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Religion & Spirituality

Page Index: - General Information. - Same-Sex Marriage. - The Christian Right. - Roman Catholicism. - Anglican. - United Church. - Presbyterian. - Baptist. - Mormon. - Mennonite. - Lutheran. - Unitarian. - Methodist. - African American Churches. - Quaker. - Metropolitan Community Church. - Eastern / Orthodox Christianity. - Baha'i. - Islam. - Judaism. - Buddhism. - Hinduism. - Dagara Tribe Spirituality. - Voodoo/Voodou. - Wicca/Paganism. - Gay/Lesbian, Bisexual, Trangender Spirituality. - Resources: - Web Resources. - Bibliographies / Book Lists. - Books. - Full Text Papers.

General Information

Religious groups' policies on homosexuality. - Summary of Religious Views on Homosexuality. - Beliefs on Homosexuality within various mainline Denominations. - The Conflict of Culture and Religion. - Homosexuality and the denominations (Links) - As churches argue about homosexuality, the congregation has moved on. - Homosexuality and the churches Part 2.(Part 1) - Men, Homosexuality, and the Gods An Exploration into the Religious Significance of Male Homosexuality in World Perspective (PDF Download). - Heroic Heretical Heterosexuality. - Gay Spirituality: About Spirituality For Gays And Lesbians And Everyone Else Who Fall Between The Cracks. - Gay Activism in Asian and Asian-American Churches. - GLBT Welcoming Denominations. - Homosexuality & Christianity: it's time to rethink everything you've been taught... - Inventing Sin: Religion and Homosexuality: No matter their own scandals, religious institutions through history have a consistent scapegoat: homosexuals. - From Pink to Blue: the Mainstreaming of Homosexuality. - Homosexual Normalization and the Church. - Hermeneutical issues in the use of the bible to justify the acceptance of homosexual practice.

The Lesbian & Gay Christian Movement. - Can I be Catholic/Mormon/Gay, etc., and be Saved? - Gay/Lesbian Religion News. - A Report on Insights from the Religious Roots of Homophobia Conference, Sydney, 2001. - Other Sheep Newsletter: Queer Theology for 14 Sexual Minorities. - Gays and Religion Timeline. - Spirituality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Intersex People. - UK Church Leaders Consider Homosexuality Compromise. - "Dieu aime-t-il les gays ? Les Eglises et l'homosexualité." - Dost Thou Mind the Pink Triangle? - Fellowship of Christian congregations with a special outreach to GLB communities. - For the love of God: Embracing Homosexuality in Today's World.- Homosexuality and the African American Church: The Paradox of the "Open Closet" Am. Behav. Scientist 42, 1117 (1999). - Good News: a new look at the Bible and homosexuality. - Report on Conversations about Homosexuality and the Church: Churchwide Report for 1999 - 2001.

Can a homosexual become and remain a Christian? - Gay and Christian - a contradiction? - Homosexual Christians? The unthinkable has become thinkable. - How To Be A Gay Christian (Despite What You've Been Told Otherwise). - Steps to recovery from Bible abuse. (Related book) - Ecclesiastical Ineptitude: Why is the Church Failing to Minister to Youths and Adults Struggling with Homosexuality. - Christianity and homosexuality: are they compatible? Links to Essays. - Religion vs. Sexual Orientation: A Clash of Human Rights? - Gay and Christian?: A LesBiGay Bibliography. - Gay Marriage: Reimagining Church History.

What the Bible says about Homosexuality. - Homosexuality and the Bible. - An Analysis of Six Critical Texts Used To Condemn Homosexuality. - Reading Strategies for Biblical Passages on Same-Sex Relations. - The Bible and Homosexuality. - What We Don't Hear About Religion and Homosexuality. - Things I believe about homosexuality, the Church, and the attitudes of some Christians. - Religion and gay rights: "The British House of Lords and the House of Commons has released a bombshell human rights report which says religious institutions should not have the right even in their private schools to teach that homosexuality is sinful. This has lit a flame of controversy burning all the way into Jamaica...."

The Bible in the Moral War over the Rejection of Homosexuality by the Military Services: A View from Inside the Pentagon. - Sex and the Bible a look at the cultic background to homosexuality, and the law. - Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29) on the Internet: The Implications of the Internet for the Study of the Bible. - Church Tradition Only Condemn Homosexuality Not The Bible. - The Bible and Homosexual Practice: An Overview of Some Issues. - Biblical Interpretation & Theological Resources. - When religion becomes a weapon of mass destruction: AIDS in Africa and sex education in America.

The Continued Cost of Homophobia: "This morning news broke of yet another conservative pastor resigning his position after admissions of sexual relationships with other men. Channel Four News out of Denver released the story of Paul Barnes, the latest "outed" pastor to leave church leadership in recent days.Barnes videotaped a message to his congregation in which he recalled his life-long struggle with his sexuality. "I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year-old boy," Barnes, 54, said in the videotaped message. "... I can't tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away." For Barnes, these innate sexual desires for other men were contrary to his reading of the Bible which considers homosexuality an "abomination." Following close on the heels of Ted Haggard's sex and drug scandal, this public outing is just one more example of the cost of homophobia in our Churches and in our society. Both Haggard and Barnes struggled with their sexuality, not because it was wrong, sinful or "abominable," but rather because their communities of faith convinced them that who they were at their core was flawed and unacceptable to the Church and to God. What violence to the souls of our children are we inflicting through this type of purported moral and religious righteousness? ..." - Senator pleaded guilty, reportedly after bathroom stall incident.

The Church Should Play Its Role (PDF Download): "There has been a lot of noise in African church circles about gays and their place in the community of faith. Besides the recent noise, it is an established fact that there is a lot of silence around the question of homosexuality in the indigenous society of Africa. Equally established is the fact that, unlike in the western society, silence in Africa cannot be taken for consent. Because silence does not necessarily mean consent, many have taken it to mean hostility. Because of this silence, gays are accorded a very low status in society. This makes it still difficult to come out and declare oneself as gay in the indigenous society of Africa. Those who have braved the storm and come out have brought rejection and isolation upon themselves, to the extent of being the scorn as well as the scum of society. For this reason, African gays have been forced to live two lives that are completely separate. They are different people when they are together in private gay settings and have to be different people when they are among the non-gay public. Church’s Role: If Christian discipleship is to be take seriously, life cannot be separated off in parts labelled private or public. For life to be whole - to become whole - our lives must be all of a piece. I am struck by the homophone between holiness and wholeness. It strikes me as ringing true that a life lived in wholeness can be equated to, or at least is close to becoming, a life lived in holiness. A life fragmented into aspects labelled as private and public is not whole and, therefore, can never be holy. The Latin roots of the word “religion” have to do with “binding.” A church, which wants to be true to its calling will never promote fragmentation..."

Who's Afraid of Gay Theology? "Despite the growing body of gay scholarship in religious studies, there is a dearth of responses by heterosexual scholars in the field of men's studies in religion. Gay theology can still count more predictably on the ire of a conservative public than on a nuanced, non-homophobic critique by their heterosexual colleagues. What contributes to disregarding gay scholarly voices? Paradoxically, their voices are marginalized to the point of invisibility and yet are also in the center of public discourse. This article sifts through some reasons of why heterosexual men shy away from a public debate of the merits of gay scholarship. Besides methodological reservations, heterosexual male anxieties cause such weariness. Autobiographical insertions by gay scholars combined with discipline-transgressions may lead to `homosexual panic' even among non-homophobic scholars. The article argues that heterosexual men's studies in religion need to overcome their silence and engage the scholarship of gay theology." - Spirituality and Sexuality: An Exploration of the Religious Beliefs of Non-Heterosexual Christians in Great Britain: "This article analyzes the religious beliefs of 565 gay, lesbian and bisexual Christians, focusing on God, Jesus Christ and the Bible. Most respondents saw no conflict between their sexualities and their Christian faith. The examination of these religious beliefs uncovers themes that appear to be influenced by their social circumstances, the core of which being their stigmatized sexualities..."

Search GLBTQ: The Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer Culture. - Search BGLAD. - Search the QRD. - Search all GLBT Resource Directories. - Search Google.com. - Search Google Scholar. - Search Google's G:LBT Directory. - MSN Search. - Search findarticles.com: many full text articles and papers.

Academic Searches: Search IngentaConnect: The most comprehensive collection of academic and professional publications. - Search Project Muse: Scholarly Journals Online. - Search JSTOR: The Scholarly Journal Archive. - Search The National Library of Medicine.

U.S. Catholic bishops clarify core doctrines: "One document deals with guidelines for ministering to "persons with a homosexual inclination." "Homosexual acts are never morally acceptable. Such acts never lead to happiness," he said, because they are "intrinsically disordered," meaning they are not directed to the bonds of marriage and the goal of procreation that are "part of God's design. But having an inclination that is disordered does not in any way diminish human worth." "All of us are damaged by original sin, and all of us have desires disordered in various ways," he said."

Vatican gay document prompts criticism: "A new Vatican document on homosexuality in the Catholic priesthood touched off a storm of criticism on Wednesday from those who say the Church is missing the point and using gays as scapegoats for its sex scandals." - Roman Catholic bishops approve new guidelines on gay ministry. - Survivor: Vatican: under Pope Benedict XVI, the Roman Catholic Church is jumping at the chance to drive gay priests from its ranks. The move continues to divide the church.

GLBT protest targets Catholic hierarchy. - European ads attack Vatican condom ban. - Bishops say U.N. is pushing gay rights. - United Nations continues gay group ban. - Theses on Homosexuality in Modern Catholicism. - Homosexuality and the Hope Statement of the Catholic Medical Association (PDF Download). - Hispanics support church teachings on abortion, homosexuality.

‘Coming Out’ as a Catholic School Teacher. - Catholic Schools and Homosexuality. - University Catholic Center opens discussion on homosexuality. - Always Our Children: A Pastoral Message to Parents of Homosexual Children and Suggestions for Pastoral Ministers. - Catholic student sues school district: Says officials violated rights by muzzling criticism of homosexuality. - Homosexuality and the Catholic high school. - Gay law reforms to hit Queensland Catholic schools. - German Catholic Church won't allow gay employees to marry.

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Catholic Handbook. (Alternate Link) - Catholicism, homosexuality, and Dignity. - Gay and Lesbian Catholicism. - Associació Cristiana de Gais i Lesbianes. - Dignity/USA. - Homosexuality and the Church: Gay and Lesbian Family Ministry. - Adelaide Cathedral administrator calls for Church blessing of homosexual unions.

Being Wrong and Telling the Truth: a gay perspective (Millennium Lecture by James Alison – St Joseph’s in the Village, Thursday 30 th May 2002: Word Download): "I have been invited to continue developing in your midst some of the ideas with which I grappled in my recent book Faith beyond Resentment: fragments catholic and gay. In particular, a member of the Parish asked whether I would address the issue of what it means to say that the Church is wrong on the gay issue."

John J. McNeill: "For more than twenty-five years, John J. McNeill, an ordained priest and psychotherapist, has been devoting his life to spreading the good news of God's love for lesbian and gay Christians. One year after the publication of The Church and the Homosexual (1976), McNeill received an order from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican ordering him to silence in the public media. He observed the silence for nine years while continuing a private ministry to gays and lesbians which included psychotherapy, workshops, lectures and retreats. In 1988, he received a further order from Cardinal Ratzinger directing him to give up all ministry to gay persons which he refused to do in conscience. As a result, he was expelled by the Vatican from the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) for challenging the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on the issue of homosexuality, and for refusing to give up his ministry and psychotherapy practice to gay men and lesbians. McNeill had been a Jesuit for nearly 40 years..."

Catholic Educator's Resource Center: - Homosexuality Issues. (A weath of article, but not pro-gay) - HLI to the Supreme Court: Gay Scout Leaders are the First Step towards taking away our Moral Rights N/A! - Proof of the Boy Scouts Policy on Homosexuality. - The Roman Catholic Church & BSA Policy. - Apostolate to the homosexual. - Vatican Condemns Homosexuality as Intrinsically Evil - 22-Year U.S. Roman Catholic Ministry to Gays Ended - Priest and Nun Barred Forever from Ministering to Gays. - Catholic Church backs 'cure for gays' - theage.com.au.

The National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries (NACDLGM, Formed in1994): In the News. - 2003 National Conference. - National Conferences 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008. - Resource Links. - Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission: Articles. - The Whole Turth Please. - Rainbow Sash Movement (USA, with listing of related articles in the press): RSM Core Vision: "Bringing the Gifts, the Witness and the Challenge of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people into the Heart of the Church."

Homosexuality and Catholicism: A Partially Annotated Bibliography. - Catholicism and Homosexuality Bibliography: Basic Data. - Homosexuality and Catholicism Bibliography: Section XIII Lesbian and Gay Catholic Novels, Short Stories and Plays. - Catholic Bibliography on Homosexuality. - Catholic Books On Homosexuality. - New Oxford Review: Articles. - Catholic Gay Activist Needs 'Courage'.

Dignity/USA's Links to Other Organizations. - Dignity Links. - QRD Catholic Links. - Dignity Canada.

Anglican

Anglican bishops denounce homosexual relations. - Anglican Bishops Maintain Stance On Homosexuality. - Anglican Primates Affirm Stand On Homosexuality. - New Anglican catechism suggests homosexuality may be 'divinely ordered'. - Homosexuality a divine plan? - Homosexuality is divinely ordered, says Anglican catechism. (Related Article) - UK Church Leaders Consider Homosexuality Compromise. - Andreas Whittam Smith - Homosexuality is neither a white man's disease nor a sin. - Background of Anglican Church in regard to same-sex union. - First Anglican 'gay wedding' infuriates traditionalists. - Anglican Church of England Will Allow Gay Clergy to “Marry”.

New Archbishop of Canterbury on Homosexuality. - Episcopal Church Reaffirms Position on Homosexuality: "The Episcopal Church which, for almost 40 years has pushed the normalcy of homosexuality, reaffirmed its position both theologically and practically for the ordination of homosexual persons to all orders of ministry, and appealed, once again, to remain in the worldwide Anglican Communion of some 78 million Anglicans." - Dispute over homosexuality not over yet, says Archbishop of Canterbury. - Anglican clerics continue to wrestle over homosexuality. - Episcopalian Crisis: Authority, Homosexuality & the Future of Anglicanism, Part II.

New Head Of Anglican Church Both A Blessing And A Curse. - Alliance of Lesbian and Gay Anglicans N/A. - Anglicans Divided on Homosexuality N/A: "Conservative Anglican bishops from around the world are proposing a crackdown on America's Episcopal Church because of its toleration of homosexuality." - Homosexuality debate could split Anglican Church. - Boston's Episcopal Bishops Rip Catholic Church on Homosexuality. - Group 'prepared to respond' if Episcopal Church affirms gay bishop.

New Gay Episcopal Bishop Furor. - Gay issues slowly erode Episcopal membership. - At Axis of Episcopal Split, an Anti-Gay Nigerian. - Connecticut Episcopal Bishop Authorizes Priests to Bless Gay Unions. - Episcopal leader holds firm on gay rights: Says N.H. bishop's election a blessing. - US Episcopal bishops say anti-gay sanctions harm the gospel.

Issue of homosexuality looks certain to tear Anglican Church apart. - Homosexuality: A (Sydney) Anglican Approach. - Australian Anglicanism Into the present: Anglicanism and Homosexuality in the 1970s. - Anglican Church releases report on homosexuality (Australia).

Southern African archbishop addresses homosexuality. - SA Archbishop says homosexuality must be addressed. - Anglican Church to debate gay marriage. - Statement on Homosexuality by the Anglican Province of Rwanda. - Congolese Anglican Church condemns homosexuality.

The Worlwide Anglican Communion and Homosexuality. - The Anglican Church of Canada and Homosexuality.- Valid process crucial to debating homosexuality issue' (Canada) - Bishop Spong's Message to the Anglican Communion on Homosexuality. - Resources for Reconciliation. - The American Anglican Council : Homosexuality In The Light Of Reason (US: Home Page). - Anglican Pages of Louie Crew: Resources. - The American Anglican Council : Summing up the Lambeth Conference.

The Episcopal Church and Homosexuality. - Some Considerations of Homosexuality and the Episcopal Church. - Homosexuality: How the economics and politics of Singapore have shaped the Anglican Diocese and its role in the Province of South East Asia. (Alternate Link) - Top Anglican's gay stance alarms conservatives.

United Church

United Church of Christ and homosexuality. - The United Church of Canada and homosexuality. - The United Church of Canada and homosexuality. - Resolution Concerning the Prevention of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth Suicide as Adopted by the 1999 United Church of Christ General Synod. - Homosexuality: This has been the big issue in the United Church since March 1988. - Boy Scout policy threatens church ties. - Homosexuality back on United Church agenda: Niagara Presbytery seeks referendum on recent policy changes. - Homosexuality: God’s Ways or Our Ways? - Chronology of Actions in the UCC on the Ordination of Gay and Lesbian People.

Calgary United church 'comes out' to welcome gays: "Knox United, one of Calgary's oldest religious institutions, has opened its doors to the city's gay community. The church will hold a special service Sunday marking its decision to become an "affirming ministry." The designation means it will actively welcome people of all sexual orientations into every aspect of church life." - United Church launches racy advertising campaign: "A new $10.5 million advertising campaign is being launched by The United Church of Canada in an attempt to spark debate about hot button religious issues like gay marriage and sexual boundaries." - Issues in the Uniting Church in Australia: Homosexuality and Ministry in the Uniting Church.

US Church backs same-sex marriage: The million-strong United Church of Christ (UCC) has become the first major US Christian denomination to come out in support of gay marriage. - United Church of Christ backs gay nuptials. - CBS, NBC refuse to air church's television advertisement. - Australia'a United Church backs gay priests: "The Uniting Church now faces a major split after its national assembly today voted to allow practising homosexuals to be ordained as priests. The vote was overwhelming, with 75 per cent in favour. And now there are reports that at least one unnamed state will form a breakaway movement."

The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns (Cleveland, Ohio): "In 1985, the General Synold of the United Church of Christ accepted a resolution that called on congregations to declare themselves open to and affirming of gay, lesbian and bisexual people in the full life and ministry of the church. In response and to shepherd churches in this process, the organization that would later be named The UCC Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns began offering guidance and resources, and establishing the means by which congregations might fulfill this resolution."

Centenary Queen Square United Church Gay and Lesbian Library.

Presbyterian

More Light Presbyterians: Religious splinter group seeks to make the Presbyterian Church more accepting of gays and lesbians. (Resources) The Journal of Homosexuality, a leading scholarly journal in gay and lesbian studies, has published "The Lesbian and Gay Liberation Movement in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 1974-1996," by James D. Anderson (volume 34, no. 2, 1997, pp. 37-65). - Presbyterian decisions back gays - gay clergey and same-sex marriage: "A Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) tribunal ruled November 22 that a group of South Jersey churches did not violate church laws by accepting a gay man as a candidate for ordination. The ruling, which opponents vowed to appeal, keeps alive the infighting over homosexuality that has plagued mainline Protestant denominations throughout the 1990s."

Presbyterian Church (USA) and Homosexuality. - Presbyterian Church Continues Battle Over Homosexuality. - Presbyterians to vote on gay issue today: "A group of local Presbyterian churches will decide today whether to encourage its governing body to open the way to ordain gays and lesbians, an issue that has been dividing this and other mainline denominations for years." - The New Presbyterian Catechisms, approved for 5-year study and use by the Presbyterian General Assembly, 1998, in Charlotte, North Carolina. - Presbyterian Parents of Gays and Lesbians, Inc N/A. - That All May Freely Serve. - Presbyterian Gayman.

Deanna Tiefenthal reviews progress on GLBT issues in the year just ended : 2000. - Presbyterian battle over homosexuality still unresolved. - Salvation, homosexuality rock Presbyterian confab: Pastor says, 'This is the end of the church as we know it': "At the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly this month, delegates from across the country and around the world voted to remove the ban on ordination of homosexuals, sending shock waves throughout the denomination. But an even bigger issue is simultaneously in question: salvation of humanity through Jesus Christ." - Presbyterian Church faces departure of some members: As in other denominations, gay issues playing role in split. "Struggles over homosexuality, scriptural authority and doctrine are straining the Pittsburgh Presbytery, as one of its largest congregations prepares to leave and a minister prepares for another battle after marrying a lesbian couple."

Presbyterian Church (USA): No Actively Gay Pastors: "The Presbyterian Church (USA) narrowly voted July 2 to maintain its sexuality standards for church officers, a significant defeat for gays and lesbians who want to serve as pastors and elders. Delegates to the church's General Assembly in Richmond, Virginia, decided by just four votes — 259-255 — to keep intact a 1978 policy that prohibits "unrepentant homosexual practice" among church officers in the 2.5 million-member church." - Gay Presbyterian minister ordained in N.Y. - Presbyterian Church lets locals decide on gay clergy. - American Presbyterian Church Adopts Policy on Gay People: It would allow gay people to become religious leaders. - Presbyterian Church debates issue of gay elders: "he Episcopal Church isn't the only denomination debating gay issues — the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) faces a similar conflict, theologically and politically, at its assembly Thursday in Birmingham, Ala. Can a local church ordain a gay elder when the denominational constitution forbids it?" - Presbyterian Court Rejects Gay Ministry Candidates.

Baptist

Rainbow Baptists: American Baptists Concerned for Sexual Minorities and Honesty - Southern Baptists support and advocacy group. - Baptist Resources. - Sixth Annual Gay and Lesbian Baptist Retreat (October, 2002). Southern Baptist Convention and Homosexuality. - Homosexuality: Southern Baptist position. (Alternate Link) - Homosexuality:Another (Baptist/Biblical) Approach. - What do the leaders of the BGCT believe about homosexuality. - BGCT actions regarding homosexuality, 1991-2000. - American Baptist Church accepts homosexual pastors.

Gay Baptist church, possibly the first, finds a home in Phila. - Gay Baptist Church Opens. - Gay & Baptist: Students divided on church's stance on gays and lesbians. Atlanta Association still reeling over debate on two gay-friendly churches. - Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church: In Their Own Words. - Gay activists plan civil disobedience for Baptist convention. - Gay rights activists arrested at meeting N/A. - Pro-Gay Baptist Church To Be Ousted.

Text of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship policy on homosexuality. - Cooperative Baptist Fellowship upholds policy against homosexuality. - Statements and Resolutions by Southern Baptist Leaders and the SBC about Homosexuality and Homosexuals. - Gay acceptance divides churches N/A: While a Granville church opens its doors, a Worthington church condemns the lifestyle.

Gays who Grew up Southern Baptist to Distribute Pro-Gay Bible Studies at 2005 Southern Baptist Convention.

The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and homosexuality. - Stance on homosexual behavior slated for N.C. vote in Nov.: "The proposal was framed by a seven-member committee created to follow through on a motion adopted at the convention’s annual meeting last November instructing the board of directors “to develop and implement a policy" that would "deal clearly with homosexual behavior,” including a stipulation “that a church which knowingly affirms, approves, or endorses homosexual behavior is a church not in friendly cooperation with the Convention." Mark Harris, pastor of First Baptist Church in Charlotte, chaired the committee." - Baptist group poised to bar gay-friendly churches. - Churches break with N.C. convention over homosexuality.

Rev. Lonnie Latham - Hypocrisy and Corruption in the Pulpit. - Rev. Lonnie Latham: Another Victim of the Southern Baptist Lie Regarding Homosexuality. - Related New Updates. - Baptist figure acquitted of gay sex charge: "Latham's attorney, Mack Martin, argued during the trial that it is not illegal for consenting adults to engage in private homosexual acts, so a request to participate in such an act is not illegal."

The CBF Circle of Friends: Religious Voices Advocate Homosexuality. - Integrating my faith and homosexuality.

Mormon

The Assemblies of God and Homosexuality. - The LDS Restorationist movement: The LDS Church & homosexuality. - The Assemblies of God's position on homosexual relationships. - This statement on homosexuality and the Bible was approved as the official statement by the General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God on August 6, 2001. - This statement is the report of the committee to study homosexuality. The report was adopted by the Assemblies of God General Presbytery, August 14, 1979. - Private Pain, Public Purges: A History of Homosexuality at Brigham Young University. (Alternate Link). - Homosexuality and The Church of Jesus Christ: Understanding Homosexuality According to the Doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

LDS playwright discusses church, homosexuality: Carol Lynn Pearson speaks of her latest play, her faith and caring for her gay husband after he contracted AIDS: "Pearson is still active in the LDS church but views herself as a "maverick" and a "pioneer" sent here to help people understand gay issues. "Since I published 'Goodbye, I Love You,' I have heard from many hundreds of gay people and their families and just those who wanted to thank me for helping them better to understand a difficult subject. I also have gay friends of my own from long ago. Certainly my experiences with all of these people have let me know that we are not yet where we need to be on gay issues. There is still too much misinformation, lack of compassion and fear," Pearson said. Pearson's inspiration for "Facing East" was "writing what you know." The play is about a Mormon couple trying to cope and understand their gay son's suicide. Stuck between their undying faith and their new reality, they meet their son's partner, Marcus. Pearson feels very strongly about the chasm between religion and homosexuality..."

Latter-day politics: Mormon Church supports California's anti-gay-marriage measure. - Mormon church issues statement against gay marriage just before vote on ban. - Local gay Mormon faces excommunication: Hearing triggered after man marries partner: "Homosexuality is not considered a sin within the LDS church, but homosexual behavior is, according to Olin Thomas, executive director of Affirmation, a gay Mormon group." - Mormon / LDS Chronology Of Involvement In Same-Sex Marriage Politics. - Same Sex Temple Sealings: Did the Early LDS Church Embrace Homosexual Relationships? Nineteenth-Century LDS temple rituals included the practice of “sealing” men to men. While modern church authorities have nearly eradicated all evidence of this arcane practice, some historians cite it as evidence that the early church embraced homosexual relationships — but are they right? ..."

The SL Tribune Joins the Chorus: "I promise, one of these days, I really will write about something else. But I keep running into more discussions of this topic, which I feel compelled to share. Perhaps in reply to Thursday's NY Times article about gay men in straight marriages (which I discussed yesterday), Friday the Salt Lake Tribune published an article about "mixed orientation" marriages, with the optimistic headline, "Mixed-orientation LDS couples count on commitment, work and love to beat the odds." The article's basic message is this: gay men, just admit you're gay before you get married, convince yourself that sex doesn't matter all that much, and you too can have a conventional Mormon marriage! Women, just accept that your husband is gay and will never want you the way he wants men, convince yourself that sex doesn't matter all that much, and you too can have a conventional Mormon marriage!..."

Gay LDS men detail challenges: 3 who are married give some insights to therapist group: "A group of Latter-day Saint counselors and therapists got some up-close insight Thursday during a panel discussion at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building into the challenges faced by gay LDS men who marry. Speaking to a standing-room-only audience, three LDS couples described their experiences with their heterosexual marriages, despite the fact that each of the husbands experience what they call same-sex attraction, or SSA. They said while they are basically happy, navigating the emotional and physical aspects of their relationships requires constant hard work. All emphasized that marriage is not a "cure" for same-sex attraction..."

Mormon Family Values: "Publicly, the church loves the sinner but hates the sin. "People inquire about our position on those who consider themselves so-called gays and lesbians," remarked LDS president Gordon B. Hinckley. "My response is that we love them as sons and daughters of God." As former insiders, the Hardys contend that the church establishment is obsessed with good press and intent upon creating an image of a mainstream Christian religion--a goal it plans to pursue as the television networks cast their soft-focus lenses on Salt Lake City during the winter Olympics this February. The Hardys, meanwhile, are determined to let the world know what lies behind the church's rhetorical niceties. David Hardy scoffs at Hinckley's profession of tolerance. "We were forced to make a decision that no parent should be forced to make," he says, "to abandon one's child or one's faith."

Mormon uni eases anti-gay policy: "Mormon-owned Brigham Young University has eased its punitive policy on gay students, a small but significant change one student said would help to relax a "Gestapo atmosphere" on campus. Prompted by gay BYU students, the university last week changed its honor code to read, "Sexual orientation is not an Honor Code issue. However, the Honor Code requires all members of the university community to manifest a strict commitment to the law of chastity," the Salt Lake Tribune reported Tuesday. Previously, the code read, "Advocacy of a homosexual lifestyle (whether implied or explicit) or any behaviors that indicate homosexual conduct, including those not sexual in nature . . . violate the Honor Code.""

God's Love-Our Witness, a gay Adventist Christian resource: "Many of our Adventist members are single, and others are married. Some have never acted on their attraction to their own gender. Others have spent more than 30 years immersed in the gay culture of one of our big cities and then come back to the Adventist church they learned to love when they were young. What binds us together is our common goal to make Christ first in our lives as we look forward to His glorious Second Advent." - Seventh-day Adventist Homosexuality Resources. - The Hypocrites of Homosexuality.

Mormons Mobilize Against Church Leaders: LDS Safe Space Coalition to Send Flowers as an Expression of Dissent: "Many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were alarmed to hear political calls over church pulpits throughout the United States on May 28th urging members to contact their Senators in support of an anti-gay federal Marriage Amendment." - Mormon Senator Asks for Support in Defeating Anti-Gay Amendment. - The Logical Next Step: Affirming Same-Sex Relationships.

SDA Kinship International (Seventh Day Adventists): Homosexuality: Another Adventist Point of View: "This paper is dedicated to Seventh-day Adventist pastors, educators, health care professionals, and laity that continue to risk their careers, reputations, and livelihood on behalf of gay and lesbian Adventists throughout the world." - Nothing in the world is quite like growing up a Seventh-day Adventist and then discovering you are gay. - To Be Gay - And Mormon: As a pious churchgoer, Stuart Matis prayed and worked to change his sexual orientation. He died trying (Newsweek, 2000).

LDS Reconciliation: A resource for gay mormon men, women and their families: "This site is not only for you as a gay mormon but for your families as well, to open up dialog and begin the understanding of what being gay mormon is and how gay reconciliation and gay spirituality can be achieved in a gospel of love."

Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons. -


	Suicide memorial. Why This memorial? Suicide Information. Articles.	Suicide Vigils. Memorial Links. Awareness Links. Bibliography.

Vigil-Related Research Result Summaries For Journalists and Others

Gay Mornon: A collection and directory of information regarding homosexuality and The Church of the Latter-Day Saints (Mormon).

Theology		Case Studies		Dealing With It		Resources
	Doctrine		Individuals		Coming Out		Books
	Policy		Organizations		Getting Out		Organizations
	Scripture		Violence		Staying In		Periodicals
					Understanding		Websites

Gay LDS Young Adults (GLYA). -

Mormon, gay, and sane: "While reading your story on how boyfriends Stephen Shroy and Aaron Cloward and others have survived the Mormon Church ["Mormons on a Mission," April 12], I am reminded of how resilient we gay people are. Plant us in the arid soil of Mormonism, Roman Catholicism, Protestant fundamentalism, Orthodox Judaism, even Islam, and many of us grow and prosper. We are file finest examples of how the human spirit can survive even the most inhospitable of environments."

Gay Mormons in love: "The filmmaker and cast behind "Latter Days" are on a mission: to get as many people as possible in to see their little film. It's a sometime drama, sometime romantic comedy about two young men who find each other, love each other, and deal with the consequences of love's often messy aftermath. And, oh yeah: one of the men is a Mormon." - Utah Premiere of Gay Mormon Film Cancelled. - Gay Escort: Hunky, Likes Vaudeville, Mormon Background: "Who would have thought that the Mormon Church could be a perfect training ground for a life of prostitution? In the autobiographical solo show "Confessions of a Mormon Boy," a hit at the 2004 New York International Fringe Festival, Steven Fales, a sixth-generation Mormon, describes his losing battle against his homosexual impulses." - A Gay Mormon Survives His Faith, Drugs, And Escorting: An Interview with Steven Fales, Creator and Star of Confessions of a Mormon Boy. - Confessions of a Mormon Boy Web Site.

Mennonite

The Mennonite Churches and Homosexuality. - Homosexuality and the Mennonite Church. - Mennonite church expelled for accepting gays. - Where does Mennonite Church Canada stand? A report on our understanding of the church’s position regarding same-sex issues (PDF Download). - Statements of Mennonite Conferences, Boards, and Committees on Homosexuality (1985-2004). - The Church and Homosexuality: Lancaster Conference of the Mennonite Church. Adopted by Conference Leadership Assembly on September 19, 1997.

Conservative Mennonite Conference: Statement on Homosexuality. - Homosexuality and the Bible: A Case Study in the Use of the Bible for Ethics. - Resolution on the Issue of Homosexuality (Conference of Mennonites in Canada, 1998): a CMEO Source Document.

Homosexuality: A compassionate yet firm response (2004, Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, PDF Download): "We encourage all homosexuals to give up their lifestyle and find healing in Christ. We call on all persons who struggle with questions of sexual impropriety to find release through forgiveness and transformed living."

John M. Linscheid: "John came out as a gay man to his family and a few friends in the late 1970s but remained publicly closeted. In the early 1980s, John wrote a number of pro-gay articles for the Brethren Mennonite Council for Gay Concerns (BMC). In 1983, he became one of the first Mennonite pastors in the United States to come out publicly. The congregation, divided on how to respond, decided to retain him as pastor on an interim basis. However, the district conference demanded John’s ouster as a condition for continued funding. In May 1984, John left Lawrence. Although John had been approved for ordination (he had been licensed until then), his coming out brought a cancellation of plans for that step."

Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian and Gay Concerns. - Mennonites and the “Homosexual” Issue: A Recent History. - Welcome Committee Mennonites Working to Increase Dialogue on Gay and Lesbian Inclusion. - Welcome Committee: Mennonites Working to Increase Dialogue on Gay and Lesbian Inclusion. - The Urgent Homosexual Agenda: On several occasions, this column has addressed the question of homosexuality. Because of some major developments in society, increased questioning among Christians and pressures on the traditional family, we do well to visit this matter again. - Assembly Mennonite Church, Inclusion Ministry Team: promotes the full participation in Assembly's congregational life of gay and lesbian Christians through raising awareness and understanding of sexual orientation in all its complexity. - Healing and Reconciliation Team (HaRT): Report to the Congregation of Toronto United Mennonite Church - Our goal for the year: To enable people to accept different convictions on sexuality and still be one church community, remembering that as Christians we have much in common with one another. - YAR: a loose affiliation of self-identified young Anabaptist radicals.

Mennonites also face the gay issue. - The continuing homosexual issue. - Gentle strategies toward unity on the "h-issue": Where Mennonite Church USA is now, and what should happen next. - Lancaster Conference and Gay Mennonites. - Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Interests denied booth space at 2007 Mennonite conference. - Fifteen Reasons Why I Have Changed My Mind.

The queer radical Mennonite conundrum: "’m going to do a spin-off from the speech I pointed you all to last week. So here is the conundrum. I grew up Mennonite. I went to a lovely, nurturing, happy, rural church (East Union Mennonite Church) where I was baptized at 16. I went to a Mennonite summer camp (Crooked Creek Christian Camp) for quite a few years and loved it. I went to many a Mennonite bi-annual conference as my parents were youth leaders for many years and when I was in high school. I went to a Mennonite high school (Iowa Mennonite School) where I learned lovely things about Mennonite history and faith along with the English and Trig. I served for a year with Mennonite Central Committee (SALT) in South Africa. I spent four formative years at Goshen College. I highly value every one of these institutions as they have played a major part in my formation. Those institutions represent an integral part of almost my entire life. The problem arises when I realize that every single one of these institutions would discriminate against me if I were to want to work for them or even volunteer for them as an openly queer Mennonite..."

Nonviolence and Nonconformity the Mennonite Way: Colette DeDonato talks with Pastor Sheri Hostetler: "There were so many topics that were off-limits within the mainstream Mennonite periodicals. For instance, it would be impossible to this day to imagine a mainstream Mennonite publication printing an article by a gay or lesbian person who was out and proud of it, or a woman who had had an abortion and felt that that was an appropriate moral choice... Mainstream Mennonites have tended to be socially progressive and theologically conservative. But having said that, there is an incredibly wide variety within the Mennonite Church. Our own congregation—and we are certainly not the only one—would identify itself as progressive in both social thought and theology. We participate in antiwar marches and debate the divinity of Jesus. But there are Mennonites back in my home congregation in Ohio who listen to Pat Robertson, believe that George Bush is a wonderful Christian, and think the Bible needs to be taken literally—whatever that means. I often wonder what keeps this incredibly disparate group of people together... That said, I’m particularly proud of the fact that people who are not culturally Mennonite come to First Mennonite and feel at home there. I think we create a very safe space for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and/or who are questioning some core Christian beliefs. It’s a safe place to be a seeker - someone who doesn’t have all the answers. A number of people at our church are refugees from more conservative denominations."

Homosexuality - 'too much' acceptance - is related to conflict between Calgary Inter Mennonite Church Council and the Conference of Mennonites of Alberta. (Related 1PDFs: 1, 2). - What is God doing? Or Where and when I have seen the Holy on the journey: "The thesis related narrative interviews with five men who are gay including the author who is a clergyperson. This person has agreed to live celibate in order to exercise his gifts. My heart was wrenched by the harrowing stories of physical abuse, of emotional trauma caused in part and condoned by collusion the church had played in the violence of silence. This thesis was a timely reminder for me of how much work there is left to do before gay and lesbian brothers and sisters are free to live their lives in an open, life-affirming way. In the Micah passage, I see a vision of peace co-mingled with justice that addresses the violence in our churches when we condemn our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, or just as seriously, when we are silent in the face of violent and destructive attitudes and actions. - In Conversation: At the Assembly With Paul and Amy.

MennoLink Books and Music: Homosexuality. - Fractured Dance: Gadamer and a Mennonite Conflict over Homosexuality - 2001 - by Michael A. King (Related Information) (Foreword to Book) (Review)

Lutheran

Evangelical Lutheran Church In America And Homosexuality. - ELCA Council Declines Study of Ordaining Gay, Lesbian Lutherans. (Alternate Link) - Homosexuality and the Danish Lutheran Church. - The Lutheran Confessions and Homosexuality (PDF Download). - Chronological Timeline of Marriage/Sexuality Developments within the ELCA. - Russian Orthodox Church condemns Lutheran gay weddings. - Swedish lawmakers expected to legalize gay marriage; Lutheran body assents. - Church shifts on gay clergy... Lutheran vote for hold on discipline still up to bishops: At their national convention last week, the 4.7 million member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted to change course and allow pastors like Dale Poland to continue their ministry. The resolution, which passed 538 to 431, called for a moratorium on disciplining gay clergy who lived in "faithful, committed same-gender relationships."

Lutheran Church of Australia: Homosexuality (PDF Download). - Lutheran Church of Australia and Homosexuality. - Homosexuality and the Church. (Accees via Index). - An Evaluation of the Australian Lutheran "Statement on Homosexuality" (1978: PDF Download). - Lutheran Church of Australia.

Lutherans Discuss Homosexuality: Anxieties about how Christians can overcome disagreements on homosexuality emerged during a session attended by 700 delegates at the national legislative assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. - Lutheran church launches study of homosexuality N/A. - Lutheranism: "Lutheran churches vary in their perspective on homosexuality and their response to homosexuals in the church. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod "believes that the Bible teaches that homosexual behavior is contrary to God's Word and will, and seeks to minister to those who are struggling with homosexual inclinations." {5} The ELCA has not yet taken a defined