It use to be illegal in the United Kingdom for men to be involved in homosexual activity. In 1967 it became legal for consenting couples over 21 in private. The age of consent was later reduced to 18 but the age of consent for heterosexual sex is 16. For many gay men and women, the legal attitude and social shame attached to ‘homosexuality reflects the fundamental cultural unfairness against homosexuality found in Judeo-Christian tradition.
The three main churches of Christianity Roman Catholic, Anglican and Methodist will be outlined. These churches interpret biblical texts differently or have different cultures and traditions.
The Roman Catholic Church is the most fundamental of the three churches being studied. The Catholic Churches view on sexual ethics is the most strict and fundamental. The pope (John Paul II) is the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church.
The Roman Catholic Church accepts findings of almost all human sexuality researchers and mental health therapists it accepts that a minority of humans have a homosexual orientation. This is not something that they choose; rather they realize it after puberty. In other matters related to homosexuality, the Church agrees with other traditionalist religious groups. They regard homosexual orientation to be “disordered” and view homosexual practices as very serious “sins gravely contrary to chastity”
Roman Catholic beliefs are grounded on the awareness of ‘natural law’. The Church still regards the main purpose of sex to be reproduction; they insist that any sexual act must be free of any contraception. They forbid the use of artificial methods of birth control, and consider any sexual behaviour other than intercourse between a husband and his wife to be sinful. Unlawful practices include masturbation, pre-marital sex, post-marital sex, extra-marital sex and all same-sex (homosexual) behaviours. Homosexual marriage is not allowed under Catholic interpretation of biblical texts; and homosexuals could not practice homosexual intercourse outside marriage just like a couple in a Heterosexual relationship cannot practise sex (heterosexual) outside marriage.
However they teach that "men and women with homosexual tendencies 'must be accepted with respect and sensitivity and that persons with a homosexual orientation "are called, to live the virtue of chastity," and “a life of loneliness and lack of sexual intimacy” but this does not still treat a homosexual the same as a heterosexual person. A heterosexual person may live a quite ‘normal life’ and may marry and can carry out sexual activity. The Roman Catholic Church however closes the boundaries on homosexual orientated people by not approving of gay marriages and sex outside of marriage. Homosexual marriage is not practised by the Catholic churches also sex before marriage is not acceptable neither. Simply excluding homosexuals living a homosexual life, and homosexuals are called upon to be celibate; they do not have a choice.
The Anglican Church has about 40 million members worldwide. The Archbishop of Canterbury (Rowan Williams) is the spiritual leader of the Church. The Anglican Church split from the Catholic Church several hundred years ago. The Anglican Church has a broad belief in its church, some are more strict and fundamental in their beliefs others not so.
The Church of England which is a sector of the Anglican Church acknowledges the need to respect the decisions of those ‘Who are conscientiously convinced that they have more hope of growing in love for God and neighbour with the help of a loving and faithful homophile partnership, in intention lifelong, where mutual self-giving includes the expression of their attachment’. The church had a very early acceptance of divorce and accepts the priesthood of women.
The Anglican Church has always been so broad and tolerant that it even allows room for clergy who do not believe in God. The church in its broadness has two sides with conflicting opinions, the conservative and the liberal.
The Conservative perspective on homosexuality is traditional and believed that ‘as Christian disciples we are called upon to obey the teachings of Scripture whether you like it or not.
The liberal perspective of the Anglican Church says they should modernise and follow current fashion. They respond to the argument of the conservatives that we have to ‘move with the times.’ The churches have moved on with the teaching of the Bible which supported slavery therefore a move to the acceptance of homosexuality should be prepared.
The Last gay Anglican clergyman, whose appointment as the Church of England’s first openly homosexual bishop threatened a worldwide split in the church, he then later announced that he will not take up the post. Cannon Jeffrey John was appointed as Bishop of Reading in July 1003 causing fury from conservative members of the church and renewing divisive debate among Anglicans grappling with questions of sex and homosexuality.
More recently, the Anglican Church in America – known as the Episcopal Church is in the middle of a heated argument over whether to ratify the election of a gay man as its next bishop of New Hampshire, was to argue a gay lifestyle should not stop clergy becoming bishops. An Anglican commission is examining the implications of the election of Bishop Robinson, a practising homosexual. The openly-gay divorced father-of-two was sanctified in 2003 in the course of protests from traditionalists. In March 2000, a conservative reform group from Dallas TX issued a statement stating that they believe that the worldwide Anglican Communion faces "a grave moment" in which "nothing less than the integrity of the Gospel and the future of the church is at stake." Their concern centres on the ordination of sexually active homosexuals, and the blessing of homosexual unions in the U.S. However, they feel that these are suggestive of a much deeper problem. Another conservative group, ‘Concerned Clergy and Laity of the Episcopal Church,’ states: "Today, there are two religions in the Episcopal Church. One remains faithful to the biblical truth and received teachings of the Church, while the other rejects them." The head bishop of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. (ECUSA), Frank Griswold, opposes. He feels that the church is not in a crisis; a survey had shown that most members were satisfied. He criticises conservative elements within the denomination of pushing the anti-homosexual agenda.
The Anglican Church has very mixed views from its different members, the church still argues whether it is acceptable to have homosexual bishops. However, the treatment of homosexuals is to be without hatred as Christians they should protect those who are victimised. The Anglican bishops conclude, however, that the clergy are called to a ‘different standard’ to lay people. But, the bishops do emphasis the need for further discussion.
The Methodist Church has a more liberal approach to homosexuality. Liberal Christians challenge the traditional condemnation of homosexuality. They see that the quality of the relationship whether heterosexual or homosexual is what would determine the moral value. The biblical basis for Christian opposition to homosexuality is disputable. They do not believe that the Natural Law approach is acceptable. Liberals bring the argument of the teaching of man being made in the likeliness of God, therefore if God had made homosexuals with their orientation it must be a ‘good’ because he had made them like that.
R.a Robinson notes that the liberals in Methodist church consider the homosexual orientation and same-sex marriage as a civil rights issue. They see that if human rights are for all, marriages and ordination should be able to all, including homosexuals.
The Methodist Church makes clear that having a homosexual orientation is natural and not changed or chosen freely. Christianity has been able to reject its approval of slavery and its endorsement of female subservience these are ideas that also have their roots in ancient Hebrew Culture perhaps the view on homosexuality can be changed too.
In one church in Tucson, St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist has completed that denomination's "Reconciling" process. The acceptance of gays at St. Francis is total, says its pastor, The Rev. David Wilkinson. This also means acceptance is mutual. St Francis has acquired a large gay and lesbian membership. Local churches in the other denominations are reportedly considering going through similar processes.
Wilkinson a member of the united Methodist clergy recites. "God is oneness and no one is excluded. Anytime you are showing compassion to another human, you are living in accordance with God's word. This was his response to "Christ - 'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,'" Wilkinson reminds that Christ does not mention once homosexuality in the bible.
United Methodist
One church in Tucson, St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist, has completed that denomination's "Reconciling" process. The acceptance of gays at St. Francis is total, says its pastor, The Rev. David Wilkinson. This also means acceptance is mutual. St Francis has acquired a large gay and lesbian membership.
Local churches in the other denominations are reportedly considering going through similar processes, varying from one year to four years of study and discussion, until the differences no longer are felt.
Yet the annual convention of the United Methodist Church last year refused flatly to change its prohibitions against ordaining openly gay and lesbian people, as Presbyterians U.S.A. and Episcopalians did the year before. The Evangelical Lutheran Church will ordain the openly gay but requires them to abstain ever afterward from homosexual sex. The United Church of Christ ordains the openly gay and does not ask them to remain celibate.
"Christ said, 'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,'" Wilkinson recites. "That's it. God is oneness and no one is excluded. Anytime you are showing compassion to another human, you are living in accordance with God's word. Gay or straight it doesn't matter.
"Christ never mentions homosexuality in the Bible," Wilkinson reminds. "Not once. Why not? Because it doesn't matter."
He also wonders why dozens of other laws set down by Moses in the book of Leviticus that order such things as animal saacrifices, ritual washings, atonement for menstruation and ejaculation are ignored by Christian churches while only the single mention of "men lying with men" is held sacrosanct. The laws of Moses also define what animals cannot be eaten and what clothing must be worn and when, and all are now ignored by Christians.
Wilkinson rejects the notion that the Bible strictly forbids homosexual acts. "Compassion and open-heartedness must supersede the 'letter' of literalism in biblical interpretation," he siad, just as it did when the Methodist church changed its collective mind about the rightness of slavery, subordination of women to men and divorce.
"You must consider that scribes and teachers edited the Bible over the centuries to suit their puposes at the time. Religion springs from the situations of life. Four thousand years ago a major theme of humanity was propagation, expanding the population. If the theme today is population control, then perhaps homosexuality is praiseworthy.
"The clue that accomodation has taken place is when a biblical author is using a word, like sodomy, that didn't exist until many years after the authors time on earth.
"Messengers of God are always defined by those in power- white, heterosexual and rich. In fact, true messengers of God are likely to be those that are different. Christians have a hard time recognizing this."
Wilkinson agrees with biblical scholars that stories in the books of Genesis and Judges involving sex among males were meant to condemn loveless sex and gang rape rather than homosexuality. Other references can similary be interpreted more as condemnations of injurious and exploitive sexual relations, Wilkinson said.
"It's important to recognize that homosexuality was not even acknowledged in Judais until about 100 years ago," Wilkinson said. "It's also important to know that homosexuality has never been an issue in numerous cultures. In some Native American traditions, for example, the homosexual is regarded as gifted, sensitive and special and often becomes the shaman or medicine man of the tribe."
For now, Wilkinson;s denomination officially considers homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching," at the same time acknowledgeing that homosexualty is probably not a chosen orientation. Nor does it endorse the performance of smae-sex weddings. Wilkinson believes that the entire United Methodist denomination will one day come to be as accepting as its St. Francis congregation.
