Though I've posted before about the Bible and some of the ways it's been misrepresented and misused against the LGBT community, I though it might be helpful to share another good resource, What the Bible Says and Doesn't Say About Homosexuality. This short essay does a very effective job of demonstrating how the Bible in fact has nothing to say in condemnation of LGBT people and for that reason I hope it's a useful resource for anyone who might feel they wish to support the community but are still unsure of what the Bible says on this issue.
Peace,
Padre Chuck
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
The Meaning of Matthew
I can't recommend highly enough a recent book, The Meaning of Mathew, by Judy Shepard, the mother of Matthew Shepard, a young college student who was brutally murdered 11 years ago in Wyoming simply because he was gay. Judy's book shares Matthew's story in a profoundly moving way, simply sharing who Matthew was to her and her family and how some degree of good and hope has come from this tragedy through The Matthew Shepard Foundation, which Judy and her family set up to work for justice and equality for the LGBT community and an end to hate and prejudice.
I highly recommend this book as a way to understand the struggles the LGBT community has gone through in the last decade and the promise and hope we feel for the future despite the sadnesses and tragedies that have occurred in our community.
Finally, I share the above video from the Ellen DeGeneres show as an example of the work of advocacy that Judy Shepard has been engaged in since her son's death. Like Ellen, I too started to cry as I realized just how tragic this story is and yet also how much good has come from tragedy through the courage and witness of people like Judy Shepard.
With prayers for peace and an end to hate,
Padre Chuck
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Matthew Shepard Act
This past week marked the historical signing into law in the U.S. of theMatthew Shepard Act, a historic step forward in the ongoing fight for LGBT rights and dignity. Although there is still much hatred and prejudice still to be overcome, for me at least it's a sign of hope that our legislators and president have finally come around to making it a crime to commit acts of hatred like those perpetrated against Matthew Shepard and many others.
Peace,
Padre Chuck
Peace,
Padre Chuck
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Infallible No More
Just a couple brief comments (it's really not worthy of much more of anyone's attention than that) on a forthcoming statement by the U.S. Catholic bishops on same-sex marriage.
First of all, if anything I'd actually say that, from the perspective of the LGBT community, this statement can be taken as a hopeful sign - not, of course, insofar as it perpetuates stereotypes and negative attitudes towards our community, but rather as a sign that we're winning this fight. If we weren't doing the work we're doing to fight for equality in our churches and places of worship and the public sphere then the bishops wouldn't feel threatened and wouldn't have sensed the need to defend their position. But they have and that in itself is an indication of how far we've come along the way to winning the place in the social and religious spheres that is ours as children of God.
My second comment is more personal. Although my journey to this conclusion has been in the works for many years now, I think it finally took the proverbial 'last straw' of the release of this statement this past week at last to help me articulate for myself what I believe - namely, that despite their at times desperate pleas to the contrary, neither the Pope, nor the Roman Catholic bishops nor any other religious, civic or any other kind of authority is completely infallible. Participating myself as an official in that system for so many years, I really believed that if the bishops said it, well then it must be true. It's taken many years for God to break through that illusion that I held, but I'm grateful to say that I stand now today as someone who believes profoundly in the goodness and love and presence in our world of the God who is with us but am also so much more aware of how fallible - how human, really - our leaders and of course all of us really are. Having the privilege to spend time studying the history of the Roman church as an institution hasn't hurt in helping me come to this conclusion either, but above all it was really during this past week that it just kind of all finally made sense. The Roman Catholic bishops, like some of their predecessors in the past and any number of other examples from other traditions and past situations, simply have not yet found a way to open their eyes to the truth that's all around them - namely, that God blesses loving same-sex relationships and is using them to bless the world. Their inability to see this is unfortunate for them and, tragically, has very grave consequences for those members of their flocks who believe these men are totally infallible and thus think that they must systematically deny who they really are and/or reject their family members and friends who don't conform to the official line or who feel emboldened in their prejudicial attitudes and justified in physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually abusing or even killing those who are different.
This is a deeply tragic situation that affects not only the Roman Catholic Church but any number of other religious groups and our society as a whole. However, if there's a glimmer of hope anywhere in this story, perhaps it's to be found in the first point I brought up: though it's taken decades of hard work and will likely require many more years of non-violent action, in the end the more we speak truth to power (about this and any other issue of justice in our society and our world) the more we carve a space for ourselves as members of the human race and dignified children of God. Some of the powers that be may lag far behind and persist in their stubborn close-mindedness up to the bitter end, but by our very rising up, by our refusal to be trod down anymore, by our persistence despite all the odds that God really does love us as we are, we create the change we hope for and we prepare a better world for those who will come after us.
None of us is infallible and none of us gets to escape being human and all the beauty and the messiness that that entails. And even when some of our leaders fall under the illusion that they are somehow above the rest of us, my hope is that we won't lose heart - that we'll allow God to help pick us up, dust us off, and move forward again in the path toward the integral freedom and peace that are ours as children of our Creator.
Peace and blessings,
Padre Chuck
First of all, if anything I'd actually say that, from the perspective of the LGBT community, this statement can be taken as a hopeful sign - not, of course, insofar as it perpetuates stereotypes and negative attitudes towards our community, but rather as a sign that we're winning this fight. If we weren't doing the work we're doing to fight for equality in our churches and places of worship and the public sphere then the bishops wouldn't feel threatened and wouldn't have sensed the need to defend their position. But they have and that in itself is an indication of how far we've come along the way to winning the place in the social and religious spheres that is ours as children of God.
My second comment is more personal. Although my journey to this conclusion has been in the works for many years now, I think it finally took the proverbial 'last straw' of the release of this statement this past week at last to help me articulate for myself what I believe - namely, that despite their at times desperate pleas to the contrary, neither the Pope, nor the Roman Catholic bishops nor any other religious, civic or any other kind of authority is completely infallible. Participating myself as an official in that system for so many years, I really believed that if the bishops said it, well then it must be true. It's taken many years for God to break through that illusion that I held, but I'm grateful to say that I stand now today as someone who believes profoundly in the goodness and love and presence in our world of the God who is with us but am also so much more aware of how fallible - how human, really - our leaders and of course all of us really are. Having the privilege to spend time studying the history of the Roman church as an institution hasn't hurt in helping me come to this conclusion either, but above all it was really during this past week that it just kind of all finally made sense. The Roman Catholic bishops, like some of their predecessors in the past and any number of other examples from other traditions and past situations, simply have not yet found a way to open their eyes to the truth that's all around them - namely, that God blesses loving same-sex relationships and is using them to bless the world. Their inability to see this is unfortunate for them and, tragically, has very grave consequences for those members of their flocks who believe these men are totally infallible and thus think that they must systematically deny who they really are and/or reject their family members and friends who don't conform to the official line or who feel emboldened in their prejudicial attitudes and justified in physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually abusing or even killing those who are different.
This is a deeply tragic situation that affects not only the Roman Catholic Church but any number of other religious groups and our society as a whole. However, if there's a glimmer of hope anywhere in this story, perhaps it's to be found in the first point I brought up: though it's taken decades of hard work and will likely require many more years of non-violent action, in the end the more we speak truth to power (about this and any other issue of justice in our society and our world) the more we carve a space for ourselves as members of the human race and dignified children of God. Some of the powers that be may lag far behind and persist in their stubborn close-mindedness up to the bitter end, but by our very rising up, by our refusal to be trod down anymore, by our persistence despite all the odds that God really does love us as we are, we create the change we hope for and we prepare a better world for those who will come after us.
None of us is infallible and none of us gets to escape being human and all the beauty and the messiness that that entails. And even when some of our leaders fall under the illusion that they are somehow above the rest of us, my hope is that we won't lose heart - that we'll allow God to help pick us up, dust us off, and move forward again in the path toward the integral freedom and peace that are ours as children of our Creator.
Peace and blessings,
Padre Chuck
Friday, October 16, 2009
Continuing the Struggle for Equality
The next few weeks will be crucial in two states, Washington and Maine, as supporters and opponents of marriage equality gather forces and work toward upcoming votes at the beginning of November. It's sad to me that these fights even need to happen but I've also been encouraged to see people coming together in both states and nationwide to fight to maintain equality for same-sex couples. May God bless their efforts and encourage and strengthen all of us in the fight for human rights and equality.
Peace,
Padre Chuck
Peace,
Padre Chuck
Saturday, October 10, 2009
When Gay People Get Married
One of the tired, groundless, and unscientific arguments often dusted off as a means of sowing fear about LGBT rights involves the supposed conclusion that if gay people are allowed to marry then suddenly straight people will no longer want to commit to each other and society will self-destruct. Of course, as is readily apparent if one simply steps back to reflect for a moment, this argument is based essentially on fear and has nothing to do with intelligent reflection on this issue.
Thankfully, a new study, When Gay People Get Married, has just been published that refutes arguments such as this one in the best possible way: not through counter-attack or impassioned name-calling but simply through rigorous, scholarly study. As the author M. V. Lee Badgett shows, in fact when LGBT people get married they do so for many of the same reasons that straight people do - probably most of all simply because they love each other and want to seal that love in a way that's meaningful for them. And, as it turns out, the statistics show that allowing LGBT people to marry has had no visible effect on straight people, more of whom now appear to be getting married for other reasons.
Personally, I'm grateful for this book as it provides those of us working for change in society and religious groups with a reliable study with which to further strengthen our arguments in favor of marriage equality. However, above all else, my hope is that the examples of love, humanity, compassion, and kindness that many LGBT people live out in their daily lives will continue to touch and change hearts around them, helping bring greater freedom and peace to our communities.
Peace,
Padre Chuck
Thankfully, a new study, When Gay People Get Married, has just been published that refutes arguments such as this one in the best possible way: not through counter-attack or impassioned name-calling but simply through rigorous, scholarly study. As the author M. V. Lee Badgett shows, in fact when LGBT people get married they do so for many of the same reasons that straight people do - probably most of all simply because they love each other and want to seal that love in a way that's meaningful for them. And, as it turns out, the statistics show that allowing LGBT people to marry has had no visible effect on straight people, more of whom now appear to be getting married for other reasons.
Personally, I'm grateful for this book as it provides those of us working for change in society and religious groups with a reliable study with which to further strengthen our arguments in favor of marriage equality. However, above all else, my hope is that the examples of love, humanity, compassion, and kindness that many LGBT people live out in their daily lives will continue to touch and change hearts around them, helping bring greater freedom and peace to our communities.
Peace,
Padre Chuck
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Working for Human Rights in Latin America
I came across the following article recently on the struggle in Argentina for recognition of LGBT rights. Living in Mexico this year, it's been inspiring to see how women and men here are standing up for themselves and their communities and claiming their rights. There's still so much to do but each small victory is a step along the way to equality and full dignity for all.
Peace,
Padre Chuck
Peace,
Padre Chuck
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