prefer a more poetic version.
Congdon says that when he prepares
a sermon, he first reads the related
scripture in Greek and Hebrew. Then
he decides which translation captures
the original meaning most
understandably and eloquently.
Often, Congdon says, he finds the
New Testament is best translated by
the New American Standard Bible,
while the Old Testament is better
translated by the New International
Version .
Some fundamentalists accept only
the King James.
But "the Bible must be able to communicate
with us," Keylock argues.
SEE BIBLE, Page 24
Faith 1n Daily Life 144 BM ws+AA-e@i❖&iilw&i# & ic§kfff! iAA\¥€@¥½/i#ll'i@ti@ SSISi ··I
Transgendered Christians
From Pagel
and the resulting conflicts regarding .
transgendered persons on the part of
many of my lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and straight sisters and brothers, and
I would simply say to you that transgendered
individuals are people who
have spiritual needs like anyone else.
As a Christian who is proud and
nappy to be transgendered, I have
developed a deep concern for my
sisters and brothers who · often find
themselves in the midst of a spiritual
struggle to harmonize their Christian
beliefs with their deeply felt and
completely valid need to express a
transgendered orientation or internal
desire.
This article will deal with the
reality of the situation and offer some
potential alternatives to the complexities
that are raised. Please do
not take my word for anything - I urge
you to read, study, and learn for yourself,
using as many resources as possible,
so that you may be empowered to
make wise decisions concerning the
topic of faith as it intersects with
transgende.r issues. I offer my
thoughts humbly, with love, and
with respect for all who read them,
regardless of your spiritual viewpoint.
gender and sex are also considered it
becomes evident that transgendered ·
Christians have a great deal with
which to contend regarding their
spiritu~ status, at .Jeast in terms of
their affiliation with the church as a
Christian institution or, even more
probably, specific denominations
within the Christian church. This
can lead to a great deal of confusion
and spiritual suffering on the part of
■
people-bashing) is neither productive
nor is it based in Jove. People are not,
and never have been, the enemy .
Instead, the real enemy is evil. If
anything is to be bashed it ought to be
the attitudes of exclusivity, prejudice,
and bigotry that exist and that
are institutionally maintained
toward human beings out of fear, ignorance,
and/ or a desire for security or
power.
The question of who holds spiritual authority in
our individual lives is an extremely important
one, and we need to define for ourselves where
the power to determine spiritual authority lies.
Does that power reside in a religious system
rooted in legalism and heteropatriarchy, or is it to
be truly found in the all encompassing love and
grace of God through Christ Jesus?
■
many transgendered persons who may However, I do feel it necessary to
possess an abiding love for God but stre~s the dichotomy that so apparwho
find themselves ostracized, ently exis ts between the Gospel o f
In our society it is often extremely -rejected, or oppressed by the church, Jesus Chri st and the usual dem ondifficult
for the transgendered person an institution in which the individ- straled attitude s and behavior s of
who is also a Christian to cognitively ual transgendered Christian may the church toward the transgend ered .
and spiritually reconcile her/his have a profound, personal , spiritual We need to be reminded that it is
transgender behaviors/ orientation and/ or psychological investment. Chri s t, and not Christ's church,
with a relationship to God in Christ. It is important for those of us who which is the means of ou r salvation ;
That difficulty is even further exac- consider ourselves both Christian and · it is Christ , not the prejudicial docerbated
by the lack of understanding, transgendered to understand the trines or the socially constructed
respect, love, and acceptance that the necessity of placing our trust i!) and mechanisms of any religious system,
church often seems to exhibit toward our emphasis on the person, the that is our ultimate source of evertransgendered
individuals. teachings, the example, and the role lasting life; and ii is Christ, not the
These negative attitudes are closely model of Jesus Christ, God made cultural institutions that loo often
and, I believe, intrinsically related to human. Ignoring our personal experi- seem bent on subjugation and oppresthe
church catholic's historical and ences with Christ while buying exclu- sion of the "other," who is our
irrefutable lack of regard for women sively into the traditional Redeemer .
h b · hi h d b k t patriarchal teachings and/ or the as uman emgs, w c ates ac o God loved humankind, including
th I I d . 1 · · d · E often-uninformed negative attitudes e a er me 1eva peno m urope, those of us who are transgendered,
d Ii · w· 1 of the church can lead to heartbreak, an even ear er, m some cases. 1t t enough to send Jesus to die and subseth
G f confusion and alienation from the liv- e regorian re orms · of that time, quently be resurrected on our behalf.
th ch ch ·t · ti I b ing, loving God. e ur wr1 mgs 1emse ves egan It seems logical to me that we should
to show a.tendency to regard women . Organized religion's often hostile then concentrate our energies and
as the "other," which in tum created teachings ancr attitudes toward trans- efforts more on fully developing our
the basis for a growing misogyny that gendered persons are almost exclu- relationship with God in Christ Jesus
has continued lo flourish throughout sively cult urally based and are far rather than concerning ourselves to
· the centuries up to the present. Since too often diametrically antithet ical excess with the traditionally negamany
(certainly not all, but many) lo the true and pure Gospel ·of Jesus tive and often spiritually damaging
transgendered persons tend to identify Christ, which is founded upon the doctrines and/ or dogmas that any
with women to a large extent, the concept of unconditional love and . religious system may attempt to perchu.
rch as an institution generally acceptance for us as persons who are petrate or foist upon the transgenappears
to have very little problem made in the image of God. It is not my dered individual or community.
in neatly transferring a misogynistic, intention, however, to dismis s the I realize that my words may sound
bigoted and oppressive attitude institutional Christian church out- har sh and possibly even heretical to
toward the transgendered. When the right, to defame ii, or to deny the some persons. It is not my intent to
-- - -addi t ional sociocultural factors of importance of the church as a poten- offend simply for the sake of offense,
patriarchy, homophobia, and gener- tial agent for good in the world . but rather to draw long overdue attenthe
lack of genuine Christian l9ve,
acceptance, and compassion, and the
legalistic approach · to spirituality
that the church so often espouses
toward the transgendered. It is necessary
for us to recognize and point out
the negative altitudes and behaviors
that exist within the church so that
these negative factors may be
addressed and dealt with in a -more
effective, beneficial , and po sitive
manner which affirms the validity
and legitimate worth of each person,
transgendered or not, who seeks a genuine
relationship with God in Christ
Jesus. ·
True Christians believe that we are
saved by Jesus' blood atonement alone,
not by the Old Testament laws of
Moses, by a "code of holiness," or by
the harsh legalism which many
religious systems continue to promot e.
As Christians and as transgendered
persons we need lo understand that we
are fully loved and accepted by God,
and that in so doing we can learn t o
celebrate the spiritual fre ed om
which we find in our relationship
with Christ Jesus. God's love and
acceptance have been amply
illustrated and defined by Jesus' sacrifice
for each of us, and we would do
well to work toward a deeper und erstanding
of the intrinsic value that
we po ssess as human beings and, yes,
as transgendered people who, despite
the shrill protesting voices of those
on the radical right who may veh emently
disagree, are made in the
image of God.
There are .those who will reject this
thesis out of hand. It goes against the
grain of what many of us were taught
in Sunday School, catechism or confirmation
class, and it may be seen by
some as an attempt to subvert the
authority of the church. However,
since the Christian church as a maleoriented
social institution has a
vested interest in maintaining the
traditional, androcentric , and
patriarchally-dominated status quo,
I would propose that the church can
hardly be viewed as a bastion of
objectivity or even moral rectitude in
this particular discussion.
The question of who holds spiritual
authority in our individual lives is an
extremely important one, and we need
to define for ourselves where the
power to determine spiritual author- .
ity lies. Does that power reside in a
religious system rooted in legalism
and heteropatriarchy, or is it to be
truly found in the all-encompassing
love and grace of God through Christ
Jesus? .
There are those in some interpretive
SEE NEXT PAGE alized negativity toward matters of Church-bashing (and, by extension, lion to the spiritual inconsistencies,
PA~ 6 • SECOND STONE • NOV EM BER/ DECEMBER, -=-1-=-99::c6:-----------_:;_ ______________________ _
Milik@ii ibriatMW itM@§!WBi&/4§ ,z 4iM K£W hA& ± t *W
Christianity, the Christian church, and the tr~nsgendered
From Previous Page
communities of the Christian church
who will flatly deny that a transgendered
individual has . any right
whatsoever to a full and right status
before God. These semetimes-wellintentioned
persons usually base their
belief systems upon a literal interpretation
of Scriptu.re (the ever-popular,
oft-invoked, and even more misunderstood
and/ or misinterpreted Deuteronomy
22:5 immediately springs to
mind), upon the traditional teachings
and doctrines of the church catholic,
and upon the cultural mores that
·have been integrated into the consciousness
of Western culture over the
centuries as a result of JudeoChristian
patriarchal influences on
. that culture.
The real problem is not the people
but the paradigm: it is the -oppressive,
prejudicial, and bigoted mindset
that has been created and maintained
by mainstream religious systems operant
in our culture. I have encountered
many transgendered Christians who
were fully convinced of their
"uncleanness," their "perversity,"
their "sinfulness" and their subsequent
lack of staius before God as a
direct result of their ongoing need to
outwardly express the transgendered
components of their personalities
through crossdressing or other transgender-
identified behaviors. This
internalized attitude is hardly surprising,
although extremely saddening,
given the sex- and gendernegative
culture in which we live.
The Christian church is something
of a microcosm of that society because
it so often mirrors the
negativity/ gynophobia toward
women and thus, by extension, toward
the transgendered that our culture
fosters and maintains . To be fair,
there are some individual churches,
clergy and laity who strive diligently
to typify and exhibit the concepts
of inclusfvity, acceptance,
respect and Christ's love toward
trallsgendered persons (and, indeed,
tow<1rd all people) as children of
God; but unfortunately these stellar
examples of humanity are u~ually the
exceptions rather than the rule. One
need not be a rocket scientist to know
and understand that the transgendered
are not yet welcomed with open
arms in most our our culture's institutions!
Many Christian churches, .particularly
those who are aligned with
mai'nstream denominations, pay a
great deal of lip service to the idea of
affirming people as individuals .
wlule not necessarily affirming their
"lifestyles" (would someone please
explain to me exactly what constitutes
the "transgender lifestyle?") -'
· as if it were healthily desirable to
separate an individual from actually
being who or what she/he truly is or
needs to be! If you are a transgendered
person who disagrees with my . findings
in this regard, I would invite you
to attend services at a typical, local
congregation while crossdressed next
Sunday. You may discover that you
are somewhat Jess than enthusiastically
received, especially if you do
■
oppressed. Surely the transgendered
qualify as an "oppressed" people, and
therefore the Christian church
should follow Jesus' example of concern
and compassion for any and all
who are part of the "community of
the oppressed."
The next step toward spiritual reconciliation
should be that of selfexamination.
I mentioned earlier
that many transgendered Christians
have been convinced of their lowly
.. .it would appear that the first step toward
spiritual wholeness as transgendered Christians
should -be to focus on the development of one's
personal relationship with God; and not necessarily
with a religious system that, far too often,
exhibits intolerance, prejudice, and bigotry
toward those of us who are considered
to be "the other."
not tend to pass well in public. On
that basis, then, it would appear
that the first step toward spiritual
wholeness as transgendered Christians
should be to focus on the development
of one's personal relationship
with God, and not necessarily with a
religious system that, far too often,
exhibits intolerance, prejudice, and
bigotry toward those of us who are
considered to be "the other ." These
xenophobic,' negative attitudes on the
part of the church can serve only to
further distress, confuse, and alienate
the Christian who is transgendered,
and it is necessary that we become
aware of the potential for great spiritual
harm that exists in such a
climate of ignorance and negativity.
Liberation theologian James H . Cone
writes in his book, "God of the
Oppressed," that, "Any inter .pretation
of the gospel in any historical
period that fails to see Jesus as the
Liberator of the oppressed is heretical.
Any view of the gospel that fails
to understand the church as that community
whose work and consciousness
are defined by the community of the
oppressed is not Christian and thus
heretical." In Cone's words we see the
essence of Christianity: the oppressed
are to be liberated from the source of
their oppression, and this is to be
done in the name of Jesus . When
Christ read from the Book of Isaiah
in His local synagogue (Luke 4:16-21),
he spoke of bringing good news to the
poor, sight to the blind, liberty to the
captive, and freedom to the
status before God because of their
need to express their very real inner
selves through various forms of transgender
behavior . If we can coine to a
realization of the actual worthy
standing that all Christians hold in
God's eyes then it may become easier
· for all of us to accept and affirm ourselves
as valuable members of God's
inclusive family. It is imperative for
the transgendered Christian - and,
indeed, for all of us, transgendered or
not - to know; to discern, and to comprehend
that we have infinite merit,
through Jesus Christ, to the God who
created us.
God, in the being of Jesus Christ;
died for you and for me! Should that
not tell us something about our worth
as human beings? We are not losers!
We · are so valuable to our Creator
that Jesus Christ gave up His life for
us! Can you really and truly believe
that a Go.d who loved us that much
would actually condemn us because of
the clothing style or gender presentation
that we may .adopt? It would be
an extremely irrational, petty, and
shallow God who would base a relationship
with us (or withhold one
from us!) that was predicated solely .
upon our sense of fashion!
'
Yet, there are many within the confines
of the Christian church who
would attempt to force the transgendered
into just such a skewed theological
perspective and correspondingly
warped relationship with God, based
on their particular versions and inter-
Faith in Daily Life
pretations of traditional doctrines
and dogma.
Any negative feelings that we may
hold ·toward ourselves as a result of
transgendered behaviors are totally
culturally and socially instilled.
Negativity certainly does not
emanate from our loving and accepting
Creatol' who has, in my humble
opinion, given our transgender status
to us as a gift (and not a curse, as some
would atgue) in order that we might
more fully understand and comprec
hend ourselves, others, the world and
our place in it, and our complex yet
infinitely rewarding relationship to
God through Jesus Christ. To me, the
inherent complexities of my own
transgender situation give new and
incredible insights into the nature of
the God who created me. The writer
of · the Psalms speaks of being
"fearfully and wonderfully made,"
and so ·are we. Let us examine ourselves,
our situations, and our very
existence in the light of our uniqueness
in all of God's universe, and let us
give thanks to our God for the special
gift of being transgendered - for we
are, indeed, blessed.
It is extremely important that transgendered
Christians understand
something about why we so often
"beat ourselves up" on a psychological
and spiritual basis . We tend to
internalize negative self images
regarding ourselves, usually at an
early age, because of the socialization
process that we traditionally
undergo as biological males or
females in our culture . (This process
is, of course, not unique nor is it confined
to the transgendered; many gay,
lesbian, and bisexual persons also
suffer from internalized negativity
and a flawed self image as a result of
their developmental situations.) Our
self concepts are informed and shaped
by this process, which generally
includes our religious belief system,
and we often grow up feeling and
believing that we are "bad," "wrong,"
or "sinful" because we have discerned
and/ or acted upqn our unique transgendered
situation.
From birth our society teaches us, for
example, that males and females
dress and behave in a certain way
(remember the blue blankets for boys
and the pink ont'i, for girls?), and
many of us, myself included, quickly
learned to avoid or deny anything
that was intended for the opposite
gender - at least outwardly. We
couldn't, hewever, rid ourselves of our
feelings. How many of us, beginning in
childhood, secretly yearned to dress,
behave, and/ or generally express ourselves
like the opposite gender from
SEE TRANSGENDERED, Page 15
PAGE 7 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
,,-· -- ------ --- - -- - - - - - - ------ - •
Faith 1n Daily Life
God has made room
for all kinds.
Imagine that! A
place for all nests,
evenmme.
In my Father's house there are many
mansions - John 14:2
SOME PEOPLE LIVE so deeply inside
themselves that it doesn't matter
where they are. They live low on the
nesting scale. These people don't
unpack their suitcases when they get
to hotels. The conteilts of their bedside
table have not been picked up for
years. They don't spring clean.
Other people are more ·in the middle
of the spectrum on the nesting
scale. They live rich interior lives
but outside matters too. They are
place conscious. Place alert. They
interior decorate. They recycle their
knick knacks. They spend hours at
yard sales, searching for that
something that will express themselves
at table or at rest.
Still other people are high on the
nesting scale. I am part of this group.
We rearrange the furniture in the
hotel when we arrive . We remove all
the advertising from the room and
then unpack all our clothes. We also
put our cereal in jars at home. We
don't like advertising and its excessive
stimulation . We choose to look
at things; we don't like to be invaded
by messages.
All three of these nesting types are
part of the large world, the one
where God has made room for all
kinds. Imagine that! A place for all
the nests, even mine.
Let us Pray: When we foci homeless,
0 God, bring us home . Remind us
how very big Your house is.
PAGE 8 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
. ---- - -- - -
I
What does
it take
to make
a good
home?
Through wisdom is a house b11ilded ...
-Proverbs 24:3
HIGH NESTERS ARE so affected by
place that our interior lives are
affected by the quality of the place
we are in . If the counter is messed up
when we arrive home, we screech at
our own family. Who did this to me?
Who caused this upset? Who placed
their things on top of my things?
To call the high ncsters compulsive,
or the middle · nesters, balan ced, or
the low nesters, sloppy, is an unnecessary
use of the adjectival. We are
who we are. No one both ers to insult
birds about the precise arrangement
of their grasses and twig s. A New
Yorker cartoon in October of 1995 has
one bird saying to the other, as they
overlook their nest, "I built it; you
feather it." People arc difforen ·t
when it comes to nesting.
What does it take to make a good
home? Surely it is at least a wise
combination of the interior and the
exterior. It is also a knowledge of
how important it is to be nested, to be
held up, to be sheltered. It is a look
at God, or a place from which to look
at God.
Let us Pray: Give us good nests, 0
God . Shelter us. Home us. Grant us a
place of peace. Amen.
Jesus implies a nest
as a nearly spiritual
right. He doesn't get
into the subject of
nesting correctness.
. .. the birds have nests - Luke 9:58
ONE AS ELEGANT AS Jesus said,
''Bother not about what you shall eat
or w-hat you shall wear. The birds
neither sow nor reap and still your
Heavenly Father protects them."
Jesus implies a nest as a nearly spiritual
right. He doesn't get into the subject
of nesting correctness. Rather he
suggests that we shouldn't bother too
much about the nest at all.
Jesus could say those sorts of things.
He was celibate. He did not own a
modern house. He did not have
children . He had no idea what a
high proportion of people's time in
. the modern era would be spent interacting
with their designed surroundings.
Contrast his sink and our sink. Our
sink is one of several in the home . It
has plumbing which means plumbers .
It has choices about dish detergent.
It has, perhaps, a garbage disposal.
It has choices about designer shades
of dish racks . Some even come in
wood and collapse. It ha s a need of
scouring powder. At my sink, there is
a spray job. The faucet has its own
fancy gizmo. I also have two jars of
stuff and things on the counter of my
sink . Maybe this placement is a mistake.
But I don't have a modern
kitchen. I have very little counter
space. I could move the two jars of
spatulas and wooden .spoons but I
don't know where I would put them . I
am not really sure that their placement
ruins the lines of the big old sink
or not. I am slightly embarrassed at
how much I ponder the matter of th e
jars' placement. Jesus would not be
pleased.
Let us Pray: Focus us, 0 God, on
what is important. And then let the
details have their say. Amen .
Ifwe live, we too
will get bumped and
bruised. We will
· be.come holy in the
larger way ...
... as it sho11ld be holy a11d witlio11t
blemish - Ephesia11s 5:27
HOLY, SOMETIMES, TO God is being
without blemish, Holy is also being
with blemish and being with God,
anyway.
Sooner or later I need to acknowledge
that the old beautiful sink is not
going to be just a place of great lines,
or cleanliness, or simplicity. It also
gets used. Benedictine as I have
become about the grand art of washing
dishes, with that great foci on
the hands I like to compare to the art
of a manicure, still, -and nonetheless,
that dish drainer is going to be a
catch all. It is going to get blemished.
If we live, we too will get bumped
and bruised . We will become ho ly in
the larger way, holy with blemishes,
not holy without blemishes. ,
Right now the sink has three different
mugs in it, a wooden finger brush
for the return from the garden (1 li.ke
that being there), a paint brush;
assorted swim masks from children
who are allergic to putting anything
away, and a copper bowl in which
the eggs have just been picked up from
the chickens . . Plopped. All there.
On top of each other.
Just the way my bruises are. One not
yet healed before another one comes
alo11g, Some of my blemishes have
been there for years. Some won't go
away. God holds me nonetheless,
blemishes and all.
Let us Pray: Thanks be to you, 0
God, for holding our holiness, blemishes
and all. Amen.
God takes
care ofme
by using me
to take care
ofme.
···l!let a woman of Samaria, drawing
water ... -John 4: 7
WHEN JESUS MET the woman at the
well, he arriv.ed with nothing in h·is
hand. The great artists portray her
as having only one earthen jug. Consider
not the birds of the field; they .
neither sew nor reap but still your
heavenly Father feeds them . YES,
but, how? Yes, but, when? .Yes, but? I
trust the point but not the process. For
me, as a high scale nester, without
the budget, keeping house is the way
God takes care of me by using me to
take care of me. It is the art that sustains
me. God gave me the art. God is
my muse. I paint. I draw. I position.
I angle. Jesus animates. That is the
theology of my home and environment
and birdnest.
I am not so crass as lo believe that
God helps those who help themselves.
God even helps those who
don't or can't help themselves! ·But
now that the promise to Abraham
and Sarah, that their descendants
would be like the stars, has been so
abundantly fulfilled, God wants us to
be God's agents on earth. I am not
even sure that God is displeased with
the modem sin,k and its accoutrement,
the French word for stuff and things.
If Martin Luther could argue convincingly
that even garbage workers
praise God, then the modem sink can.
join in the liturgy .
But what about the woman at ·the
well? She had no house. Nor did
Jesus. Neither had much to "keep."
· But God kept them with promises and
with words. God kept them with the
truth. "Woman, you've had five
husbands." She was known by Jesus,
and she liked it.
Then they left the little home God
made for them and their truth and
their mutual recognition - they left
the well - and went on their way .
Well nested, I'd say. Needed so much
less than I think I need every day.
Maybe truth is enough!
Let us Pray: God, give us truth, then
let us nest it. Amen.
Things ·have to
be right for
praise to
emerge. Or
so I think.
Praise God from Whom All Blessings
Flow (The Doxology)
I DON'T SEE MY homemaking as
compulsion ·so much as praise. It can
be compulsion: ask my husband. He is
convinced that I ha:ve a crazy space
inside my otherwise normal psyche.
It has to do wHh housekeeping and
homemaking and who pays attention
how. He works very hard at the
details and the dust, the diapers and
the dailiness of it all. But he still
drives me nuts. He can leave a coffee
pot turned on for hours and not noticed
that it is on. It can spill over on the
counter and, if he has · done his
"duty," he doesn't see the brown spots
on the space meant for cleanliness.
He does not see the house the way I
see the house. He doesn't even try.
And, sometimes, when I am into multiple
compulsions, like getting to
work on time, and 'he is home for the
day, I can tear into him like a seagi.iJJ
on an overpopulated island. The g~ll
rampages for her young when human
forms appear. I know why she does
this. She feels invaded at a biological
and spiritual interior level.
When my husband invades in one of
these "little" ways, I get into his
face. I get into his hair. I want to
scratch his eyes out. "You call this
clean? You call this finished? How
can you be so disrespectful of me and
my space?" That he does not see
pains me. It feels like he doesn't love
me. Since he ·does love me, these
accusations drive him slightly berserk.
Things have to be right for praise to
emerge.
Or so I think. I wonder what God
thinks about my proper praise.
Let us Pray: Teach us the power of
praise, 0 God. Let our beauty praise
You. And let our clutter join in the
act. Amen.
Faith in Daily Life
"-:~Afenl·people
more important
than beauty?
· Yes,
they are.
"goodness; how great is thy beautyc ·"
- Zechariah 9: 7
AT THE END OF THE day I want to
see the table set, new flowers .in the
jar, mail stacked nicely, phone messages
in a "regular" place, calm,
quiet, clean counters, and a place for
me to sit down. This desire seems
impossible in our home.
What really ,happens when I come
home is this. One of my three children
hits me with a pressing concern, to
which their father has already said
no . Another reports what happened
to him by virtue of the previous party's
injustice . A third · is surly and
wants to know why I am only paying
attention to the other two.
Warren tells me that so and so
called and must be called back asap.
One of the other ways my lover of 13
years and .I disagree is that he. gets
excited about other people's needs for
return phone calls. I don't. In my
u,nnested state, I can't afford to care. I
can't even think about them.
There is a way in which I am capable
of this level of family transition
and actual welcome. I can deal with
the people part, especially if the
place part is clear. I do, but I can't. I
act like I am but I don't. Inside
something is breaking. It is my homemaking,
high nesting, that is breaking
. It is the keeping of the house. It
is the way one task should be done
before another is completed. It is the
enemy of the Normal Rockwell in me.
It is a violation of my eye. I may be
hearing about the children and Warren
and patting the puppy but what I
am really thinking is when cart I
restore enough order to genuinely pay
attention to them. Goodness, how do
you connect? Aren't people more
important than beauty? Yes, they
are.
Let us Pray: Give .us Goodness first,
and let beauty attend it.
Tlie Rev. Donna E. Schaper is
Associate Conference Minister with
the Massachusetts Conference of the
United Ch11rcl1 of Christ.
PAGE 9 • SECOND STONE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
Monnonp residenwt omen
shouldst aya th ome
By Vern Anderson
Associated Press Writer
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Mormon
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley
says mothers should forego full-time
employment in favor of the childrearing
that makes women "the real
builders of the nation."
"It is well-nigh impossible to be a
full-time homemaker and a full-time
employee," Hinckley said Oct. 6 in a
sermon directed to the women of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
Hinckley said he realizes many
women are driven into the job market
by economic necessity. ·
"To you I say, do the very best you
can. I hope that if you are employed
full-time you are doing it to ensure
that basic needs are met and not
simply to indulge a taste for an elaborate
home, fancy cars and other
luxuries," he said.
Major points in Hinckley's address
on the final day of the church's 166th
Semfannual General Conference were
echoed by other leaders of the faith.
They emphasized men and women
since Adam and Eve have had different
but complementary roles.
Moreover, Hinckley said, although
women are forbidden the Mormon
priesthood, their contributions
"working hand in hand with the
priesthood" make them "an absolutely
essential part" of God's plan
for humankind. ·
"We sustain the priesthood and are
sustained by its power," said Elaine
L. Jack, general president of the
Relief Society, the church's women's
auxiliary . "The sisters of the church
... treasure our opportunity to be full
partakers of the spiritual blessings of
the priesthood."
Hinckley said he often is asked by
reporters about the role of women in a
church where only males 12 and older
hold offices in the lay priesthood.
"They do so in an almost accusatory
to.ne, as if we denigrate and demean
women," said Hinckley, 86, who
became president and prophet of the
church in March 1995.
"I invariably reply that I know of
no other organization in all the
world which affords women so many
opportunities for development, for
sociality, . for the accomplishment of
great good, for holding positions of
leadership . and responsibility," he ·
said.
Mormon women have leaders hip
roles in the Relief Society and organ-
SEE MORMONS, Page 24
Extremist groups spur statement
by church association
GREAT FALLS (AP) - Concerned that just and loving purpose" and repuextremist
groups have misrepre- diates "the teaching that God's love
sented Christian teachings, the Mon- in Christ is not inclusive of all human
tana Association of Churches has life."
issued a theological statement. The document says that: Racial
The association said the 81-day diversity is a gift of God, and there is
standoff between the Freemen and no basis for teaching that one race is
the FBI this year in eastern Montana superior to others; teaching hatred is
was a wake-up call, because it dehumanizing; and church and state
involved some "reinterpretations and are separate institutions, and God
co-op'tation of Christian teachings" has author ity over both. "We repuintended
to serve Freemen purposes . diate as false the teaching that joins
The church association has una- church and state in an unholy
nimously adopted a document titled alliance which tyrannizes people of
-~ ~''TexfofDeclaration on Distortions of diverse backgrounds."
the Christian Gospel." · The association represents 10 main-
It affirms "the sovereignty of God's line denominations .
-1'1AGE- 10 • S-ECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
By David O'Reilly
Philadelphia Inquirer
BY A WIDE MARGIN that surprised
even the bishop, the Episcopal
Diocese of Pennsylvania has
endorsed the blessing of gay and leibian
relationships.
A majority of the diocese's clergy
and lay delegates, meeting in diocesan
convention, have called on the
church ,to develop "a rite or rites for
the blessing of committed relationships
between persons of the same
sex."
The 176-96 vote, taken Nov. 9 at the
Cathedral Church of the Savior,
"was a surprise to me," said the Rev.
Allen Bartlett, diocesan bishop of
Pennsylvania, who like many other
clergy had expected the measure to
be decided by a much smaller margin.
Diocesan ,clergy voted 101-43 in
favor of the measure. Lay delegates,
who cast one vote for each parish,
voted 75-53 in favor. Both groups, pr
"orders," must approve a measure for
it to pass.
The 65,000-member diocese, which
includes 163 parishes and missions in
Philadelphia and the surrounding
area, will submit the resolution to
the Episcopal Church's general convention
when it meets here. in July.
If the general convention's House of
Bishops and House of Delegates vote
to approve this or a similar resol ution,
the church's Standing Liturgical
Commission will be asked to devise a
rite for blessing committed gay and
lesbian relationships.
Such a blessing would have no legal
standing unless' a state . legislature
chooses to recognize it.
If adopted, a same-sex liturgy rite
would most likely be included in the
Episcopal Church's Book of Occasional
Services, which includes prayers
and rites for such incidental ceremonies
as the blessing of a house or an
Advent wreath.
The Episcopal Church's traditional
wedding rite is included in the Book
of Common Prayer.
The Rev. David Moyer, rector of
Good Shepherd parish in Rosemont,
decried the vote. "It's just one more
step in the erosion of Christian morality
in the Episcopal Church,"
Moyer said.
"Church doctrine says either engage
in married heterosexuality or lead a
chaste life, but the diocese seems to
think the established, biblical historical
doctrines of the church are no
longer applicable .... We seem to
have two different religions under
one roof."
The vote was based "on emotion
rath .er than theology," complained
Moyer, _who also opposes the ordination
of women. "These people were
pleading: 'Yo!] have to understand
what my lover and I go through,
we're victimized people, we need
church affirmation.' How can I now
lecture young people and tell them
my diocese says fornication and sodomy
are not to be avoided?"
But the Rev. Ruth L. Kirk, cosubmitter
of the resolution, said that
a liturgy for committed gays and lesbians
is good and right. "The biggest
difference between me and David
Moyer is the way we look at
scripture," said Ms. Kirk.
"If I quote the Ol<l°Testament in
terms of condemnation of same-gender
sexual expression, I can also say
slavery is OK, masturbation is sinful;
multiple wives is OK. So we can't
develop Christian moral codes
purely on the moral codes of the first
century and before.
"As I said at the convention: Can
God. do a new thing? And can God use
the church to do. a new thing? For centuries
we have condemned gays and
lesbians. It is time to support committed,
loving relationships."
Catholibc ishope victsD ignity
chapters,u p[X)retsx ~gaym inistiy
LANSING, MICHIGAN DIOCESE
Catholic Bishop Carl Mengeling has ·
ousted at least two Dignity chapters
from churches under his control.
Mengeling has prohibited the Flint
and East Lansing chapters from using
church facilities for meetings or other
activities. The Flint chapter had
been meeting at St. Michael's
Catholic Churcl1 and the East Lansing
chapter had been using the facilities
at St. John's Student Parish on
the campus of Michigan State University.
In East Lansing the parish, with
strong support from Mengeling, has
started a chapter of Courage, an
organization that encourages
Catholic gays and lesbians to deny
their sexual orientation.
M ti MM f1iiM l @ii#ii# H@/ii9#iSIB/ti&b¼iiAAtffliii MM ®fifi@fki Uf¼!·'" Ji£ J#iA· u;;f 4f.;b1l National News
Archbishospa ysG uholicg roupc an'tm eeto nc hurchp roim)'
• DENVER (AP) - A nationai Catholic Stafford called on churches "lo
organization calling for renewal in
the church, including acceptance of
married priests and gay parishioners,
has been banned from church property
in northern Colorado.
We Are Church, which hopes lo
gather 1 million signatures in the
United States for a referendum calling
for sweeping changes . in the
Catholic church, will not be permitted
to hold meetings on church property.
In. an editorial in a late-October
issue of Denver Catholic Register
newspaper, Archbishop J. Frands
refrain from or cease any activity
which promotes or supports" the
group.
Stafford, who was scheduled to
assumJ a new job in November at the
Vatican, wrote that We Are Church
"is a creature of contemporary political
culture."
"The church cannot reinvent or
reconstruct herself. We Are Church is
founded on the polarization of disc
sent," wrote Stafford, who becomes
the first high-ranking U.S. bishop to
forcefully condemn We Are Church.
Fran Maier, Stafford's spokesman,
Church with gay-affirming maverick
. minister goes independent
SPRING LAKE, Mich. (AP) - The
Reformed.Church in America has formally
severed ties with a large
Ottawa County congregation and its
·minister, who was reprimanded . for
views on salvation and scripture.
Christ Community Church, about 30
miles west of Grand Rapids, can
become independent after a vote Oct.
1 by regional church leaders.
'Tm not saddened one bit," said the
Rev. Richard Rhem, 61, pastor of
Christ Community.
"I think that all of this has
revealed that the Reformed Church
in America, as it's conceived here
locally, is a house. in which I
obviously cannot dwell," he said.
"There is no doubt we have
suffered," Rhem said of his church.
"But the solid core is there, the spirit
~ hlgh~ .
Witl1 3,500 members - about 1,800
active -. Christ Community is among
the largest in the Reformed Church in
America.
Rhem and his supporters say he was
targeted because he opened Christ
Community to a gay group last year.
Rhem has also said that homosexual
acts are not sins because homosexuality
occurs naturally and is not a
choice.
In February, regional church leaders
meeting in Muskegon called for
Rhem's "peaceful separation" unless
he recanted. He didn't. In May, the
church voted to become independent.
The congregation can keep the
church, property and $1.3 million
mortgage. Rhem said he will pursue
an alliance with a different denomination.
''I'm glad to see this, although I
don't necessarily agree with all the
wording," said Howard Connell, an
elder at Fifth Reformed Church of
Muskegon. "We spent a year strug
·gling over this. It has not benefited
any of us or the church of Jesus
Christ." ·
A first for Toledo: lesbian ordination
TOLEDO, Ohio - About 55 people
gathered Nov. 10 to watch the Rev.
"Elder Wilhelmina Hein lay . her
hands on Elaine Thomas's head and
ordain her to the ministry . As average
as the players and roles might
have seemed, the event was a first
for Toledo. Ms. Thomas, pastor at the
Good Samaritan Parish Metropolitan
Community Church, is "the most 'out'
lesbian in town," she said.
As far as they know, no other lesbian
has been ordained in the city.
Ms. Thomas's ordination in the little
stone cllurch in the Old West End
passed with little notice, as intended.
The music, smiles and dancing
were in the building, as members of a
"safety team" watched the doors.
In her two years of ministry here,
she said, no one has threatened her or
held. protests outside the building.
Help from the church is welcomed at
social service and ecumenical projects.
But the Old We&t End is known for its
liberal attitudes. In another neighborhood,
the church might not fare so
well, she said.
'Toledo isn't overtly · hostile to us,"
Ms. Thomas said. 'We're tolerated
more than accepted."
said the archbishop's editorial
doesn't mention any punishment for
disobeying his order because "the
assumption is that the people will
cooperate."
■
We Are Church supporters are
"The church cannot
reinvent or
reconstruct herself.
We Are Church
is founded on the
polarization
of dissent."
■
enraged over the editorial, saying
they are faithful Catholics and have
a right to discuss church rules.
"What's he going to doto me? Arrest
me?" said Clare Harris, the group's
coordinator in Colorado, of Stafford's
order.
The group announced plans to gather
signatures in May. Maier said the
archbishop is reacting only now
because he has been busy with other
things and needed to clarify his stand
for the administrator who will
succeed him in the interim, before a
new archbishop is named for Denver.
The referendum for which the group
is seeking signatures is similar to ones
signed by Austrian and German
Catholics in last year.
More than 500,000 Austrians and 1.8
million German Catholics called on
the Vatican to talk about relaxing
church rules.
The referendum calls for a dialogue
on ordaining women and married men,
lay involvement in naming pastors
and bishops and welcoming gays in
the church. Several national polls
have shown that high percentages of
Catholics would accept female priests
and married priests.
We Are Church, formed specifically
to gather the signatures, is supported
by several organizations, including
Call to Action,· which has been
banned in the Lincoln, Neb., diocese.
Catholics there who hold membership
in Call to Action were told they
are excommunicated.
"What he did was an outrage," said
Sister Maureen Fiedler, head of We
Are Church in Fairfax, Va.
"He's treating Catholics in Denver
like children."
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PAGE 11 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
Natio nal News ESW!h rrifiilfo#iit-i! "'ii ¥W#iiii¥iliFNfi9Wk!/'1<1@@¥YWM¥ fi¥¥ii4iif##4¥fi .;f i&;Fii#½i-MJ
Q)nseivative Methooist group challenges Reconciling
Congregations Program; SUPJX)rts ex-gay ministiy
A BELIEF THAT the United Methodist
Church is embroiled in a state of
confusion about its identity and mission
has led the board of directors of
Good News, an evangelical group
within the denomination, to issue and
adopt a document entitled "A Resolu- ·
tion to a Church in Crisis."
The resolution, which calls the
church "to repentance and recommitment
to ourl.ord's commission to make
disciples," was adopted during a
meeting of the 40-member board Sept.
25-27 in Wilmore, Ky., the headquarters
for the caucus.
Good News is also the name of the
caucus' magazine that is selfdescribed
as a "forum for Scriptural
Christianity within the United
Methodist Church."
The resolution calls on the United
Methodist Council of Bishops "to
adhere to, in practice as well as in
teaching, the doctrinal standards and
moral principles of the church ." The
resolution asks any bishop not willing
to uphold United Methodist principles
to "step down from their episcopal
office."
Meeting for the first time since the
1996 United Methodist General Conference,
the board adopted the call to
Couldn't get a call 30 years ago
Woman installed as Methodist
bishop for New England
BOSTON (AP) - The first woman
bishop of the New England Conference
of the United Methodist Church
was installed in a ceremony Sept. 21
as the new head of 600 churches with
116,000 congregants in five states.
The Rev . Susan Wolfe Hassinger, 53,
was welcomed at a ceremony in Marsh
Chapel at Boston University. She
replaces Bishop F. Herbert Skeete.
Hassinger had a - long wait. No
church would take her when she was
Ecumenical & Inclusive
We are a Christian community of men
and women from various Catholic and
Protestant traditions involved in minstries
of love, compassion and reconciliation.
We live and work in the world,
supporting ourselves and our ministries
and are inspired by the spirit of St.
Francis and St Clare. We are not
canonically affiliated with any denomination.
For more information or a copy of our
newsletter, Footsteps, please write us:
Vocation Director
Dept . 55, PO Box 8340.
New Orleans, LA 70182
Mercy of God Community
• • • •
ordained as a minister 30 years ago,
even with a master's degree in d_ivinity
.
"They said they could not find a
place for me as a woman," she said.
Finally, Hassinger was posted to a
small church in eastern Pennsylvania,
then rose through the ranks until
she was named to .the New England
job.
"One of the key issues is not
wheth er women are to be p laced in
churches, ,but what kind of churches,"
Hassinger told The Boston Globe .
"Many times it's acceptable for
women to be placed in smaller congregations
or to receive lower salaries,
but it's not acceptable for them to be
senior pastors at larger congregations
or to _be in larger administrative positions.
1'
Next year, the New England Conference
is scheduled to vote on whether
to publicly welcome gay and lesbian
worshipers. ,,,11~
• t•o111es
of this
issue of
Second
Stone .
Ideal for
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groups
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the church and its leadership to show
"a deep concern" about the church
related to the issue of homosexuality .
In the resolution, board members said
that some leaders in the denomination
have views and beliefs "contrary
to Wesleyan theology and the Articles
of Religion."
According to outgoing board Chairman
. Donald Shell of Lake Junaluska,
N.C., the entire meeting "was dominated
by an intense, prayerful concern
for the unity of the denomination ."
He recalled that in 1976, the Good
News organization was accused of
being divisive by making homosexuality
an issue for the church . "Today,
the leadership of our church is keeping
this divisive issue before the
church," he accused.
During the meeting, Good News,
through its ~oard of directors, went on
record, "officially" challenging the
Reconciling Congregation Program
and "its theological validity." The
program is a moveme11t of churches
and congregations working for the full
inclusion of gays and lesbians into the
life of the church.
The directors took the approach in
response to those annual conferences
that have embraced the RCP and are
designated as "reconciling conferences."
According to the board, the RCP is
"contradictory to church law; but
more importantly, it promotes a counterfeit
gospel of grace without repentance,
and salvation without transformation.".
According to the Rev. James V. Heidinger
II, Good News president and publisher,
the RCP "ignores th e
actions of the last seven general conferences
and reflects irreconcilable
difference in the church in this issue."
The board unanimously voted to
become a 'Transforming Congregations
Board" in support of the ministry
of Transforming Congregations,
because the program "offers a warm
and welcoming place for those struggling
with homosexuality, including
friends and family members of strug-
SEE EX-GAY, Page 24
MCC victim of hate crime
GREAT FALLS, Mont. - The Metropolitan
Community Churcl1 was the
focus of a hate crime, officials said
Sept. 24 . Earlier in the week, silver
_graffiti was sprayed on the front door
and north wall of the church. It
included the symbol "666," a swastika,
a five-pointed star surrounded by
a circle, and other markings on the
north wall and an upside down cross
on the front door.
• The graffiti is similar to that
sprayed on the Mount Olive Christian
Fellowship church last year .
Mount Olive's congregations is mostly
black. Vandals sprayed "666 No niggers"
and other racial slurs on the
door and stoop of the church . The
incident outraged community and
church leaders, and the congregation
and local residents held a rally
decrying the vandalism.
No arrests have been m!lde in either
case.
The Great Falls interfaith community
rallied around the MCC. The
church received supportive letters
from the Bishop of the Eastern Montana
Diocese of the Roman Catholic
Church and the Great Falls Ministerial
Association.
The Rev. Gina Hartung, minister of
the Metropolitan Community Church,
says there could be a correlation between
the two acts .
"I think this is a statement against
gay and lesbi~n people," Hartung
said. She had been featured in local
news stories voicing her opposition to
the Defense of Marriage Act.
The desecration of any church is
deplorable, said Mount Olive's minister,
the Rev. Phillip Caldwell.
"To single out any group of people for
condemnation is abhorrent," Caldwell
said.
"I think you can assume it's likely
the same people," said Ken Toole,
director of the Montana Human
Rights Network in Helena, which
monitors hate crimes.
Toole said individuals or groups
with strong racist views are also
extremely homophobic. "It isn't surprising
that you see the same kind of
targeting against a gay church as
well as a black church," Toole said.
About 100 people turned out for a
rally and work day to dean up the
graffiti. Several businesses in the
Great Falls community donated paint
and supplies to take care of the damage
and other organizations donat e d
money to help with repairs . Local
clergy attending the rally included
some Methodist ministers, two
Catholic priests, a Lutheran pastor
and the president of the Montana
Association of Clergy .
I Af~t+ +ua@ ,S@#ffii#iP§ili@!i#J ?MW;.;;;;w tiSN4i?i:4 i&M,&lt4 ~2WM&#:iiiiiiif i¥iiM Nat:onal News
Alaska American Baptists admonish gay-affinning church
AN ALASKA BAPTIST organization
is considering yet another "disfellowshipping"
of a church that welcomes
and affirms gay and lesbian people .
The Alaska Association of Baptist
Churches and Institutions s~rved
notice to the Church of the Covenant
in Palmer, Alaska to conform to
national denominational standards
regarding homosexuality or face being
kicked out of the association.
The "admonishing" action was taken
October 8, at the annual meeting of
the AABCI at the True Victory Baptist
Church, near North Pole, Alaska.
The Church of the Covenant is a
charter member of the Association of
Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, a
national organization of American
Baptist churches that both welcome
and affirm gay, lesbian, and bisexual
persons in their congregations.
Earlier this year, a Welcoming and
Affirming American Baptist Church
in Granville, Ohio, and four American
Baptist churches in California were
disfellowshipped from regional associations.
In a motion that Rev. Evan Jones of
Fairbanks called "an effort toward
reconciliation," the association
"admonished the Church of the Covenant
to accept the stand of the General
Board of American Baptist
Churches/USA and the Alaska Association
of Baptist Churches and Institutions,
(the practice of homosexuality
is incompatible with Christian
teaching), and if they choose not to
accept this standard, that they ·
Catholic bishop attends funeral of fonner
priest who died of AIDS
TAMP A, Fla. (AP) - Dozens of fellow
priests and a Roman Catholic bishop
came together to celebrate the life of
a 36-year-old priest who lost his battle
with .AIDS. .
Michael Downing, who served three
Tampa area parishes, died Sept. 3.
Bishop Robert Lynch of the Catholic
Diocese of St. Petersburg presided
over the . funeral Mass Sept. 6 at
Christ the King Catholic Church.
Lynch could have taken a low profile
in Downing's death. A priest
with AIDS can be embarrassing to a
church that requires celibacy of its
clergy, and preaches that homosexuality
is a sin.
Instead, the bishop decided his role
as spiritual leader for area Catholics
was to show compassion:
''Bishop Lynch is breaking the mold.
We applaud him for that," said Marianne
Duddy of Dignity/USA. "More
bishops need to take this kind of pastoral
·stance."
Downing learned he had the HIV
virus that causes AIDS in 1990. He
requested a leave of absence and
moved into a Davis Islands apartment
with his partner. He took a job
as a librarian with Hillsborough
County .
"He didn't wanUo cause any scandal
or embarrassment to the church,"
said his father, John, a retired
engineer. "We didn't even know he
was gay until he left the priesthood .
It's something we had to come to
terms with."
"Michael always saw himself as ·a
child of God," said the Rev. Tom
Madden of Tampa, a longtime friend.
"Until the day he died, he was
always a priest in his heart."
r
South Carolina church wins wning battle
THE METRO POLIT AN Community
Church of Greenville, S.C. has won a
zoning battle to move into a new
building after first being told by a
city board that they .could not move
their church into a historic residential
neighborhood.
"It certainly is an exciting time for
us," said Rev. Mick Hins~n, pastor of
the church. ''There is much to be done
betwe en now and the day we move
into the building ." The congregation
planned to move in by Thanksgiving.
When the church bought an old
school a year ago and began renovating,
the city's Board of Zoning Adjustments
would not approve a permit
becaus e they said the use of the
buildii1g as a church would bring too
much traffic to the area. But church
members suspected their sexual orientation
was the real issue when Rev, J.
Allen Smith of nearby Central Baptist
Church spoke out against them.
"Many have grown frustrated and
angry," Hinson said. "Some have left
altogether and we hope they will
return." The church endured two zoning
hearings and a round in court
before be ing granted use of their
building .
Church members began dreaming
about the p ossib ilit¥ of purchasing
their own worship space over two
years ago.
clearly identify their views and
actions as their own as opposed to the
stand of American Baptist
Churches/USA and the Alaska Association
of Baptist Churclies and Institutions
."
In the discussions that preceded the
action, Rev. Gary Gilm·an, pastor of
the First American Baptist Church of
Anchorage, made it clear that his
goal was to remove the Church of the
Covenant from the fellowship . However,
Rev . Earl Clark, moderator of
the AABCI and pastor of the Community
Baptist Church of Kodiak,
cautioned that the bylaws of the
organization did not give clear
authority to disfellowship a cliurch.
Clark was then directed to appoint a
committee to propose bylaw amendments
that would clarify the author ity
and procedure to disfellowship .
Moderator Clark appointed a corlunittee
and asked them to report back to
AABCJ in April of next year.
The delegates to the meeting from
the Church of the Covenant cast two
of only three votes against the
"admonish" resolution.
The Rev. Howard Bess, pastor of the
Church of the Covenant and author of
the book, "Pastor, I Am Gay,"
attende.d the meeting and made it
known to the association tha ·t the
Church of the Covenant would stick to
its position. "We are firmly committed
to the cause of justice for gay
people," said Bess.
The issue of homosexuality and the
Church of the Covenant first emerged
in the AABCI in April of this year
when Rev. Helen Phillips of Fairbanks,
the Alaska representative to
the General Board of. the American
Baptist Churches/USA, said that the
church had "become an embarrassment
to the denomination."
A resolution was then adopt ed by
AABCI that states "the practice of
homos exuality is incompatible with
Christian teaching." A three-person
committee, made of Rev. Alonzo Patterso
n of Shiloh Missionary Baptist
Church in Anchorage, Rev. Earl Clark ·
of Kodiak, and Rev. Evan Jones of
Fairbanks, was appointed to meet
with repr esentatives of the Church of
the Covenant to"bring the Church of
the Covenant into accountability." A
meeting was held in September.
"It was obvious to all in attendance
that the differences were not reconcilable,"
said Bess.
Presbyterian church leader urges
'cease-fire' in disputes over gays
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - The top
elected official of the Presbyterian
Church (USA) says church leaders
should declare a cease-fire in disputes
over homosexuality that he
says threaten to divide the denomination.
"We do not agree at all about what
the Bible means on this issue," said
John Buchanan of Chicago, elected
moderator of the 3 million-member
denomination this year.
''The question becomes for me: 'Can
we find some way to live with that
diversity or must we resolve the issue
in a way ... that divides us?"' he
said.
· Buchanan spoke Oct. 15 to members
of the Foothills Presbytery, which
represents 21,000 members in 65
churches .
In the coming months, presbyteries
nationwide will vote on whether to
amend the church's constitution to
require that ministers be faithful in a
marriage between a man and a woman
or live· in chastity if single.
The church already has a policy
statement that bars practicing gays
from ordinaJion, but its Book of Order
does not include such a restriction.
Buchanan said .Presbyterians traditionally
interpret passages in context
with the whole Bible and · through
debat e within the church.
• "Everybody knows that if you are
willing to simply pick things out of
the text you can pretty much find justification
for whatever position you
want to take on any given issue," he
said.
..
Catchup
on the
newsyou
missed!
New subscribers can order a complete
set of six back iss ues - and read-up on
a years worth of information of ·
interest to gay and lesbian Christians.
See the order fonn on Page 22.
PAGE 13 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
Catholic Chmch agrees to
disc~ a8JroS of legal prqject
aoout same-sex marriage
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (ALC) - The
Catholic Church abandoned its refusal
lo address the issue of same-sex
marriage and agreed lo discuss some
aspects of a legal project being
debated in Brazilian Congress about
the civil marriage· of people of the
same sex.
There are, however, some points
which are non-negotiable, said journalist
Elton Bozello from the social
communication area of the Brazilian
Bishops' Conference in the southern
region of Porto Alegre. The church, for
example is opposed to the adoption of
children by gay couples and that said
unions be defined as marriages and
their members given the status as
spouses.
In a declaration before a Federal
Chamber Commission, the Rev.
Lenard Martin, president of the Brazilian
Moral Theology Society, proposed
stipulating a minimum age of 25
for the union of homosexuals and
excluding the word marriage from the
legal project presented by Congresswoman
Marla Suplicy ofthe Workers
Party of Sao Paulo.
The Rev. Martin did not explicitly
request that the adoption of children
on the part of gay couples be excluded
from the project, but did call on legislators
to reflect about whether or not
a gay household would be an appro- ·
priale erivironmenl lo bring up child-
/
ren.
This change of attitude on the part
of the Catholic church, up to now
vehemently opposed to discussing the
project, was explained by the General
Secretary of the Bishops' Conference
Raymundo _Camasceno. According to
■
This change of attitude
on the part of the Catho~
church ... was explained
. by the General Secretary
of the Bishops' Conference
Raymundo Camasceno
... in order to avoid a ·
greater evil, it would toF
erate a lesser one.
■ Camasceno, in order to avoid a
greater evil, it would tolerate a lesser
one.
The Bishops' Council also indicated
that if the project was submitted to
vote in the Chamber plenary, legisla-.
tors of good conscience should reject it.
However, if there is no way to avoid
the approval of said law, they
should expr!!ss their repudiation and
·. attempt to limit their prejudices as
much as possible.
Church of Wal~ approv~
onlination of women
Welsh Anglicans isolated from the
rest of the church. The Church of England,
the Church of Ireland and the
Scottish Episcopal Church have
already ordained women to the
priesthood.
THE CHURCH OF Wales approved
the ordination of women to . the
priesthood on Sept. 19 by the neces.
sary two-thirds vote. Bishops and
laity voted in favor of the change two
years ago but it failed with clergy.
This lime ii passed, but by a single
vote among clergy.
It is estimated that nearly 80 women
· deacons will be ordained in Wales in
the corning months. Archbis~op of Wales Alwyn Rice
Jones said that continuing to oppose
women in the priesthood would leave j
- Episcqpal News Service
PAGE 14 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER. 1996
/
Churches told to put aside
differen~ on sexuality
·tofightAIDS
By Stephen Brown
Ecumenical News International
GENEVA - Churches world-wide
have been challenged lo put aside
their theological and ethical differences
about sexuality and become
"actively involved in the global
struggle against AIDS."
The response of the churches - "by
and large" - to · the impact of
HNI AIDS "has been inadequate and
has, in some cases, made the problem
worse," according lo a major report,
two-and-a-half years in the making,
drawn up for the World Council of
Churches.
Many churches have shown "courage
and commitment" in their work with
people living with HIV/ AIDS, but
others, according lo the report, "have
helped lo discriminate against persons
affected by HIV/ AIDS, thus
adding to their suffering."
Christoph Benn, moderator of the
WCC consultative group that drew up
the report, told a meeting Sept. 14 in
Geneva of the WCC's central committee
that the world was wailing "for
encouraging words from the
churches."
The World Co~cil of Churches has
330 member churches around the
world from the main non-Catholic
traditions, with widely differing
views on sexual ethics.
After a meeting in January 1994 of
the WCC's central committee which
accepted that WCC member churches
had "difficult ethical dilemmas" in
responding to HIV/ AIDS a study was
commissioned on the theological and
ethical dimensions of HIV/ AIDS and
"how the pandemic affects the
human community particularly in the
area of sexuality."
Benn, a German Lutheran theologian
and medical doctor, said that while
many churches and Christians had
made a positive contribution in the
pastoral care o( •those living with
HIV/ AIDS, others had contributed to
a climate · of "disa,imination, misinformation
and fear."
But the report was challenged by a
prominent Russian Orthodox leader,
Metropolitan i<irill of Smolensk, who
said . that it seemed to "avoid the
question · of personal ethics and per
·sonal sinfulness."
Metropolitan Kirill said that the
report seemed to find the reason for
"sexual wickedness" only in social
conditions. He then spoke of God having
"punished human beings."
According lo the report, the fact
that homosexual men in industrialized
countries were among the first to
be affected by HIV/ AIDS, followed
by intravenous drug users, had led to
prejudices that "are still alive today,
despite the fact that more and more
groups are being affected," including
women, children, heterosexuals, and
those who have not been sexually
active.
"Sadly," the report says, "many
Christians and some churches shared
in the promotion of negative, judgmental
and condemnatory attitudes."
The report points out that, according
lo- World Health Organization
figures, by rnid-1994 about 80 percent
of all cases of AIDS w ere in lessindustrialized
countries - 60 percent in
sub-Saharan Africa, 15 percent in
Latin America and the Caribbean,
and six percent in Asia.
"Globally speaking" heterosexual
contact accounts for 70 percent of HIV
infections, homosexual contact for 15
percent, injecting drug-use for seven
percent and the transfusion of blood
and blood products for five percent.
However, transmission patterns are
not uniform, since heterosexual transmission
accounts for 90 percent of
infections in sub-Saharan Africa and
in Asia, and only 10 percent in North
America and Europe.
But the link between "sexual promiscuity"
and HIV transmission between
heterosexuals has "entrenched
self-righteous, negat ive judgments
about people living with HIV/
AIDS," the report says .
The report points to a variety of
measures that can be taken by
churches to "stand with persons who
are affected by HIV/ AIDS" including
working for better medical care and
improved counseling services; defending
basic human rights; ensuring that
accurate factual information is available
within the church and lo the
general public; and ensuring that "a
climate of understanding and compassion
prevails."
Churches are also urged lo
"recognize the linkage between AIDS
and poverty, and- to advocate measures
to promote just and sustainable
development" given that nine out of
ten people with HIV live in areas
where poverty, the subordinate status
of women and children, and discrimination
are prevalent.
Transgendered Christians
FromPage7
time to time? Yet, our own already
internalized and culturally instilled
sense of guilt, often reinforced by our
socioreligious teachings, simply
would not allow that to occur on any
sort of regular basis Jor most of us.
It is this rigidity, this mindset, this
paradigm of behavior that so often
creates the cognitive dissonance that
many transgendered Christians
experien ce in their lives, and the
spiritual confusion and anxiety that
results is typically to be expected.
After all, if one feels an intrinsic need
to somehow defy the institutional- ·
ized and systemic conventions that
one has internalized all one's life,
the result is almost bound to be a
heightened sense of psychological,
emotional, and spiritual difficulty,
anxiety, and/ or distress. It is this
sense of uneasiness or discomfort that
psychology calls dysphoria. It is certainly
true that many · transgendered
persons who are not Chr1stians suffer
from cognitive dissonance or gender
dysphoria as a result of their :secular
socialization process (Christians
have never had a monopoly oh'suffering,
especially suffering that arises
out of the complexities surrounding
our society's gender expectations), but
it does appear to me. that transgendered
Christi~ns carry· sffmelh.ing of a
"double . whammy" in- that we are
often discriminated against, not only
by society in general, but by the
church - our spiritual heritage - in
particular. It is ironic and very saddening
that the institution of the
church, which was intended by God to
be a source of strength; comfort,
acceptance, and ·Jove· for . all human
beings, has _ through the cen.turies
become instead a bulwark of .intolerance,
prejudice, and bigotry toward
those it arbitrarily considers to be
outside the pale of "righteousness" as
defined by a literalistic and -legalistic
interpretation · of Scripture and
traditionally based doctrine.
The crux of the issue for the transgendered
Christian is the matter of
distinguishing between the concepts
of the Mosaic law, as exemplified by
the legalistic tenets espoused in the
Old Testament, and the good news of
the Gospel, which God has freely
offered to us as a result · of Jesus' sacrifice
on our behalf . The law cannot
save us. We fallible human beings can
• never completely or adequately fulfill
the requirements of the Old Testament
law, and so basing our relationship
with God on our compliance
with the law is a fruitless and
ultimately condemning e.ndeavor .
The law indeed condemns, while the
Gospel of Jesus Christ is our only
legitimate hope of salvation and recondliation
with our Creator . Our sal- ·
vation does not depend on something
we do, and therefore attempting to
. keep the law is pointless. Rather,
the saving of our souls and tl~e establishment
of a right relationship with
God is totally dependent upon our ·
acceptance of what Jesus has already
done for us . in our stead. .
The church often tries to place arbitrary
stipulations upon us and
attempts to set up a series of qualifying
steps that we must complete
before we can be deemed "worthy" of
having a relationship with God .
This usually includes the relinquishment
and complete denial of our transgender
behaviors and desires. There
are those who actually believe that
we should be able to "pray away" our
intrinsic need to express our differently
gendered selves! Let me assure
one and all that it is not feasible,
realisfic, or even healthily desirable
to t_ry ridding ourselves of something
that is an important, even intrinsic
part of what we are as human beings.
As we attempt to comprehend the
depth of the relationship that we are
entitled to possess in God through the
sacrifice·ofJesus on our behalf, we can
learn to appreciate ourselves as
unique, special creations of that God.
Transgendered persons have a multitude
of reasons to be grateful for,
happy in, and proud of who and what
we are. Of these reasons, the most
important one is the fact that God
loves us just as we are, and we can thus
be empowered to reach out in love
toward others as well as to ourselves.
Love is tne only thing that will last
- throughout eternity, love will
always be the one constant. Hatred,
. bigotry, prejudice and intolerance are,
by their very nature, doomed and -will
eventually die; those actions and
attitudes are ultimately rooted in
spiritual death.
May aH transgendered persons who
call ourselves Christians learn to
embrace and then fully, openly
express the love of God toward others
and toward ourselves with pride,
dignity and self-respect in every part
of our existence.
Vanessa S. is t~e author of "The
Cross and the Crossdresser: Personal
Reflections On Crossdressing From A
Christian Perspective" and a forthcoming
book, "Cross Purposes: On
Being Christian and c_rossgendered."
She is active in transgender community
educational outreach in the St.
Paul, Minn. area and is recognized
nationally within the transgender
community for her work in the area of
Christian spirituality.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER '96 OlITJIBACH PARTNER REPORT
Secon~ St?ne's Ou_treach Partner : program wraps up its first full year with the
Nov/Dec 96 issue, wh1~h ." the first issue of our ninth year as a national publication
for ~ay and lesbian Chnshans . The Jan/Feb '97 issue will be our 50th issue anniversary.
.
. The Nov/Dec '96 ·issue of Second· Stone was distributed free in eight comm~nities by
eight Out_reach Partners. One thousand fifty copies were distributed, down from the
1200 copies of the Sept/Oct issue distributed by seven Outreach Partners.
Partners considering outreaching with the Jan/Feb ·•97 issue should hav.e their free
ad to us by December 15, 1996. (Ad size is 2 lit' wide by 3" tall.) Be sure to include
m your ad. your logo, address and phone, service or meeting· times, -and A CALL TO
A~ION hke "Come visit us at..."" or "Call for information about.."
In d_etermining the number of copies you need, consider stacking 10-20 copies at
gay pnde events, PFLAG meetings, gay bars, etc. Multiply every location you think
of by at least 15. And remember how advertising works. Most often it takes 100
· people to see your ad before you get your first "s•ponse. And rem~mber how outreach
works. You may not get a response right away. You are planting seeds.
The Outreach Partner program is a community fund which looks like this right now:
Church of the Resurrection MCC
First Congregational UCC
EXffiNSIB
MARCH/APRIL '96
200 copies
100 copies
MAY/JUNE '96
Church of the Holy Spirit MCC
Freedom in Christ Evangelical Church
St Peter's St Andrew's Episcopal
Church of the Resurrection MCC
Community Gospel Church
100 copies
250 copies
200 copies
200 copies
100 copies
75 copies
150 copies
200 copies
50 copies
Mercy. of God Community
MCC Bridgeland Logan
Rev. Pamela White
W&A Baptists
JULY/AUGUST '96
Holy Trinity Community Church 100 copies
Irvine United Church of Christ 100 copies
Abiding Peace Lutheran Church 200 copies
Liberty Community Church 100 copies
W &A Baptists 250 copies
Church of the Holy Spirit MCC 100 copies
Thirdffrinity Lutheran Church 100 copies
Church of the Resurrection MCC 200 copies
. SEPfEMBER/OCTOBER '96
Thirdffrinity Lutheran Church 100 copies
Community Gospel Church 100 copies
Holy Trinity Church (Memphis) 100. copies
Abiding Peace Lutheran Church 200 copies
Other Sheep Richmond 150 copies
First Congregational UCC 100 copies
52.80
30:31
20.48
57.07
41.07
38.50
20.48
17.05
34.14
28.40
15.10
22.86
26.47
45.12
33.81
58.90
23.79
23.79
45.12
26.94
26.94
26.01
51.42
39.02
29.92
Holy Trinity Church (Dallas) 500 copies 123.47
TOTAL EXPENSES 958.68
Community Gospel Church
Name of Jesus Church
O)NTRJBUTIONS
Sl Peter's St Andrew's Epis
Mercy of God Community
Church of the Holy Spirit MCC
Thirdffrinity Lutheran Church
Community Gospel Church
Irvine United Church Christ
Rev. Pamela White
First Congregational UCC
Abiding Peace Lutheran Church
MCC Bridgeland Logan Vf .
Holy Trinity Com~unity Church
W&A Baptists
Community Gospel Church
Martin Matson
Anonymous
Irvine United Church of Christ
Abiding P~ce Luthe .ran Church
Dayspring Christian Fellowship
Celebration of Faith Center
25.00
25.00
41.07
17.05
25.00
25.00
25.00
21.00
50.00
30.31
45.12
34.f4
22.86
74.00
25.00
25.00 ·
25.00
3.00
51.42
25.00
25.00
Tar AL O)NTRJBUTIONS 639.'T/
EXPENSES LESS OONTRIBUflONS (318.'.71)
Please support the Outreach Partner program fund in whatever way you are able. If
your church or organization would like to participate in this program please call
(504)899-4014, write to P.O. Box 8340, New Orleans. LA 70182 or e-mail
secstone@aol.com.
PAGE 15 ·• SEC.ONO STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
AIDS Warriors & Heroes
O.yxovan
New AIDS drug helps
woman reclaim life
By Bob Bestler
The Myrtle Beach Sun News
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Rosemary
Cooper learned in 1990 that she had
contracted the AIDS virus and for the
next six years she watched her life
parents, who still lived in Nesmith,
took Cooper's 7-ycar-old son to live
with them.
"That did not suit me or him," she
said. "My goal was to get back where
he was, so I decided to move back
there ."
She returned to Nesmith in Decem- slip steadily out of reach .
"I was fine until about two years ber, unable to do much on her own .
ago," she said. "In 1994, I started get- She kept in touch with old friends
ting chronic bronchitis and neuro- back in Virginia and soon one of them,
pathy in my legs. 1 had a lack of ener- another AIDS patient who had been
gy, and pain . Then I started getting ■
migr<1ine headaches - severe
migraine he<1daches."
Cooper, 39, was working at the time
as a teen-age pregnancy prevention
counselor for the Alexandria, Va.,
Health Department.
" .. .I thank God just
for the fact that I am
able to wake up again
with no aches and
pains."
She is a native of Nesmith, a small
Williamsburg County town near Kingstree.
She graduated from the University
of Vermont with a degree in
educational psychology . ■
As the AIDS virus began to take plagued by severe headaches, began
over her life, she ·eventually had to to sing the praises of a new drug.
stop working and go on permanent dis- She urged Cooper to try it.
ability from the state of Virginia. The drug was a protease inhibitor
On Oct. 16, 1995 - Cooper remembers called Cryxovan.
the date well - her migraines were It is being heralded as near miracufinally
out of control, and she was lous. Davis himself is as optimistic as
admitted to the emergency room at a he has ever been,
nearby Maryland hospital. "It has the potential of turning
"They ran tests and thought I had AIDS into a treatable chronic dismeningitis,"
she said. "It turned out to ease, much like diabetes," Davis
be cryptococcal meningitis." said.
Bill Davis of SOS Health Care said According to some accounts, doctors
cryptococcal meningitis is one of the are beginning to think the oncemost
severe illnesses a person can unthinkable: Is a cure for AIDS near?
have. "It is a fungus 'that eats away Even the low-key Cooper cannot conat
the brain," he said. "It can often be lain herself when talking about Cryxfa
tal." ovan.
It took 25 days of constanthospital "I started taking it about five
care, but Cooper managed to survive. months ago. At the time, I could
"l got o~e.r it, but I was still pretty barely get out of .the bed in the mornweak
when I left the hospital," she ing because of all the aches and
said. pains."
"I lost a lot of weight, about 20 And now?
pounds, and looked preity bad. I "Now, I'm more optimistic than ever
looked like a person witli AIDS," she - before," she said. "I don't set the
said . "It was 'unmistakable . A bony alarm, but I wake up every morning.
face. Skinny. Dark skin. I stopped And every day, I thank God just for
looking in the mirror for a while." the fact that I ·am able to wake up
With her reluctant permission, her again with no aches and pains."
PAGE 16 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
Physcian one of_few (ll@.l
doctors specializing in AIDS
JESUP, Ga. (AP) - Claire Hicks was
pursuing a dream when she set up a
medical practice in obstetrics near the
Georgia coast - where her family
wanted to live the small-town life
and a place the practice was needed.
"I wanted to deliver lots of babies,"
she said .
Her focus shifted after she encountered
a gay couple in 1988 - from
delivering babies to treating A.IDS
patients.
Today, she has a reputation as one
of the few such doctors in rural Georgi
a .
With a practice including about 40
AIDS patients, Ms . Hicks also participates
in an AIDS-care program serving
a 16-county area. Her duties
involve regular trips to see more than
100 patients in Douglas, Vidalia and ·
Statesboro who have AIDS or HIV.
That first couple in 1988 showed her
the need ,
"They wanted to stay in town and
get their care," Ms. Hicks said. "But I
felt like I wasn't ready to take .them
on in their late stages of HIV."
The 42-year-old mother of two
daughters was walking into an area
of medicine she knew little about.
After agreeing with the couple that
she would learn about AIDS as she
went along, she spent the next four
years absorbing all she could . One
partner lived until 1991, the other
until 1992. ·-
" At first I had a lot of anger toward
the disease and the epidemic," she
said. "Now I look at it as an opportunity
to learn a lot of stuff about the
folks I see in my practice."
Word spread quickly that she was
. accepting patients . At the same time,
there was an upsurge of A.IDS. In January
1987, Georgia had 615 diagnosed
AIDS cases. As of June, there were
15,630, half of which has resulted in
death .
Helen Wildes, spokeswoman for the
Southeast Health Unit, which runs
the multi-county AIDS program, said
Ms. Hicks' contribution help _ed the
program flourish.
"She serves as our medical consultant
for all of those wellness centers,"
Wildes said. "She has done wonder- fully
for this program. Not only is she
a good doctor, but she is a compassionate
and caring person ."
Ms. Hicks has been featured twice on
ABC's Nightline, and there has even
been some talk about a movie being
made about her.
· "We tease her all the time because
she's pretty taken aback by . all the
publicity," said Ellen Richardson, a
family practitioner and friend. "Her •
medicine is so sound. She brings a well
of compassion so deep that it's enriching
to work around her." _
The Southeast Health Unit"s AIDScare
program was developed in 1988
by the district health director, Ted
Hollo\vay. Five state and federally
funded wellness centers cater to AIDS
patients. _
Over the years, Ms. Hicks has dedicated
m_uch of her practice to treating
HIV and AIDS patients with the full
support of her family and staff . She
told her staff if_ any of them disagreed
they could -leave.
"They're all -still here," she said .
The need for specialty physicians
and service care centers has become
■
Her focus shifted after
she encountered a
gay couple in 1988 -
from delivering
babies to treating
AIDS patients. The
42-year-old mother
of two daughters was
walking in to an area
of medicine she knew
little about.
■ increasingly important as the AIDS
epidemic grew, she said.
"In the district, we're seeing more
and more African-American women
who are infected and are having
babies," she said. "And their sexual
partners are drug users."
Ms. Wildes said the centers offer an
alternative not readily available 10
years ago. The centers, which are
staffed by nurses, are located in
Ware; Coffee, Wayne, Toombs and
Bulloch counties. They also have case
managers, social workers and community-
based organizations to work
with patients.
"We're very proud of our centers,"
Ms. Hicks said, "because a patient can
walk in and get services in very short
time ."
Ii i¥ AMA@ MMIMUM iihiiiii&-WMSY
BY REV. DONN A E. SCHAPER .
... Let us go now to
Bethlehem andseethis
thing which has come to pass.
-Luke2:15
PLACE OUR HOPE ON Bethlehem
this Season, 0 God. Convince us that
small is victor over large, that we are
able to find a lot in a little. Slow us
down. Require us to plant less. And
help us to help our friends plant less.
Move the world out of its fast lane.
Let every plan we make contain the
seed of your Son's birth so that when
the silent night comes, we can know
the song in its silence, the gift in giving
gifts and the peace that passes
understanding. From those who
wager on your Son, Amen.
We Wait for New Heavens and New
Earth - II Peter 3: 15a
COME, THOU LONG Expected Jesus,
come as footprints in the snow and
show us your way. Thou who brings
the scattered home, Thou who heals
the abandoned senses, Thou who
brings streams to the dessert, come
softly to us in this · Advent Season.
Bring us home by your path. Open our
eyes and ears . Revive the desert
'places in us that we may yet blossom.
Don't let the world be cold. Don't let
the world be dry. But bring your
promises close to it. Freshen it. And
let us stand on tiptoes of expectation,
daily through Advent, convinced
that we will find your footprints on
our paths, and that one .day soon we
will see the new heavens and the new
earth as well. With gratitude for
Your promises, Amen.
For He has regarded the low estate of
his Handmaiden ... • Luke 1: 48
HOLY SPIRIT, THOU who broods
over all the space where silence
reigns, hear us when we find no
words, no justifications, no excuses,
only the thud of fact and memory,
only the knowledge that too many
tables are too thinly laid, that too
many fathers drive their children on
tires too bald, that even we are poor
in ways ·that frighten us . Come, as
you have promised, to the place in us
that cannot speak, and stir us up . .Stir
us up to memory and to hope. Restore
our voice to us. Remind us that you
have regarded the low estate of
many handmaidens. Remind us that
you do not put down the poor or the
little but rather exalt us. Break
through the drumbeat of violence and
poverty and show -us ways to raise our
small voices to large hopes. Overcome
in us the fear of exposure and let
us willingly make the case for the
handmaiden, with the handmaiden,
that we may in our time know the
exaltation of those of lciw estate,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
"and lo, the angel of the Lord came
upon them and the glory of the Lord
shone ·round about them; and they
were sore afraid." Luke 2: 9 ·
IF WE PRAY FOR peace, and there is
no peace in us, 0 Lord, still thou_wilt
hear. If we pray for justice and keep
our own fists clenched, 0 Lord, still
thou wilt hear . If we pray for healing,
and our bodies tum in towards
their own ·tension, 0 Lord still, thou
wilt heal. And if fear of the unknown
gets in the way of our waiting for you,
you will send a band of angels. They
will watch over us and wait with us
until again we are ready to wait for
You. Send them now, Lord. Send
them now so that fear may tum soon
to rejoicing. In the name of the Babe,
Amen.
... and lo, the days are hastening on.
WE COME AS A people nearly weary
with hope, having waited too long,
and ashamed of our weariness . We
know how long You have waited .
Waited for us to come to our senses.
Waited for us to acknowl edge rainbow,
tablets, red seas parted - one
.sign _after anoth er. Now instead of
being weary you send one more Sign.
This time a baby, one that sneaks into
our world almost silently.
Remind us this day that the days
are hastening on. That what the
prophets foretold is soon to be true.
And gather and focus our attention on
the manger. This time, let Your people
see Your sign. Amen.
.... let heaven and nature sing.
SOMETIMES WE SCURRY so for joy
that we forget what it feels like.
Sometimes we work so hard for peace
that we neglect the peace that is sitting
with us in our chair. Sometimes
we hope so much for hope that we
miss the hopeful signs that are right
underfoot. Give us this day, a song,
one we sing in harmony with heaven
and nature. Let the song recollect joy,
be peace itself, let the song hope a
little ahead of our own hope. You
grant us joy and peace and hope: these
are not our .own accomplishments. Let
this day find us, with heaven, and
with nature, singing about You.
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
.... 0 Little Town of Bethelehem ....
WE ARE AMAZED at Bethlehem,
sometimes, 0 God . It is so small and
so insignificant, so much like the
places we live or were born. It seems
nearly impossible that you could use
it for Your grand historical purposes.
But if You can, that means You can use
us . If Bethlehem is worthy, then so
perhaps are we. Come now, into our
quiet space and into our little town,
and point us to the purposes You
have. Why are we here? To what
end have You dedicated us? On this
day make a little sense of our lives.
Thatiks Be to You O God. Amen.
For we have seen his star in th e
east... - Matthew 2:2
ANCIENT OF DAYS, wh ose glor y
the cradle tells, whose hope th e star
displays, who se love th e birth confirms,
guide us now by the light of the
Star . Let us forsake the romance of
moonlight, the plans w e had to be our
own s elves all that we would ever
need. Let us regard less th e pragmatism
of sunlight, tl1at the ways of
this world would be adequate to the
Ways you had in mind originall y.
Let us be wild in our hopes by Starlight,
that AIDS will be cured, that
peace will splatter all the earth ,
that we ourselves will calm down in
midnights clear, that ,our children
will pick up th eir toys. Let the Star
show . us how mountains will be
brought low and valle ys will be
raised up, how in the small we will
find the large .
Take the mountain part of us and
bring it low, take the valley part and
lift it up. Let us follow Your Star.
Amen.
On This Day, Earth Shall Ring ...
HOLY SPIRIT, Living God, if we listen
with You today we can almost
hear the packages rustling, the ribbons
blowing, the children squealing .
If we listen with You, we hear the
church bells ringing, the choirs singing,
the whole bright World less
heavy, just by virtue of this day .
Many of us don't even know why . We
just know that the day is meant for
lightness, meant to mention Christ,
made to help us remember that we
were not put on this great big planet
alone, or without comfort.
On this day our Warfare has ended.
God is With Us. We are not alone. A
Child is Born. Thanks and · Praises,
Amen.
PAGE 17 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
Alliance of Christian Churches
seeks to encomage evangelism
By Samuel Kader
Contributing Writer
REPRESENTATIVES FROM 27 independent
Christian churches met in
early October to charter the Alliance
of Christian Churches, an organization
formed to encourage evangelism
by the proclamation of the Gospel
and to further the work of missions,
both globally and domestic. The
meeting was held in conjunction with
the international Advance Christian
Ministries conference in New Caney,
Texas . Other goals of the Alliance
include cultivating a deeper spirit of
fellowship and co-operation among
churches, encouraging the process of
education, training and discipleship
in the Body of Christ, and providing
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a means through which all affiliate
churches may share in these
endeavors.
Organizers described the Alliance as
a networking of churches to further
the work of the Gospel and Great
Commission.
As the initial organizing meeting
began, bylaws were adopted, delegates
were seated, (each church,
regardless of size was allowed three
delegates), officers to the executive
council were elected, and committees
were appointed.
Elected to serve as the Executive
Committee were moderator Rev. Jerry
Cook, pastor of White Rock Community
church in Dallas; vice-moderator
Rev. Judy Horn, pastor of Christ
Chapel of the Rockies, Denver; and
clerk/treasurer Rev. Jim Hensley,
pastor of Pilgrim Fellowship Church
in Philadelphia. Three other executive
council members at-large were
elected to serve : Rev. William Memmott,
pastor of Agape Church, St.
Louis; Rev. Tom Gashlin ; pastor of
Family of God Worship Center, Panama
City, Florida; and Rev. Samuel
Kader, pastor of Community Gospel
Church in Dayton, Ohio.
Information on the Alliance of
Christian Churches is available by
contacting the moderator, Rev. Jerry
Cook, White Rock Community
Church, 722 Tenison Memorial Road
Dallas, TX 75223, (214)-320-0043.
rno1YELLOW PAGES TMINFORMIN61HE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL •rn ~ TRANSGENDERC0MMUNITYSINCE1973. ~
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therapists, !ravel services, printers, Organizations, Media, Religious groups, Help lines & A.I.D,SJ H.I.V. resources.
Uslings broken down by Slate & City. Index & fast access phone llsl UPDATED ANNUALLY.
For an appllcallon to be listed (no charge), or for details of curran1 editions and prices,
or Information about malling labels, please send a oeH-addressed stamped envelope to
Renalaaance Houoe, PO Box 533-SS, VIiiage Station, New York, NY 10014 (212) 674-0120
You can order directly from the address above, or you can find us your local gay-friendly bookstores.
If you wish to order by phone with a credit card, please call A DIFl'ERENT LIGHT 1-800-343-4002;
FAX (212) 989-2158; outside USA.and Canada call 1-212-989·4850. (A Different Light has stores in
New York. Los Angeles. and San Francisco. Thay are not involved with production or publication of
Gayellow Pages, so please don1 call them except to order.) .
:::U~i~! '?l J~d~ff:e~~~/,:: ,~~':~:rs 't:J;':/,aV::/::/bl!: if.l:~:ie~v~~0!;1rt~::a1%1s;fafej·;, ~~ ':::;~:ec:;,s
the infonnation contained in the Gaye/low Pages.• Pat Calllla1 The Advocate Advisor
"By far the most comj:,rehensive and up-to-date gay guide ••• Gayel/ow Pages . • . includes the standard entries for
bars and restaurants . .. But ths Gaye/fow Pages excels thanks to its additional alphabetized listings bi city for
AIDS and HIV services, legal rs sources, organizations (categorized by purpose or interest), religious groups,
publications, businesses and more. In short, if an entity welcomes gay, lesbian and bisexual people, no matter how
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is not consulted in the Out offices.• Reviewed by Jeff Hows/ls, OUT (Pittsburgh, PA), December J994
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PAGE 18 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
Miri➔fa#1iMJ.MASk•P.Mk4W4NrnftMii4Wtii5,ffe '•I
Church & Or anization News
Minneapolis
non-profits receive
church's tithes
TRINITY RIVER CHURCH, Trinity
River, Minn . has completed the first
year of a plan to divide 10 percent of
its checking account balance among
Minneapolis non-profit organizations,
charitable causes and individuals
in need. Trinity River has
donated over $3,600 to recipients suggested
to congregational officers by
members, friends and visitors of the
church.
"Our faithful tithing to the community
is a large part of what's keeping
Trinity River going," said Diane Ferreira,
vice moderator and founding
member of the church . "The amazing
thing is that since we started doing
this, we have never had a need for
money to run the churd1."
Trinity River is a small, 25-member
open and affirming nondenominational
Christian church.
Services are held every Sunday at
10:30 a.m. at 1819 Nicollet Ave. So. in
Minneapolis. Readers may contact
the church at (612)870-8956.
National gay and
lesbian hotline now
taking calls
AFTER NEARLY 14 months of planning
and fundraising, the Gay and
Lesbian National Hotline started
taking calls Oct. 1. The hotline,
available weeknights from 6 to 11
p.m., EST, provides peer counseling,
information and referrals to gay, lesbian
and bisexual people . The services
are without charge and completely
anonymous. The hotline
maintains a database with more than
13,000 local community groups, organizations,
businesses and profession .als.
Take Your Place
At The Table
Toe Catholic Church of the Ainericas
is a small, independent
Catholic community whose ministries
strive to be loving, inclusive
and justice-promoting. We celebrate
contemporary liturgy with a
sacramental foundation. If you seek
a spiritual home or feel called to
the ordained priesthood or diaconate,
join us and ."take your
place at the Table of the Lord."
For information, contact
Fr. Jerry Wood, Jr.
2239 S. 15th St
Springfield, IL 62703-3640
(217)753-3889
e-mail: Timm.56@aol.com
The toll-free number is l-888-843-
4564. The volunteer-based organization
has a web site at
http:/ /www.glnh.org.
Agape Church of
St. Louis Relocates
PASTORS BILL MEMMOTT and Joe
GaJle have announced · that The
Agape Church of St. Louis will be
sharing facilities at Tyler Place Presbyterian
Church, 2109 S. Spring. "We
have seen the hand of the Lord guiding
every step of the way to this wonderful
forward movement," Memmott
said. "We are very excited that our
praise and worship music will be
accompanied not only by a grand
piano and other instruments, but also
by the thrilling sound of a real pipe
organ."
A 2 p.m. worship hour gives the
church an opportunity to reach out. to
their community at an attractive and
unused time slot in the St. Louis area .
The church office has been moved to
2706 A Armand Place, St. Louis, MO
63HJ'4--2214. Readers seeking information
may call (314) 664-3588.
Events
. Announcements in this section are provided
free of charge as a service lo Christian organitalions
. To have a11 event listed. send information
lo Seco11d Stone , P.O. Box 8340,
New Orleans, LA 70182, FAX 10(504)899-
4014. e-mail secstone@aol.com.
Mission to Mexico
NOVEMBER 23-31, Camp Sister Spirit
sponsors its annual trip to Isla Mujeres,
Mexico. The organization is seeking donations
of medical supplies, small toys, and
school and craft supplies to take·to Mexico.
Departure is from New Orleans and
lodging is at a hotel on the island. Flight
and accommodations are very reasonable.
, For information contact Camp Sister Spirit,
P.O. Box 12, Oven, MS 39464,
(601)344-1411, sisterspir@aol.com.
The Evangelical Network
10th Annual Conference
FEBRUARY 21-23, The Downtown
Ramada Inn in Phoenix is the setting for
this conference themed "A Time To Heal,"
focusing on an exploration of spiritual,
emotional and·physical healing. The conference
offers workshops, worship services,
fellowship and sharing. For information
write to TEN, P.O . Box 16104,
Phoenix, AZ 85011-6104.
Christian Communit News
Convention matks 20 years
for Brethren/Mennonite group.
TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE joined · included a tour of the National Galtogether
Oct. 11-13 in Washington, lery of Ari, a .banquet and 20th anni-
D.C., to celebrate Jhe 20th anniver- versary party, a charity auction that
sary of the Brethren/Mennonite raised $2,600 for BMC, and an oppor-
Council of Lesbian and Gay Concerns. !unity to participate in the AIDS
Gay, lesbian, b,isexual, and hetero- candlelight vigil on the evening of
sexual supporters of the organization Oct. 12 with 150,000 other people.
gathered for the sixth BMC conven- , One workshop, "Struggle &
lion centered around the . theme, Strength: Stories of LesBiGay Stud-
"Piecing New Patterns from Old ents" served as a catalyst to form a
Cloth :' The theme tied the event new group, The College Network
with the AIDS Memorial Quilt that (TCN), gives gay, lesbian and bisexthe
Names Project brought to the cap- ual young people opportunities to
itol that same weekend. share stories and find support as they
Leadership for the convention was come out to their family, their
provided by Phil Porter and Cynthia friends, and their communities. An e-
Winton-Henry, founders of the · mail network is now being formed .
WING IT! performance ensemble, and Readers may contact Monica Haines
church leaders in the United Church (mooream@mail.auburn.edu) or
of Christ and Disciples of Christ M o n i c a K a u f m a n
respectively. As dancers, story- (monicajk@goshen.edu) for informatellers,
and performance artists, lion on TCN.
Porter and Winton-Henry created a BMC provides support for Brethren
space for the group to share their own and Mennonite gay, lesbian, and .,
stories and struggles, and to celebrate bisexual people, and their parents ,
the connection of body and soul, sexu- spouses, relatives, and friends and
ality and spirituality . The closing supports all person as they seek to
worship, led by Porter and Winton- know God' s will for their lives ,
Henry, focused on naming the com- including those open to same-sex relamunity
gathered as the community in tionships, those seeking a life of cel-
Revelation · 3: 7-13, a people · who ibacy and those exploring question of
while persecuted by the world were sexual· orientation. Readers may condearly
loved by God. tact coordinator Jim Sauder at
Other activities at the convention (612)305-0315 for more information.
Church & Or anization News
. Gay Pentecostals open
second international
church, web site
THE NATIONAL GAY Pentecostal
Alliance has opened its second
overseas church, Apostolic Mission of
the Rising Sun, in the southeastern
Ukraine . Brothers Leonid Shvedov
and Vyacheslav Karpukhin are the
founders. This follows the opening of
St. Peter's Lighthouse Apostolic
Church in SI. Petersburg, pastored by
Bro. A Basarguine. Bro. Sergei Bashkirev
is the coordinator of NGPA's
work in Russia and several other
former Soviet republics.
The NGPA has also opened a web
site at http://www.cris.com/~NGPA
where visitors can explore information
such as the history and beliefs of
the alliance, a directory of NGP A
churches, information on same-sex
unions in Scripture, and personal testimonies
of some of the church's members.
NGP A Foreign Missions publishes a
bimonthly newsletter in Russian,
Apostol s ky Golos, (The Apostolic
Voice), for the brethren in Russia and
the Ukraine .
For information on NGP A Missions
or the Ukrainian chu_rch readers may
contact NGPA Foreign Missions, P.O.
Box 1391, Schenectady, NY 12301-
1391, ngpa@concentric.net.
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PAGE 19 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DE~EMBER. 1996
TheGo od Book: Reading the Bible With Mind and Heart
Harvardp reachesra ysB ible
is a hxlk of inclusion
Books
By Robin Estrin
Associated Press Writer
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Peter J.
Gomes is a preacher who defies stereotypes.
He's an ordained Baptist minister
who presides over Harvard University's
non-denominational Memorial
Church. And he's a black, gay Republican.
He's also Harvard's Plummer Professor
of Christian Morals. But he
knows that title might not sit well
with the Jerry Falwells of the world.
"I'm sure I don't fit your idea of
Christian morals, which is why I
think you're quite wrong," he said in
a recent interview in his basement
office at Memorial Church, gesturing
A persP,ectifvroe m
the margin
The Wit11essc onsiders today's societal,
cultural and religious issues from a leftwing,
Anglican, and frequently iconoclastic
perspective. Each issue is topical; study
guides and back issues are available. For
more information and/or a complimentary
copy, call: 313-962-2650; fax: 313-962-
1012. For a one-year subscription send $25
to The Witness, 1249 Washington Blvd.,
Suite 3115, Dept. SS, Detroit, Ml 48226.
Visa and Mastercard accepted.
as if in imaginary debate. "They
have patented the notion of Christian
morals, but .it is not theirs to coin
or mint."
Gomes (rhymes with homes) rejects
the anti-gay Biblical interpretations
of the so-called religious right. And
in his new book, "The Good Book:
Reading the Bible With Mind and
Heart," published in November by
William Morrow, he argues the
Bible's words support him.
Throughout history, he says, some
Christians have manipulated the
Bible to oppress certain groups: Jews,
women, black.s and homosexuals.
And it's those Christians who claim
to be most devout who traditionally
have been the biggest oppressors, he
says: the white Southern Baptists
who perpetuated slavery, for example,
and the German Nazis who executed
millions of Jews.
But, "Just because white people had.
abused Scripture didn't mean Scripture
was abusive," he said.
"I wanted black people, women and
homosexuals, among others, to see
and to hear that the Bible was both
for them and with them," he wrote.
But it's also for the white, Christian
mainstream - those who might
tome to understand that the Bible's
authors never meant to persecute, he
said. However, he does not expect
everyone to be swayed by his ideas.
His words, he said, will do nothing
"for those whose minds are already
so firmly made up they operate out of
prejudice."
Gomes says he felt a moral imperative
to examine the · text ·of the Bible
and explain what he sees as its true
contextual meaning.
Those who use the Bible to denigrate
gays and lesbians have taken
the boo~'s words out of its historical
context, 1\e argues. ·
"You shall not lie with a male as
with a woman; it is· an ab.ornination,"
Leviticus 16:22 reads.
When the Old Testament was written,
Gomes argues, homosexuality
was seen as a risk to the Jews' cultural
identity a_nd- procreation. But that
does not mean yod disapproves of all
homosexual relationships.
"The biblical writers never contemplated
a form of homosexuality in
which loving, monogamous and
PAGE 20 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER1, 996
liil IMW ff weeermws-#INMi4%HiiMfiWi1Mil
faithful persons sought to live out the
implications cif the gospel with as
much fidelity to it as any heterosexual
believer," he wrote. "All they
knew of homosexuality was prostitution,
pederasty, lasciviousness and
exploitation."
Gomes' moral imperative to write
the book became especially clear five
years ago.
It was 1991, and a conservative Harvard
undergraduate magazine
devoted an entire issue to attacking
gays and lesbians. The authors, most
of whom were conservative Roman
Catholics, argued that homosexuality
should be condemned on biblical
grounds.
The journal outraged many on campus.
And Gomes was asked to address
a Harvard Yard rally from the porch
· of Memorial Church, over which he
has presided for 22 years.
He was asked to speak as a calming
influence, not as a gay tnan. Indeed,
few knew of his sexual orientation at
the time. After all, this was the man
who had prayed .at the inaugurals of
Ronald Reagan and George Bush.
Gomes hadn't planned on disdosing
his sexuality that day. But he did,
he wrote, because he wanted to demonstrate
"that there was more than
one way to read the Bible."
His book, however, devotes only'
five pages to his own corning out. His
primary intention was to help others
find meaning and virtue - and,
ultimately, religion.
The Right Reverend Lord Runcie,
the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury,
calls Gomes' work "easily the
best contemporary book on the Bible
for thoughtful people" and one "we
desperately need."
Gomes also contends the Bible is silent
on abortion, and that abortion
protesters have misinterpreted Exodus
20:13: "Thou shalt not .kill." ,
A more accurate tran~lation frortl
the Hebrew would be, "Thou shalt do
no murder," Gomes said.
In Hebrew, murder refers to the premeditated
taking ·of life outside the
womb; killing was associated with
the ritual slaughter of animals for
sacrifice.
Gomes, 55, is a short, stocky man
with an expressive face, demonstrative
hands and a strong, theatrical
voice. He has a lifelong love of
antiques - his church office and his
Plymouth home are full of them - and
is partial to three-piece suits,
adorned by a gold pocket watch.
Gomes preaches to a wide variety of
faiths in his Sunday sermons at the
17th century Memorial Church. Time
Magazine once called him one of the
country's top seven preachers.
The only child of a middle-class
_black couple in Plymouth, Gomes fell
in 'love with ·religion as a small boy;
His mother was a Baptist, and he
attended Sunday morning services at
the town's predominantly white
Baptist church.
But Sunday nights, he and his family
would go to the tiny Bethel
A.M.E. church with some 20 other
black worshipers.
Gomes majored in history at Bates
College in Lewiston, Maine, and
planned to study antique decorative
arts after graduation. But a religion
professor urged him on to Harvard's
Divinity School. .
There, he said, "I found it was possible
to be both intelligent and
thoughtful on the one hand and pious
and believing on the other that •mind
and heart thing."
Memozyo oogkui desc hildrenth roughg rief
"CHILDREN KNOW DEEP inside
where they need to go to be healed,"
said Gretchen Gaines-Lane. "They
will lead us."
Gaines-Lane is the author of "My
Memory Book: A Journal for Grieving
Children," a new book for children
age 6-12 who have experienced the
death of someone close to them. A
clinical social worker, G"aines-Lane
brifiiS to this little book her
approach to helping children cope
successfully with the loss of loved
one. She is a children's bereavement
specialist at Montgomery Hospice
Society in Rockville, Maryland, and
is also in private practice.
"My Memory Book" helps a child
bring grief to closure by articulating
in words and pictures memories and
feelings about the lost loved one. The
result is a book the child has done
Gretchen Gaines-Lane, author of
"My Memory Book''
him or herself, an appropriate tribute
·to treasure.
"My Memory Book" is available for
$11.45, including shipping, from Ch.i
Rho Press, P;O. Box 7864, Gaithersburg,
MD 20898. For information call
(301)670-1859.
C &f:& t:&1ffi½#iiifiiiiiiirr;¾ * fu#f£&,.44¥i¥fJi¥&4@¥5ii#il4iM® WW\EiWM '@\i M Gatherings
Facintgh eh olidayasf tearl oss
Videos
By Rev. Richard B. Gilbert
Contributing Writer •
TO THINK ABOUT watching a
Christmas video at the time this
review was written didn't seem to fit.
But "A Ray of Hope: Facing the Holidays
Following A Loss" is not really
about Christmas, or even "the holidays"
per se, but about grief, about
loss, and about any special events,
days or traditions that crop up (rear
their ugly head?) as we mourn.
How "tough" are the holidays?
They may not always be tough, artd
not for all the bereaved, but they do
present special challenges, a deepening
of the intensity surrounding our
loss, and new curves or detours in our
feelings. "What do we do? How will
we get through the holidays? I am so
scared!" That is the holiday issue,
the spe<;ial .days (anniversaries,
birthdays, family ·ritual days,
"minorholidays"), and they are in
our grief work, too.
Paul Alexander does a good job in "A
Ray of Hope" of balancing insights,
with subject themes clearly prese11ted
on the screen, balanced by the sharing
of individuals and groups. Perhaps I
rea~ted differently because I knew so
many on the video. It increased my
sense of the credibility of what they
are saying. I know them. I know their
story. The information is something
we need to hear . The video is
divided neatly into subjects, with the
balance of presentation and sharing,
so we are able to select sections, and
determine the pace, for our viewing
and for the viewing of others.
Christmas. Thanksgiving. Birthdays.
Anniversary of a first date, a
first kiss, an engagement. Mother's
Day. Father's Day. So many different
possibilities, because they are all
your story, your memories . . There is
something in this video that will
help you approach · any of these significant
days.
Those of you who only know of Paul
Alexander as a concert performer
(which is a very special experience)
need to see these very added and rich
gifts that he has to offer. uA Ray of Hope: Facing the Holidays
Following A Loss" is available
for $39.95 from Paul Alexander, P.O.
Box 125, Rockville Centre, NY 11571.
Explorin'fga milyva luesr'e yondth et hetoric
Books
By Gip Plaster
Contributing Writer
Rainbow Family Values by Rev.
Michael S. Piazza; Source of Hope
Publishing, 1996
THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT often seems
to be trying to destroy the lesbian and
gay community, . but by forming
stronger relationship with partners
and others, the gay and lesbian community
can become stronger than ever.
Rev. Michael Piazza, whose .church
serves a congregation of three thousand
mostly gay and lesbian people
and has already outgrown a 900 seat
sanctuary completed in 1992, shares
his personal experiences and research
into gay ai1d lesbian relationships in
his fourth book, Rainbow Family
Values.
The book is divided into two parts.
First, Piazza Looks at family formation,
then he offers advice on beginning
a healthy family by starting
with a committed rel"ationship with
a partner .
Piazza points out that right-wing
religious zealots are destroying the
family fabric of America by attacking
gay and lesbian people.
"Today, overt racism is socially
frowned upon, and Communism has
been defeated. The Radical Right
requires another 'enemy,"' Piazza
writes. But their rhetoric, he says,
causes children . to be rejected and
abused. "The hateful Right should b.e
worried, because they are undermining
the very institution they purport
to esteem." -
Piazza examines the Religious
Right's attacks on gay and lesbian
people and suggests the "Family of
God's Dreams," made up of more than
just one or two people, but of an
extended family of choice - people
who · may or may not be related by
biology but are related by emotion. ·
The pastor says relationships don't
have to be based on a committed couple.
His relationship with Bill, his
partner, though, forms the basis of
his other relationships, which
include two children (one adopted,
the other born by artificial insemination)
the mothers of his children and
a circle of close friends.
Piazza is the senior pastor of
Cathedral of Hope Metropolitan
Community Church. He pastored
Methodist churches for almost a decade
before joining Metropolitan Community
Church. He hopes to build the
Dallas church into a "Psychological
Cathedral" for the lesbian and gay
community, a goal that is rapidly
becoming a reality as the congregation
embarks on a plan to build a new
church home designed by the worldfamous
architect Philip Johnson.
Most of Rai11bow Fainily Values is
devoted to Piazza's advice for -couples.
He uses his own relationship as
an example as well as examples from
the couples he has encountered in
more than 20 years of pastoring Methodist
and Metropolitan Community
Church congregations.
Piazza points out that many lesbian
and gay people don't get to date
as teens and often must either rush
ahead with no experience to adult
relationships or try to date like teens
in later life. Neither is a really good
option, he says. He encourages readers
to enter relationships slowly.
Time is important in relationships,
he says, just as it is in cooking with
yeast.
"Without time, the proper chemical
reaction does not occur-and you end
up \Vith something that is halfbaked,"
.Piazza says.
He notes four keys to forming
healthy relationships: commitment,
covenant,-communication and compatibility.
Each have their own chapter,
and he also provides several lists
of do's and don'ts about forming and
sustaining long term relationships.
Ultimately, Piazza's book recommends
relationship based on trust,
mutuality, ·communication, prayer,
love and fun.
Piazza says he suggests readers
live a life like Jesus -- the Jesus who
turned water into wine at a wedding
feast and called a group of outcasts
who weren't biologically related to
him his family. The Religious. Right
may see healthy gay and lesbian
relationships as a threat, but Jesus
sees those relationships as modeled
after God's plan.
If the book is· not yet available in
your area, it can be ordered from
Cathedral of Hope at 800,501-HOPE.
New CD: Gospel singer
Melanie B crosses over
Music
NEWCOMER MELANIE B brings a
fresh voice that celebrates the fun,
the romance and even the· struggle of
being gay /lesbian. Together with
producer John Defoore, Melanie is
soon to complete production on ·her
first CD of lesbian and gay original
music.
In her music, singer/ songwriter Melanie
reflects the broad· range of
lesbian/ gay life and experience,
speaking to the heartaches, love,
hopes, fears and humor that is the
reality. of lesbian/ gay life. Her
thoughtful lyrics weave around musical
styles ranging from blues to country
to contemporary folk .. Her rich
alto voice offers up tunes that touch
the heart and remind you how good it
is to be who you are and to love and be
loved.
Melanie, a West Texas native, has
been a gospel singer/songwriter,
teamer, and director of an organization
she founded called Rainbow Ministries.
She was director of the Office
of Women's Concerns for a Protestant
seminary while living in Kentucky
from 1992-1994.
Singer/songwrite r Melanie B
While with Rainbow Ministries,
she recorded two albums of original
contemporary gospel music. However,
in moving to the lesbian music genre,
she feels she has found her niche and
has answered her true calling.
Melanie and her partner, Kathy, a
writer and editor, reside in Tyler,
Texas. Between them they have four
sons, ages 11-14, who are with them
periodically.
To order Melanie's new CD, readers
may write to Two Hearts Productions,
P.O. Box 131552, Tyler, TX 75713, fax
(903)595-5006. .
PAGE 21 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
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PAGE 22 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMB'ER, 1996
SINCE
1988, A
FRIEND
FOR THE
JOURNEY
Second Stone The National Ecumenical And
Evangelical Newspaper About Being
Gay And Christian
cal correctness is the essential human
task of "loving your neighbor as
yourself ."
Thank Goo I'm JX)litically
correct(orwhyJ.C. wasP.C.)
I recognize that the term
"politically correct" originally was
employed most fervently as an denunciation
of liberal values by political
religious extremists . Even so, I seek to
rebuke the use of the term as a slur
against what I consider to be basic
Gospel values of compassion, self-less
giving, and love. I also chastise liberals
for glibly taking on the term of
our oppressors in order to attack our
own. It is quite clear that we have an
English language fully furnished
with other, more appropriate terms
for our needs. We should be decrying
those persons who are dogmatic, judgmental,
and who use stealth tactics to
promote their own agendas, yet let us
not erode our own values through the
casual use of our oppressor's language.
fut Allen V. Harris
Guest Comment
IT HAS BECOME fashionable these
days for both conservatives and liberals
to ridicule "political correctness,"
a term that has only been in existence
for about half a decade. While in the
home of a cl;urch member at whose
congregation we were leading antihomophobia
workshops, my partner
Craig and I watched televangelist
Jerry Falwell preach, "It's gotta be
J.C. not P.C.!" on the television. That
was 1992. Today, it is not at all unusual
for me to be reading an article in
a lesbian/ gay or a progressive journal
and come across a quote which vilifies
political correctness as a tainted
means of looking at life. The time
has come for someone to speak out on
this .
Much of the problem lies in how we
define our terms. If, by political correctness,
you mean to speak of that
way of viewing the world which
SECOND STONE Newspaper, ISSN
No. 1047-3971 . is published every
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SECOND STONE, a national ecumenical
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newspaper with a specific outreach to
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PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Jim Bailey
demands rigid adherence to a prescribed
set of beliefs or rules, .then you
should be speaking of dogmatism. If,
by political correctness, you mean to
speak of persons who are narrowminded,
who can only see one view of
the world - their own, then you
should use a word such as judgmental
or inflexible . If, by political correctness,
you mean to speak of a secret or
hidden strategy on the part of a group
of people which is inserted into social
and political agendas at any given -
opportunity, then · you should be discussing
stealth tactics and veiled
schemes. While these facets of our
common life together are also of concern
to me, they are not the essence of
what political correctness seeks to
address. All of these are social and
political ways of interacting which
can be utilized by persons of any
political stripe, conservative, moderate,
or liberal.
I believe that the original intent of
political corr ectness was ess entially
life-affirming . If one understands all
of creation to have integral worth, ·
then one might be politically correct.
If one lives from the value that being
in community means not only appreciating
other p ersons perspectives and
needs, but actively working to ensure
those needs are met, then one might
be politically correct. If one views
human history with a critical eye,
confessing the persistent history of
human intolerance, hatred, and selfcenteredness,
then one might be
politically correct. At its core, politi-
~~ Pontius' Puddle
Practically speaking, when I am
being politically correct, I may be
showing my awareness that my own
personal reality cannot be the sum
total of my decision-making apparatus
. I must extend myself to feel the
·frustration of a person in a
wheelchair who cannot access restrooms
in the church which I serve.
Religious buildings remain the most
inaccessible structures in our .society. I
may be labeled politically correct
\Vhen I stop a colleague in the middle
of a joke which is clearly antiSemitic
or racist, but as a responsible ·
citizen of this world I can do no other.
Likewis e, I fully expect my family,
friends, and colleagues to extend their
realfty and speak up when lesbian
and gay persons are left out of the picture
wh en decisions a_re being made
regarding human rights and common
decency.
It is true that there are better and
worse way s of nurturing others to take
responsibility for their unkind words
fl<Etmy \./ONT
'BJ;: IN S0NDAV
SCt-tOOL TCOAYNO,
\4£ STA'/Et,
HOl"\E. TO PLA'I wrn~
HIS COMP(}'T£.R.
• · and deeds. An arrogant person is difficult
to ·bear by anyone's account.
Likewise there is a certain talent to
the process of offering one's perspective
in contrast to another's. I have
found, however, that even the kindest
attempt will oftentimes be
labeled "rude" or "fanatical" by persons
who do not want to address their
own biases, no matter how gentle I
may be. In the-end, I must ask myself
whether or not I am speaking out on
behalf of a greater good rather than
out of my own need to control or belittle,
and if so, then I cannot be silent.
It is this greater good, the needs of
"the least of these," that reminds me
of my calling as a Christian. It is the
model of Jesus Christ, who did not
take into account the scorn of those
who would mock his ways, but
instead crossed the line and touched
the leper, commissioned the prostitute,
and befriended the tax collector.
If this isn't politically correct
behavior, then I don 't know what is.
Rev. Allen V. Harris is one of the
pastors of Park Avenue Christian
Churc/1 (Disciples of Christ) in New
York City. It is an Open & Affirming
Congregation which tries to live up to
its reputation of being politically
correct, according to Rev. Harris.
We welcome your
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WFMMMMMWA
MORMONS,
FromPagelO
izations for children and young women.
15ut men hold all other leadership
positions from bishops of local
congregations to the approximately-
100-member hierarchy of the 9.6 million-
member church.
"It was the Lord who designated
that men in his church should hold
the priesthood," said Hinckley, who
cited no scriptural or other reference·
in the printed text of his remarks. ·
In a "60 Minutes" interview broadcast
in April, Hinckley said only
males hold the Mormon priesthood
"because God stated that it should be
so. That was the revelation to the
church.That was the way it was set
forth."
Lavina Fielding Anderson, a member
of the staff of the independent
Mormon Women's Forum Quarterly,
pointed out no revelation specifically
excluding women from the priesthood.
has ever been published or
announced.
"I think what we have here is a
case of · interpretive drift. ·ooctrine is
being invented to bolster a tradition,"
said Anderson, who was excommunicated
in 1993 for publication of a
paper detailing church leaders' conflicts
with Mormon intellectuals and
feminists .
The male-only priesthood has been
criticized for years by a small minority
of Mormon women. Some have
been excommunicated or otherwise
disciplined for raising the issue publicly.
In his conference address Oct . 6,
Hinckley_ acknowledged that among
Mormon ·women, there is "a certain
spirit of independence, and yet great
satisfaction in being a part of this
the Lord's kingdom and of working
hand in hand with the priesthood to
move it forward."
"You sisters are the real builders of
the nation wherever you live. For you
have created homes of strength and
peace and security. These become the
very sinew of any nation," he said .
Beverly Hoppe, an active Mormon
who works for the Veterans Administration
in Salt Lake City, watched
Hinckley's address on '.elevision and
felt he succeeded in conveying concern
for the plight of single mothers.
"My opinion is that President
Hinckley wanted to assure women in
the church of their inherent value in
the sight of God and in the sight of
the leaders of the church," she said.
In an afternoon a_ddress, Elder
Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles told husbands not to
urge their wives into the workplace
at the expense of their children.
"One of Satan's most effective
approaches is to demean the role of
wife and mother in the home," Scott
said. "This is an attack at the very
heart of God's plan to foster love between
husband and wife, and to nurture
children in an atmosphere of
understanding, peac~, appreciation
and support."
Hinckley also had a message for
men, upbraiding husbands who "put
on a fine face before the world during
the day" and go home and abuse
their wives and children.
"No man who engages in such evil
and unbecQming behavior is worthy
of the priesthood of God," he said.
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PAGE 24 • SECOND STONE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1996
classif.
BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS
ENLARGING THE CIRCLE: Pullen', . Holy
Union Process, the inside story of how a
Baptist church in Jesse Helms' hometown
decided as a congregation to offer rituals of
blessing for gay and lesbian couples. The
church's history with gay issues, discussion
· within the congregation, reaction from outsiders,
exp ulsion by fellow Baptists . celebl'lltions
of covenant, and consequences for
the church are shared by lesbian Pat Long,
the only 11out 11 deacon during the process .
Send $10. plus $1.25 postage to BOOK , Pullen
Memorial Baptist Church, 1801 Hillsborough
Street, Raleigh, NC 27605. TF
"\Vui ·JDERFUL DIVERSITY ," "Heartily
reco mmended." · "'Philosophic al.Iy intrig.
uing ." "Excell ent." Why do re.viewers
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Box 276, Clifton, NJ 07011-0276. TF
FRIENDS/RELATIONSHIPS
HOLYGHOSTAI..lEDOffiISTIAN! 37 .
years GWM seeks stable same or older. I am
attractive 5'7", 155 • lbs, Br/Bl living in
· Houston, Texas. Enjoy old movies, friends ,
working out, but -mostly I love the Lord. Not
into drugs, bars, smoking(anything), or pr°"
miscuous sex . Old ·fashioned in many ways,
like love. I enjoy a fast pace filled with
laughter and decency. Rather high energy . If
interested write: Personal, P.O . Box 7360,
The Woodlands, TX 773';!;7. 12/96
GENERAL INTEREST
GOSPEL ASSEMBLY - Anyone formally or
.currently attending a church commonly
known as Gospel Assembly or School of the
Prophets: If you are dealing with gay/lesbian
issues contact me ASAP. G.A. Inquiry,
P.O .Box 7360, The Woodlands, TX 77387 .
Complete discretion observed. 12/96
BIBLE,
FromPage6
"As long as we enshrine Scripture
inside archaic language, it will never
be able to make the impact on the 21st
century the way it did on the centuries
that went before."
When the Pilgrims land ed, Keylock
said, they thought the 9-year-old,
government-sponsored King James
Version was work of the devil. The
Pilgrims considered their "Geneva
Version" the only God-inspired English
translation.
"No one iranslation has been
'inspired' by God in the same way the
original text was," Comfort writes .
"King James enthusiasts would discover
the ir Bible reading would be
infused with fresh life and new light
If they read a modern version (also)."
WHISPERING PINES Bed & Breakfast Hospitality
In Our Home. In the heart of the Son°"
ma-Napa wine country, "hidden in wooded
hills, you will find a qui et, peaceful and
relaxed setting . •Full country breakfast
•Privat~ entrance •Private ba th •Queen · bed •
Wood burning stove •Air conditioning •Hot
tub and pool -Close to wineries, balloon and
glider rides •Close to mud bath and message
•Pets okay in outside kennel •Smoking in
outside designated areas •$105 one
night/$190 two ~ights. 5950 Erland Road,
Sonoma County, CA 95404. Phone /Fax
(707)539-0198.
LESBIANS - Study seeks lesbians for telephone
interviews about feelings and barriers
related to breast exams. Confidentiality guar anteed.
Seeking midwest women, over 51,
with no cancer and no mammogram in last 13
months. Please call 1-800-991-5539. 12/96
CAN'T GEf TO CHURCH? We'll come to you
by audio cassette of our weekly worship.
Send request and donation to Holy Spirit Fellowship,
P.O. Box 91272, Long Beach, CA
90809. 12/96
PASTOR SEEKS CHURCH - compassion .ate,
Southern rai sed, seminary trained, Hi years
ministry experience, with vision and charisma.
Seeking affirming congregation that
desires to meet the spiritual/physical needs
o r their community. Contact: Brother Christian
, P.O . Box 2411, Mill valley, CA
94941. 2/97
ORGANIZATIONS
THE CENTER FOR PASTORAL CARE, 3180
Gennan Church Road, Mansfield; OH 44904 ,
(419)756-2977. A unique place of Christian
worship. Sunday Liturgy 10: 15. Followed by
a lite brunch. Retreats, "'.Orkshops and pastoral
counseling. Rev. Daniel Dickman ,
M.Div, M.Ed. 2/97
Gay and Lesbian Principians Group -- Alumni
of Principia Upper School and /or Coll ege,
for infonnation write: David, Apt. 124, 2900
Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington , DC
20008. E-mail: Mrblanc @aol.com . B
EX-GAY,
FromPage12
glers" and "proclaim s the biblical
understanding that homosexual
behavior is sin, and that hope and
healing are available to all persons
through the transforming power of
God through Jesus Christ."
Board members also went on record
saying that they will organize to support
any entities who desire to withhold
their giving from those things
. "they deem inconsistent with the
Gospel."
"This action does. not make them
unfaithful to their calling in Christ
or disloyal to the church," the board
said . "Coercion to support actions or
causes inconsistent with one's Christian
conscience display an authoritar.
ian spirit unbecoming of the Gospel."