For material on gay saints, see ”Gay Saints & Others” page, including:
SS Sergius & Bacchus: Roman Lovers & Martyrs
St Sebastian: Martyr & Gay Icon
For gay marriage, see
and
For the evolution of church teaching, see:
Brooten: Love Between Women An important and magisterial, scholarly work, Brooten provides a valuable counterpart to Boswell form a female perspective.
Westley, Dick: Redemptive Intimacy" This book was a major influence on my own thinking when I first encountered it in my CLC group some years ago, for its argument that we have an obligation to participate in making new theology be prayerful reflection and sharing on our lived experience.
Althaus-Reid, Marcella: The Queer God"Fascinating, provocative and frustrating in equal measure. Her ideas are startlingly original, but the argument is densely written at a level beyond that I am currently ready for.
Duffy, Eamonn: Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes." For a long time, I have been wanting a reliable history of the papacy, one that could balance the sectional views of the orthodox Catholic and Protestant traditions. I was delighted to be given a copy of Saints & Sinners by my partner, Raymond. Written by an eminent Catholic historian, it does note sacrifice historical accuracy for partisanship. Reviews I have seen are glowing, and (so far) I have not been disappointed.
For material on gay saints, see ”Gay Saints & Others” page, including:
SS Sergius & Bacchus: Roman Lovers & Martyrs
St Sebastian: Martyr & Gay Icon
For gay marriage, see
and
For the evolution of church teaching, see:
Episcopal Diocese to allow gay union
The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, which includes churches in Greater Cincinnati, will allow the blessing of gay union beginning after Easter 2010.
The Rev. Thomas Breidenthal, in an address Friday to the 135th convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, made the announcement that he said should surprise no one.
He said his position on his support for the blessing of "same-sex unions" was clear in his writings prior to his election as bishop of the 80-church, 25,000-member diocese in 2006,
He said he was lifting the "prohibition on the blessing of same-sex unions, effective Easter 2010."
Read More: Cincinnati.com
Gay church clergy (in Taiwan) try to combat intolerance
Several church groups organized an anti-gay parade in Taipei on Oct. 24, one week before the annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) pride parade on Oct. 31. The marchers called same-sex relationships wrong, saying God would only bless relationships between a man and a woman. They warned that bigger LGBT parades could bring disaster to Taiwan. ......
“We regret such hostile attitude among some Christians — they lash out at gays and want to ‘correct’ our sexual orientation and make gays disappear,” Elias Tseng (曾恕敏), the nation’s first gay pastor, who was ordained in 2004, told the Taipei Times in a recent interview.
“However, at most gay events, particularly the LGBT parade, we see mostly messages of love and tolerance, and that’s exactly what Christianity about,” Tseng said, adding that he hoped homophobic church organizations could recognize the fundamental message in the Bible and accept it.
While same-sex intercourse is mentioned in few Bible verses, same-sex relationships or sexual behavior alone are not condemned in the Bible as sin, Tseng said.
“Same-sex intercourse is only declared a sin when it’s practiced as a pagan way of worship,” he said.
Read More: Taipei Times
Lesbian gets green light to adopt
A homosexual woman, who has seen her request twice rejected, finally received approval to adopt a child from a court in Besançon, eastern France
School teacher Emmanuelle B. should receive the necessary paperwork within 15 days following Tuesday morning’s decision, capping off a long court battle that has lasted more than 10 years.
Read More: Radio France International
Mormon church issues statement in support of gay-rights ordinances
At Tuesday night's Salt Lake City Council meeting, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement showing its support of the city's proposed non-discrimination regulations.......The Church's First Presidency also released a statement, which reads, in part, that the Church "does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights or probate rights."
Gay-rights group pulls Mormon-style handcart to make point
Like Mormon pioneers in the 1850s, gay-rights supporters pulled a handcart through Salt Lake City on Wednesday in what they dubbed a "rescue" mission.
The Foundation for Reconciliation carted more than 2,000 petition signatures to LDS Church headquarters, calling on the church to salvage relations with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their families.
"It's way past time to send out the rescue committee," said Gary Watts, a former Mormon who has two gay children among his brood of six, "and bring these gay brothers and sisters back into the fold."
Pastors unite to support same-sex marriage in D.C.
'There is this myth out there that you can't be pro-God and pro-gay'
Although ministers opposed to same-sex marriage in the Disrict have campaigned more vigorously, a growing number of religious leaders are mobilizing to support the proposal. About 200, representing nearly every faith, have formed D.C. Clergy United for Marriage Equality
Vatican Row delays Anglo-Catholic Text
A row has broken out behind the Vatican walls over the "confusion" surrounding Pope Benedict XVI's opening to disaffected Anglicans..........the text of the Apostolic Constitution laying down the conditions for the creation of a new "Anglo-Catholic" section of the Church was still not ready for publication.
This was not because of translation problems but "something more serious", Mr Tornielli said. There was still debate behind the scenes over priestly celibacy...
Argentine Congress considers same-sex marriage
Is Argentina ready to become Latin America's first nation to legalize gay marriage?
Gay and lesbian activists think so — and they have a growing number of supporters in Congress, which opened debate Thursday on whether to change dozens of laws that define marriage as a union between a "man and woman."
"We can't expect social equality if the state is legitimizing inequality," said Maria Rachid, president of Argentina's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Federation. "We now have the social and political context necessary to change the law."
Ottawa Church to Bless Same-Sex Unions
Anglican Bishop John Chapman is allowing an Ottawa church to offer blessings for same-sex couples who are already civilly married.
"My intention is to embrace a liturgical process that will not discriminate between members of the church on the basis of sexual orientation," Chapman told a congregation Thursday night at the beginning of the diocese's annual synod. "This will be Ottawa's offering to the ongoing discernment that is happening throughout the Anglican Church of Canada."
Read More: Peterbourough Examiner
Senior Anglican bishop reveals he is ready to convert to Roman Catholicism
The Rt Rev John Hind, the Bishop of Chichester, has announced he is considering becoming a Roman Catholic in a move that could spark an exodus of clergy.
Bishop Hind said he would be "happy" to be reordained as a Catholic priest and said that divisions in Anglicanism could make it impossible to stay in the church.
He is the most senior Anglican to admit that he is prepared to accept the offer from the Pope, who shocked the Church of England last week when he paved the way for clergy to convert to Catholicism in large numbers.