From Tension to Flexibility

Over the years, my religious order has been using a certain framework for personal reflection that encourages us to take a deeper look at each of three different dimensions of our lives: the human, Christian, and my religious Order's spirituality. As a religious, I’ve always found that, when trying to reflect on my life in terms of these three perspectives, it is difficult to find the separation between them, because they all tend to blur into each other. This is also true of another particular dimension, one that I think has been an especially key aspect of my life throughout my life as a religious, which is the dimension of sexuality, or, more specifically in my case, homosexuality. This is a dimension that probably best fits under the human category, but as a gay Catholic, and as a gay religious, it clearly overflows into the Christian and my religious order's spirituality dimensions as well.

For me a central question, throughout my journey, has been: What does it mean to be a gay religious in a church that oftentimes comes across as being very unsupportive? A large part of my journey as a Christian and a religious has involved navigating the tension between this unsupportiveness and the fact that it was only through the ministry of the church herself that I was able to come to terms with my sexuality, and to embrace my sexuality as an important part of myself and a gift from God. I’m pretty sure that without the help of my religious order, who have been a very concrete manifestation of the body of Christ, i.e., the church, in my own life, it would have been very unlikely that I would ever have had the courage to own up to the realities of sexuality as I experience it. I even shudder to think of the decisions that I very well might have made if my Order had not come to be a part of my life. It is highly likely that I would be the unhappy father of an unhealthy family, and quite miserably married at this time, if it had not been for the loving acceptance and sense of understanding that I found in my religious community.

So, you can probably imagine how I’ve had to wrestle with this discrepancy between what the church has to say about sexuality as I experience it, and with what the church, the body of Christ at work in the world today, has actually done in my own life regarding this issue. At some point in my journey, I came to recognize that the church is something much greater than her individual ideas or whatever particular schools of thought are in vogue at any given time. At some point, I learned to appreciate that my religious vocation is fundamentally a call to work at the margins, which, as a gay Catholic, is exactly where I found myself. It is for these reasons, and most importantly because the mission of the church is ultimately rooted in a Gospel of love, above and beyond anything else, that the church was able to embrace me, as I am, in spite of any discrepancies that might arise between who I am and who some church members may think I should be.

This tension has been a constant rub for me throughout my years as a religious. Though at times it has been a great source of frustration, somewhere along the way I began to see it rather like a piece of sandpaper, whose constant scraping has actually been slowly polishing me and refining me, so as to make me a better brother to all of the world. It has helped me to understand that, though we religious are ever focusing on “the ideal,” the real substance of our lives together lies not in the ideal, but in the real every day situations where we live, and where things are rarely, if ever, ideal. Not that we should, for that reason, ignore our ideals, since these give us very important goals to work towards. But at some point, we need to have the humility to admit that we will never completely reach those goals, and that our life together as brothers will never perfectly manifest our ideals. Our task, then, becomes to love ourselves, our sisters and brothers whom we live and work with, our church, and the world at large, exactly as they are in the present moment, with all their stains, sins, homophobia, and prejudices of whatever kind.

This practice of having to hold the tension between the real and the ideal, which for me originally began with the tension of being gay in a church that, in spite of its rhetoric, is not always able to appreciate its own diversity, ultimately has proven to be a sort of ascetical practice that has helped me to become more patient, flexible, and understanding with others, as well as myself.

Peace and All Good,
Brother Sun and Sister Moon
Personal Reflection:

How do you live with the tension of being both gay and Christian? Parents of LGBT children how do you live with the tension? Feel free to share your story with us in the comment section below.

One in Four

I held his head in the crux of my shoulder, while he sobbed.  His face seared with tears of anger.  Seconds before he stood before me shouting and in complete distain spat on me.  He was seething with anger.  In that moment of outburst I represented the Church and her God.  He was rejected for being gay by his parents and abandoned on the streets as a young teenager.  As a homeless young adult, he still struggled to survive.  The unthinkable had happened to him.  He was abandoned by the ones who were to love him first and always; his parents.  And it was done in the name of my Christian God.

This is an issue I encounter daily while working with the homeless population in San Francisco, CA.  The LGBT community accounts for one-third of the total homeless population in San Francisco and up to 40% of homeless youth and young adults (18 - 24 years).  According to several studies of this population 26% of gay teens were kicked out of their homes when they came out to their parents.  That's one in four gay youth. In addition, more than one third of youth who are homeless or in the care of social services experienced a violent physical assault when they came out. 

I chose to be a consecrated religious because I wanted to become a visible sign of God's love, a love worth consecrating ones life too.  This symbol of God's love is found in the image of my religious habit.  However, what should be a sign of love and compassion has often become a symbol for prejudice, discrimination and judgment for the LGBT community.  I do not use these words lightly to describe my habit, but it's a question I am continually faced with, "Should I wear my habit today?"

Earlier, my young friend who had verbally attacked me, suddenly became gentle.  In a moment of recognition he saw within me the same scared gay boy within him.  "I'm sorry," he said.  He found the grace to love, where his own family had failed to love.  He then wept on my shoulder as I asked for his forgiveness.  Together we wept for the spiritual and religious abuse he, others and I have suffered in the name of the Christian God of Love.

In 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 we are told what love is:  "Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres."  Does this sound like the type of love that would ask someone to abandon their own child?

My brothers and sisters, God is love, and we are all fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God. When we chose to love we reflect the true image of God.  When we chose to be less than loving, especially towards our LGBT neighbors and children, we fail to reflect our true nature and we rob God's children of their dignity and their right to be loved and to love in return. God is Love (1 John 4:8) and to deny another to love, is to deny the God of Love. Can there be any greater sin towards our children?

"Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb?  Even these may forget, but I will not forget you" (Isaiah 49:15).  Sadly our LGBT youth to often know that the answer is yes.  They can and have been forgotten by the ones who were called to love them first and always; their mothers and fathers.  And they are led to believe that God has forgotten them too because of their sexuality.  A sexuality that is not chosen, but innate to them.  Again, can there be any greater sin towards our children?

What will be our response to our LGBT homeless youth?

Peace and All Good,
Brother Son and Sister Moon

For More Information:

Download the recent national report on "The State of Homelessness in America in 2015".  The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that up to 40% of homeless youth are LGBT.

Once upon a time...

In 1852, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was published, which helped laid the groundwork for the Civil War and the emancipation of slaves. The novel depicted the realities of slavery while also asserting that Christian love could overcome something as destructive as enslavement of human beings.  In that tradition, I offer you a short story.  The story depicts the realities of growing up LGBT within a traditional Catholic Christian family.  You'll experience the internal conflict of the main character and the struggle of his care takers.  It is my hope, that one day, true Christian love will also overcome the stigma of being of Gay.

The Indelible Mark

Something told him not to trust Chris.  All those freckles made his face seem so ugly and contaminated, and he feared that deep down inside his soul might be just as ugly.  But in his usual off-color sort of way, Chris had always seemed friendly enough, and he lived just down the road, so he guessed there was no harm in joining him and his two baseball cronies for the walk home.  The worst of it, of course, would be coming up with something to say.  He couldn’t just remain silent the whole time; that would make him look like a socially awkward geek, which is exactly what he was.  But he didn’t want to give Chris and his buddies any more fuel for that notion, especially after what had happened earlier that day in the locker room.  But then again, if he talked, he would probably say something stupid that would just make things worse.  Even so, he nonetheless felt relieved that someone was still willing to be seen with him.  Maybe he wasn’t such a geek after all.  He was probably just being too hard on himself.  Anyways, it felt good to be included for a change, so he just smiled and faked an occasional laugh, as they walked together past the faded houses of the little town, talking about baseball, girls, and other things that he had never bothered to pay much attention to.  He even risked an occasional comment here and there when he could do so without danger of looking like a total idiot.  All the while he thought about how confident he must’ve seemed to them, and how Chris had totally forgotten what had happened earlier. 

Before he knew it, they were approaching an alley by the old Mexican lady’s house, which meant they were already half-way home.  He couldn’t believe how well everything was going—until Chris mentioned P.E.—that’s when he started to feel the beads of sweat collecting under his arms, and his smile started to feel fake and plastic.  Surely Chris wouldn’t bring it up, would he?  It took every bit of focus for him to maintain his false sense of being at ease, and now he was far too nervous even to follow the conversation, until he realized it had been turned towards him.

“You like P.E., don’t you Edward?”

He swallowed hard and tried his best to sound like he was telling the truth.  “Uh, yeah, I guess so. It’s a good break from Ms. Moraga’s stupid history class.”

“Really?” one of the boys asked, “I never thought of you as being the athletic type.”

“No really, I’ve always enjoyed P.E,” he countered.

Chris turned to him with an ugly, mocking grin.  “Yeah, but what you really like is watching all those naked guys in the locker room, huh, Edward?”  His coarse laughter was immediately echoed by his two buddies, as Chris effortlessly forced him into a full nelson.  “Grab him!  Don’t let him get away!” he shouted, dragging him backward into the sandy alleyway.  “Grab his legs!”

It happened so fast, Edward didn’t have time to think.  He saw one of the boys toss his backpack onto the dirt, and the very next instant he felt the sand of the alleyway scraping against his upper arm, as his body hit the ground.  Chris had him in a firm lock, forcing his head roughly to one side with his grimy hands.  One of the other boys was lying on top of him, wielding a permanent marker in front of his face.  He tried to kick, but his legs were completely restrained.  He felt the marker on his forehead, and he could smell the boy’s body odor in his face.  His elbow was rasping with pain as it grinded deeper into the hard sand.  A dog barked behind the fence.  The boys were laughing.  Finally, Chris let go of him, and the three boys ran off.

He lay there momentarily in the dirt, trying to make sense of what had just happened.  He heard Chris’ mocking laughter echoing in the street, “Faggot!  Faggot!”  He wanted so bad just to yell back at them, tell them to go fuck themselves, or something like that, but he knew that would be immoral.  It was bad enough that he had the boys mad at him; he didn’t need to get on God’s bad side too.  But it just wasn’t fair.  If he were really a fag, then he would’ve deserved every bit of their abuse and more, but he wasn’t a fag at all; those boys were just a bunch of brainless idiots who didn’t know any better.  He could still remember the way that boy’s body smelled pressed against him.  And he kind of liked it.  The thought kindled a flame of shame that licked at his bowels.

He got up out of the dirt, balanced himself against the Mexican lady’s worn wooden fence, and examined his elbow.  It was scratched up a little, but no blood.  His knee was a little sore too.  He dusted himself off and gently rubbed his fingers across his forehead.  He didn’t know what they had written, but he was sure it couldn’t be good.  How could he go home now?  His auntie would surely be there preparing dinner by now, and he would have to go kiss her on the cheek and tell her he was home, like every other day.  But at least Sam, her husband, wouldn’t be there yet.  This time of year there was plenty of work at the cannery, so he wouldn’t be home ‘til after eight, which made things a little easier.  Whatever the boys had written on his forehead, he knew he couldn’t let them see.  He walked out of the alley, and looked into the side mirror of a car parked there by the curb.  The word FAGGOT glared back at him in big, black letters of indelible ink.  A pang of shame flushed across his face.  FAGGOT.  He turned away from the mirror with a lump in his throat.  The word echoed through his mind.  “Son of a bitch!” he whispered, with a tear of anger in his eye. 

He had cussed again; he would have to add that to his list.  He was pretty sure it was only a venial sin, though.  He didn’t mind the venial sins so much, because they provided some filler in his confessions; that way he could sandwich the really bad stuff, like masturbation and what not, in between his counts of the lesser transgressions.  It was just another tool for mitigating the humiliation of having to face Fr. Silva in the sacristy before Sunday mass.  But he wasn’t a fag.  It was so unfair!  Now the tear of anger that had been collecting in his eye ran down his face, and another, this one a tear of shame, followed.  He tried to use the moisture to scrub the ugly word from his head.  But when he looked back into the mirror, the F had only begun to smear slightly.  He rubbed harder and harder until it hurt, but the ink only blurred into a black F-shaped stain.  This wasn’t going to work.  He needed to get to a sink with soap and warm water, but there was nowhere he could go. 

He knew plenty of people in town, but he couldn’t face any of them with this incriminating epithet scrawled across his face, unless of course he went to Timothy’s house.  Timothy was probably the best friend he’d ever known, and he knew Timothy would understand, but he had already burnt that bridge; he hadn’t wanted to, but he had to do it.  It was either that or get kicked out of the house for good.  It was really all Sam’s fault.  Sam could be such an asshole—but that wasn’t a very kind thought.  Edward rebuked himself for thinking of him that way.  After all, Sam was really good to have taken him in when his mother went away; he should be grateful for that, and he knew it.  But on some level he just couldn’t get over the suspicion that Sam had never really wanted him anyways; he’d taken him in just because he felt it was his Christian duty.  And he also considered it his duty to make sure Edward behaved himself as well as any one of the whole entourage of tacky saints they had stationed throughout their house.  It was all for his own good, though.  Timothy was a bad influence, and Edward knew that just as well as Sam did.

The whole thing was all my fault.  I mean, I could tell from the time they were in grammar school that Timothy was a little bit—you know.  It wasn’t anything that I could put my finger on, like something in particular that he said or did.  He was just too gentle and soft spoken for a boy.  Honestly, I liked him; he was such a sweet kid.  And even though the thought crossed my mind, it never occurred to me to warn Edward about it.  Anyways, I don’t think I could have done it, even if I wanted to, because Edward was always such an awkward boy, and Timothy was the only one who would play with him.  They had grown really close, and I was glad that he had at least one friend.  After they got into high school they started drinking together.  But, then again, who doesn’t drink in high school?  I didn’t think much of it, really, I mean, my parents used to let me drink.  Drinking’s not a sin.  The priest drinks wine at Mass, right?  Even Jesus drank at the Last Supper. 

So, anyways, one night Timothy was over at our house, and I think they must have been drinking some wine.  Sam wasn’t home, since it was peach season and the cannery was working around the clock.  I had stewed a pot of chicken with tomatoes and bell peppers, because I had told the ladies at church that I would bake up a tray of manicotti to take to a baptism that next day.  I left the chicken there on the counter to cool, and then went to bed.  At around two in the morning I woke up and remembered the food, so I went to go put it in the fridge, and that’s when I caught them.  The TV was still on, and they were sitting there together on the couch.  Neither of them was wearing a shirt.  I first realized something was awry when I noticed that they were looking at each other right in the face instead of watching the movie.  There in the bluish glow from the TV screen, I could see everything.  They both had their pants down to their ankles—and they were touching each other!  They didn’t even see me standing there until I turned on the light. 

“Auntie Bella!” Edward gasped, quickly jumping to his feet and trying to stuff his swollen man-parts back into his pants. 

I was shocked how big my little boy had grown—he certainly wasn’t a boy anymore.  It was a truly horrifying experience for a woman my age, and I needed to use everything in my grasp to convey that to him.  Now, I usually avoid placing both hands on my hips, because it makes me look a little fatter than I really am, but that night I didn’t care.  Timothy was covering himself with one of the nice couch pillows I had just bought at the swap meet the week before, and that really rubbed me the wrong way.  I had to make them understand that what they were doing was really, really wrong.  I didn’t know what to say.  I just stood there shaking my head.  “I can’t believe you guys!  This is bad—really, really bad!”

He stood there, shirt still off, now covering his package with both hands, even though he had successfully stuffed everything back where it belonged, and where any reputable Catholic boy ought to keep it.  “I thought you were in bed!” he said with big eyes. 

“What difference does that make?  Don’t you have any shame?  How can you do this right in front of Jesus?” I pointed at the crucifix hanging right before them on the wall.  “You’ll have to answer to him for it—not me!”  I wasn’t so much angry about it; I was mostly just disgusted that my nephew, my own boy, practically, would do something so bad right under my nose.  It just wasn’t like him.  It had to be that friend of his.  I glared at him.  “And you, Timothy, you need to go home right now,” I pointed at the front door.  “I don’t want to see you around here anymore, okay?  I don’t need this kind of trash going on in my house, do you understand?”

At first Timothy didn’t budge.  He didn’t want to put his pants on in front of me, so he just sat there looking terrified, with my brand-new purple pillow in his lap.

“I said get out of here!  Now!”

Finally he got up and turned away from me as he pulled his pants up and put his t-shirt back on.  He walked over to the front door, opened it, and looked back at me, “I’m really sorry, Mrs. Arcani, I didn’t mean—”

“I don’t need your apologies.  Just leave, okay?  Just leave.”

Timothy nodded his head and left, letting the screen door close quietly behind him.

“What’s wrong with you, Edward?  You know better than this!  I just don’t understand.  Why did you do this?”

“I—I don’t know, Auntie.”  He was avoiding eye contact.

“You know what you did, Edward?  You know what that is?—It’s the sin of Sodom!  It’s the worse sin you could possibly commit!  People go to hell for this all the time, Edward!”

He remained silent.

“Are you listening to me?  I’m worried about you, Edward!  You can’t be doing this—you know that!  What’s wrong with you?  I am so disappointed in you!”

Edward’s mouth began tensing into a sour and involuntary frown, and his body jerked a little as he drew a deep, erratic breath, still staring downward.  Teardrops began falling directly from his face to the floor, and he began sobbing uncontrollably.  It broke my heart to watch him standing there, so I wrapped my big, soft arms around him, and patted him on the back.  I waited there quietly, holding him as he continued to shudder with each breath.  There’s no way I could ever describe how sad I felt for him at that moment, but I knew I just couldn’t remain silent while such abominations were going on under my own roof.  To rebuke the sinner is one of the spiritual works of mercy; it was my Christian duty, and I had to do it. 

“Edward, you have to go to confession.  You know that, right?  You can’t keep this sin on your soul; it’ll destroy you.  And you can’t be hanging around with Timothy anymore either; he’s a bad influence on you.”

He looked up me, “Auntie Bella, it wasn’t his fault.  I’m just as much to blame.”

“No, that’s what you think, but I didn’t raise you that way, Edward.  Timothy’s not right; I’ve had my suspicions about him for a long time, now.  You just can’t hang around with him anymore, okay?  I know it’s hard, but someday, when you’re in Heaven, you’ll thank me for it.”  I continued stroking him on the back.  “But you’re going to have to confess all this to Fr. Silva before you can even think of Heaven; you know that, right?”

“Auntie Bella, how can I confess this?  Do you know how embarrassing that would be?  I’m an altar boy!  I confess my sins, and then ten minutes later I have to face Fr. Silva in the sacristy!  Do you have any idea how humiliating that is?”

“I know, honey, but you should have thought about that before you did this horrible thing.  You have to confess it, or else you’ll be confessing it in front of the whole world on Judgment Day, and then you’ll be off to hell!  I’m not going to let that happen to you, Edward, you have to go to confession!”

“I can’t do it, Auntie!” He buried his face in my bosom and began soaking my nightgown with tears. 

I gently caressed the short-cropped hair on the back of his head, as I fought to hold back my own tears.  I’d never been an altar server before; back in my day it was considered sacrilegious for girls to be in the sanctuary during Mass, but still I knew how humiliating confession could be.  I was no angel myself, although I’ll admit I had never committed an unnatural sin like that before.  But even so, several years ago I wasn’t able to confess to Fr. Silva after cheating on my husband.  I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like for little Edward having to confess something like this, so I offered him the escape I had used.  “Baby, you have to confess it,” I said, “but how about if I take you down to St. Joseph’s?  You don’t know any of the priests over there, so it won’t be so bad.  Tomorrow’s Saturday, so I can take you right down there in the afternoon, as soon as I get back from that baptism, and we won’t even have to make an appointment.  Come on, now, baby, you can do that, can’t you?” 

Edward didn’t have any more secrets.  Auntie Bella had told Sam everything last summer.  Of course Edward would’ve preferred that she keep the information from him, but it was too serious, and Edward knew that.  No one in good conscience could have kept that sort of information hidden.  It was probably one of the most painful things Edward had endured thus far, but in a way he was glad he had gotten caught.  It was all out in the open now.  He had committed the ultimate treason against manhood and decency, but he had confessed his sin, and now he could live his life with a clean conscience.  Of course he still missed Timothy, but he knew it was for the best.  They had touched each other only very briefly that night—but who knows?  If he had kept hanging around with him, he might have actually started to become—you know—and there’s no way that could end happily.  Auntie Bella knew what she was talking about.  Something wasn’t quite right about Timothy, and the more he hung around with him, the more it would rub off.

When he thought back on the whole experience, he marveled how even before they had sat down together that night, he somehow had this gut feeling that he already knew what was going to happen.  Not that he ever imagined they’d get caught, but just that he could smell the sin before it actually took place, almost like he could read Timothy’s mind.  He began to wonder if he might have the spiritual gift of reading people’s consciences, like Padre Pio, and he figured he would probably make a great priest some day.  He hoped to be able to help people see through all their lies, and face the truth of who they really are.

This smeared blotch on his forehead was nothing more than a lie—a cruel lie—and as such, it had to be eradicated.  Maybe there was someone else who could help him.  Nobody came to mind.  He pulled his phone out of his pocket and began scrolling through his contacts, hoping there was someone he had forgotten, someone who could accept him without condemning or making fun of him.  It was a vain gesture; of course, there was no one.  Timothy’s number was no longer there.  Sam had forced him to delete it after he found out they had been texting each other last Christmas.  Since then, Sam had decreed that he would regularly inspect his call log at random, just to save Edward from the potential dangers of people like Timothy.  And he had made it unmistakably clear that if he ever discovered they were still keeping in contact, he would have no choice but to change the locks on the doors.  The sin of Sodom would not be tolerated in the Arcani house. 

Not that any of this mattered, though, since Edward had Timothy’s number memorized.  A part of him really wanted to text him right now, tell him he was sorry for everything, and that he really wanted to talk and mend their friendship, that it had all been a big lie just to save him from his uncle’s tirades.  He knew Timothy was the only person who could love him with the word FAGGOT branded across his face in permanent marker.  He entered the number and stood there looking at it momentarily.  The tears again welled in his eyes, but he couldn’t press SEND.  I can’t do this; this is a temptation from the devil, he thought.  It had been nearly five months since he last spoke with Timothy, and he had cleaned up his life.  Since then he had done his best to meticulously avoid even thinking about him, because he knew that thoughts could be sins too.  I really shouldn’t be thinking about him right now, he told himself.  Even if it’s not really an impure thought, maybe it’s an occasion of sin, something that could lead to an impure thought, like playing with fire.  But it couldn’t be as bad as what he had let happen last week.  He had let himself fantasize about him in the heat of the moment, and that was a mortal sin for sure.  The next time he saw Fr. Silva, he knew he would have to confess having entertained impure thoughts again, but he wasn’t necessarily sure if he would have to explain that they had been thoughts about another guy.  He thought he might have to add that detail, since that would alter the conditions of the sin, making it much, much worse.  But then again, he had only allowed himself to think of Timothy just as a matter of testing himself, to see if he really possessed some dark inner tendency towards—you know.  It wasn’t the thought of Timothy per se that had given him pleasure, but just the sexual content of the thought.  It surely wouldn’t have been any different if it had been a thought about a woman, would it?  He tried to convince himself, but he couldn’t be sure.  That’s why he hadn’t gone to confession last Sunday.  Now he wanted to put it off another week, but he knew that was out of the question, because Sam had already interrogated him about not going to communion last Sunday, and he knew he couldn’t get away with it twice in a row.  Of course he could just make a sham confession, and receive communion anyways just to keep Sam off his back; it wouldn’t be the first time he’d done that.  How would anyone ever know the difference?  But God, of course would know, and God was a lot scarier than Sam.  He knew that would be a terrible sacrilege, and sooner or later he would have to confess that too, which would make it doubly embarrassing.  He wished he could drive so he could go down to St. Joseph’s again.  He wished he could just tell Auntie Bella everything without having to worry about her divulging it all to Sam.  He wished Sam wasn’t such a prick—but that was a bad thought.  I can’t be thinking this way, he thought again.  I should just be grateful that he keeps a roof over my head.  It didn’t matter how bad Sam was; he would have to answer for his own sins.  Some day his secrets would be divulged in front of the whole world, and then he’d wish he had been as honest as his nephew.

Thanks to Timothy, he had been able to figure out Sam’s secret.  Apparently Sam hadn’t been able to keep it from getting out around the cannery, where Timothy’s mother also worked.  She claimed she’d had her suspicions for quite some time already, given the way, to put it in her own words, he was “constantly fawning” over Kylie Zhong, one of the line inspectors.  Timothy’s mom had never much cared for Sam; she always felt that he considered himself more righteous than everyone else.  Not that he had ever said anything directly to her face, but one of the girls in the office let her know that Sam had been condemning her behind her back for receiving communion one Sunday even though she had been divorced and remarried.  When Timothy told Edward the story, he knew it was true; it was exactly what his uncle would do in that situation.  But he was totally shocked when he heard what happened next.  Timothy’s mother somehow overheard Sam inviting Kylie down to the river that Saturday, which she thought odd, since she knew Sam was married.  She had no respect left for Sam, and she told her son about it when she got home from work that very same day, knowing full well that Sam was like a father, albeit a lousy father, to her son’s best friend.  Timothy let Edward know about it right away, and the two of them conspired to spy on the couple down at the river.  Edward wasn’t exactly sure why, but he wanted some dirt on his uncle.  And he got it.  Sam had told Auntie Bella he had to work that day.  But, peeking through a fragrant tangle of cottonwoods and river sage, the boys saw for themselves what he was really up to.  But, anyways, all that was Sam’s problem.  Edward wouldn’t have to answer for any of that.  Even though, for some reason, he felt glad he knew about it, he wouldn’t dare repeat it to anyone, since that would be the sin of exposing the faults of others without a just cause, and he knew he ought to be grateful to Sam for raising him well, and teaching him his faith, regardless of how miserably he failed at being a good Christian himself.

What would Sam think if he saw Edward now, teary-eyed and branded with a sin that cries to Heaven for vengeance?  How could he ever explain it?  Of course he couldn’t just tell him the truth, that he’d gotten beaten up for getting an erection in the showers.  He shuddered to imagine it. 

Maybe he should just walk over to Timothy’s right now and wait for him to get home from school.  Timothy seemed to be the only one who could do anything for him now.  In fact, he could probably even drive him down to St. Joseph’s on Saturday to get his conscience cleaned too.  Timothy was the only thing that made sense to him.  Why not walk over there right now?  He could always come up with some fake excuse for being late; Auntie Bella would believe anything.  But as he pondered it further, it seemed like going to Timothy to cleanse his conscience would be like approaching the devil for redemption, which was the most absurd idea he had come up with yet.  He looked in the mirror once again and tried scrubbing at his forehead with the hem of his t-shirt, this time using saliva.

*          *          *          *          *          *

The canning line broke down, so I got off work early that afternoon.  Normally I would have spent the remaining hours at Kylie’s, but they still needed the line inspectors to help get the conveyors up and running, so I decided just to go home instead.  It was probably for the best, since Kylie had been acting kind of bitchy those past few weeks, and anyway I was pretty exhausted after a hectic day at work.  That’s when I came across Edward. 

At first I thought he was a homeless person, because his shirt looked kind of dirty and there was a large black smudge on his face.  When I looked closer, I realized it was him, so I pulled over to pick him up.

“What’s going on Edward, what happened to you?” I asked, rolling down the passenger-side window.  Although it looked somewhat smeared, I could easily see the word FAGGOT displayed across his forehead.  Oh shit, not this again, I thought, feeling my temper rising.  The last thing I needed was more of Edward’s queer drama.  “Get in, right now,” I told him, “I don’t want you out in public looking like that.”

The boy hesitated, but knowing better than to defy me, he opened the door and climbed into the pick-up without saying a word.  The rosary hanging from the rear-view mirror swayed with the impact of the door.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened, or are you just going to sit there and sulk?”

He looked away from me, staring down a dusty alley off to our right.  Still, he didn’t answer.

“Look, Edward, I am the man of the house.  You are walking the streets of this town, proclaiming before God and everyone that you are a faggot.  Have you considered what that means for my reputation?  There’s one thing I want to get straight with you here and now; as long as you’re living under my roof, you will answer to me, do you understand?  You owe me an explanation.”

The boy began to tremble, still looking away from me.  I knew immediately that he was crying, because he was always crying about something.  I guess I shouldn’t have been so pissed off about it, but it just bothered me that he was so soft hearted.  I mean, the boy was already a junior in high school, for crying out loud.  When was he going to grow up? 

“Jesus Christ!” I yelled, “You can’t just cry your way through life, Edward.  You’ve got to learn to be a man—a real man—not a pansy-ass queer boy.  Can’t we just have a straightforward conversation about something for a change, man-to-man?  Just tell me, what the hell happened?”

He held his hand to his face, still looking away from me, obviously making every effort to hold the sobs in.  I stared at him for a moment, but I really didn’t want to have to deal with all his usual, overly emotional crap, so I just threw up my hands in protest, put the pick-up in gear, and kept my mouth shut for the rest of the ride home, figuring I’d let Bella deal with him.  After all, he was her flesh and blood, not mine.

Sometimes I think I should have been more patient with the boy.  I mean, I know he was having a hard time, and all.  But it was this whole queer thing that made it impossible for me to pity him.  It’s not only that Bella caught him red-handed; he also refused to straighten his act up.  After I started checking through the phone bills, I discovered he had still been calling his little queer friend on a regular basis for several months after Bella had caught him.  I don’t even want to know what they were doing when they got together.  The very thought of it makes me want to puke.  And all the while, I’m working overtime at the cannery to support his queer ass so he can keep on doing this evil shit?  I mean, I gave the kid a chance.  I warned him I wouldn’t keep on doing this.  There’s no way in hell I was going to keep on footing the bill so that he could go out and do that shit, because then that would make me responsible for it, and I don’t want to answer for his sins—Lord knows I’ve already got enough of my own shit to answer for.  If it were just ordinary human weakness he were dealing with, I’d be able to tolerate it.  But this was different.  This was some sick shit—some real sick, unnatural shit that I just don’t have the stomach for.  And I could never get him to sit down and talk about it, you know, to be reasonable about it.  He had always been that way too, even when Bella first dragged his little ass home after her sister took off and left him.  No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t seem to connect with him.  And now I find him moping around town with the word FAGGOT across his face?  God only knows how many people had figured him out by then.  Jesus Christ!  How much is a man supposed to put up with?

As soon as I pulled into the driveway, he bolted straight across the lawn, into the house, and locked himself up in the bathroom.  Bella was in the kitchen frying up some zucchini for supper, and she didn’t even get a chance to see what the commotion was all about, which really pissed me off.  I mean, a huge argument was about to bust open right there, and Bella hadn’t even seen what was written on his face.  That’s the way he was, he never had the balls to look reality in the eyes.  I pounded on the bathroom door, swearing I would beat him to a bloody pulp if he didn’t open it.  The little faggot thought he could outsmart me, but I just stuck a screwdriver in the knob, and popped it right open.  

“Leave me alone!  Just leave me alone!” he screamed, pushing past me back through the doorway, water and soap all over his face. 

He was crying hysterically as he darted off to his bedroom, FAGGOT still glaring through the suds.  Bella saw it this time.  “Edward!” she shrieked, “What’s going on?”

“You’re nephew’s a little faggot, that’s what’s going on, Bella!  See!  Open the door!”  I flung open his bedroom door, which had no lock.  He was sitting at his computer desk with his face buried in his arms.  “Look for yourself, Bella—see the little faggot!” I poked at him, and laughed.  I was so angry.  All those years of frustration, years of being stuck slaving myself away in the cannery just to raise the sissy-boy nephew of this fat old, asexual bitch; it all boiled over into an irresistible desire to scream the most hurtful words I could possibly think of.

Bella quietly entered the bedroom.  She looked towards me and pleaded, “Please, Sam, can we not use that word?”  Making her way over to Edward, who now seemed to be browsing through his files, she put her arm on his shoulder, no doubt wishing to offer him some undeserved consolation, when, to my complete and total shock, the screen lit up with a fully-nude photo of Kylie and I lying on a sandy beach—and we were touching each other!

I flushed with embarrassment when Bella looked back towards me, her hand covering her mouth in astonishment.  “Get out of my house right now, faggot!” I screamed at the boy, grabbing an armful of shirts, still on their hangers, out of his closet.  “You never belonged here anyways!  Get the fuck out, you traitor!”  Tears were welling in my eyes now too, but they were tears of rage.  I stomped out the front door and dumped the clothes on the roadside out in front of the house.  When I went back into the bedroom for another load, Edward and Bella were still at the desk, in tears before the computer screen.  “Get the fuck out of my house before I kill you!” I screamed, pulling Edward up out of his chair by the collar of his t-shirt.

“Sam, you’re taking this too far,” Bella pleaded again.

“I said get the fuck out of my house, or I’ll kill you—you queer son-of-a-bitch!”

For the first time in years Edward looked me in the eyes; they were filled with terror as I clutched his collar.  Scarcely able to form the words, he asked, sobbing, “May I please wash my face before I go?”

“Fuck you!” I screamed.  “You try to humiliate me in my own house, and now you want me to let you wash away the shame you rightly earned for yourself?  Go fuck yourself, Edward!  You deserve every bit of shame that will ever come to you, and then some, you worthless piece of shit!  Now get the fuck out of my house, and don’t you even think of showing your little faggot ass around here again, or I’ll kill you for sure!”

I let go of him, pushing him roughly towards the doorway.  He walked slowly out of the room and towards the front door.  The statues of Padre Pio and the Sacred Heart stared gravely down at him from their posts on the bookshelf.  The boy’s lips were contorted in pain, and the inky FAGGOT smear was still displayed across his head.  When the door had closed behind him for the last time, I made sure Bella was crystal clear about my stance with the whole situation: he was not to step foot on my property ever again. 

“But, Sam, that’s being too harsh on the boy,” she argued.  “You know he has nowhere to go, so what if he needs something?  What about all his stuff?”

“Bella, the Bible says if anyone refuses to accept the Kingdom of God, then we are to abandon them, shaking the very dust from our feet in testimony against them.  We gave Edward a chance to clean up his act, but he refused.  He’s a queer, and there’s not a damn thing either of us can do about it.  He belongs to the devil now, and I don’t want so much as a reminder of him in my house.”

I could see the tears in her eyes, but she couldn’t argue with Sacred Scripture.  So we took everything that had belonged to him, and piled it at the roadside out front.  I wanted to make damn sure the whole neighborhood understood that there is no room for a faggot in the Arcani household.

The End

This story might seem unrealistic to some.  I wish it were, but research shows up to 40% of all homeless teenagers in the nation are gay or lesbian.    According to one study 26% of all gay teens were kicked out of their homes when they came out to their parents.  That's one in four gay teenagers.  Another study found that more than one third of youth who are homeless or in the care of social services experienced a violent physical assault when they came out.  It is the reality LGBT youth live with every day. 

What should be are loving response as Catholic Christians?  I suggest you read the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops document called "Always our Children."  It provides Catholic Christian parents and caregivers with a loving pastoral response and guidance in loving their LGBT children.  You can also spend the day reading and reflecting on my previous blog posts to give you insight on your LGBT children.

Peace and all Good,
Brother Sun and Sister Moon

Personal Reflection:

Pope Francis shared this story with reporters when asked about homosexuality.   “A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’”  “This church with which we should be thinking is the home of all,” he said, “not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people.”

What are you thoughts on the above statement and how it relates to the story, "The Indelible Mark?"  Feel free to share your thoughts or feelings in the comment spaces below.

Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)

Victim of Gay Bashing

As I prepare for bed, in the dark and stillness of my room, I hear a voice.  A feeling accompanies this voice.  It begins to boil and work its way to the surface.  I want to scream and rage.  Where is my justice?  How much more prejudice, discrimination and violence must I and my people endure, because of your bishop's hardness of heart?  How many more people must die?  Then the doubt about my vocation drift in and out of my thoughts.  Why do I remain when your Church clearly does not want me?  Lord, where are you? 

Then the words of the psalmist, quietly pass through my lips, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1)  It is the words of Jesus, too.  As he hung dying on the cross.

The cause for my aguish?  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) failed to support the protection of the LGBT community from workplace discrimination.   Instead they issued a letter to the U.S. Senate urging lawmakers to defeat the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).  ENDA would have "extend federal discrimination protections currently provided based on race, religion, gender, national origin, age and disability to sexual orientation and gender identity."

This failure to support ENDA seems to be in direct contrast to the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.  (CCC: 2358) 

This did not however stop three of the USCCB Bishops, Archbishop William Lori, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and Bishop Stephen Blaire to issue a letter to the U.S. Senate.  In their letter they insist they "oppose unjust discrimination in the workplace."  "No one should be an object of scorn, hatred, or violence for any reason, including his or her sexual inclinations," they stated.  And yet they found plenty of reason based on stereotypes, fear and prejudice to oppose the protection of the LGBT community in the workplace.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops fear that if the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) passes it will be used in lawsuits in state courts to argue for gay marriage.  That is a possibility.  However, their fear of marriage equality and the harm it could cause children is based on fear and prejudice and not on evidence based research. 

The American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association and the National Association of Social Workers along with the nations other major mental and medical organizations have all stated:

"The claim that legal recognition of marriage for same–sex couples undermines the institution of marriage and harms their children is inconsistent with the scientific evidence. That evidence supports the conclusion that homosexuality is a normal expression of human sexuality that is not chosen; that gay and lesbian people form stable, committed relationships that are equivalent to heterosexual relationships in essential respects; and that same-sex couples are no less fit than heterosexual parents to raise children and their children are no less psychologically healthy and well-adjusted than children of opposite sex parents."

Instead the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops continue to perpetuate harmful stereotypes of the LGBT community.  Helping to create an environment of discrimination, prejudice and violence.  Beliefs not based on scientfic evidence.

One day our Bishops will be held accountable. They will have to make an account of the harm they have caused the LGBT community.  Let us pray, that on that day, our Lord will show them the compassion and mercy they failed to show the LGBT community. 

It would serve our Bishops well to remember; God is Love.  To deny another to love, is to deny a God of Love.

Peace and All Good,
Brother Sun and Sister Moon

Read the letter sent by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to the U.S. Senate opposing the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Personal Reflection:
Have you ever questioned were God was in the midst of your suffering?  How did you feel?  Feel free to share your story in the comment spaces below.

Faith and Science

Blessed Pope John Paul II said, "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth."  Now more than ever, we need a spirit of faith, and a spirit of reason, to guide the Church on the issue of homosexuality.  Both faith and reason have a role to play, in helping the People of God, to deepen and develop its understanding of homosexuality. 

The Church has to often relied upon "faith alone" in its understanding of human sexuality. Blessed Pope John Paul II reminds us that "reason" is needed to help contemplate the fullness of truth.  Unfortunately, the relationship between the Church and scientific reason has often been a contentious one. 

The Church has and does contribute to science through its schools, university and hospitals, and both religious and lay, have led to many scientific discoveries.  Alternatively, the Church has also opposed some scientific discoveries that it felt challenged its authority.  Faith and reason balance each other, and together lift the human spirit, to contemplation of truth.  They are not opposing forces.  And the Church is clear on this concept, too.

Pope Francis, in his recent interview with La Civilta Cattolia, the Italian Jesuit magazine, reminded us that science contributes to the Church's understanding of her teaching [Read my blog La Civilta Cattolia interview with Pope Francis for more information on this topic]:

"Exegetes and theologians help the church to mature in her own judgment. Even the other sciences and their development help the church in its growth in understanding..."

Scientific organization like the American Psychological Association are contributing to the knowledge of human sexuality.  Through decades of research and clinical experience they've stated:

“Lesbian, gay, and bisexual orientations are not disorders.  Research has found no inherent association between any of these sexual orientations and psychopathology.  Both heterosexual behavior and homosexual behavior are normal aspects of human sexuality.  Both have been documented in many different cultures and historical eras. Despite the persistence of stereotypes that portray lesbian, gay, and bisexual people as disturbed, several decades of research and clinical experience have led all mainstream medical and mental health organizations in this country to conclude that these orientations represent normal forms of human experience. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual relationships are normal forms of human bonding."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church on the other hand states:

"Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared, ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered .’  They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarities. Under no circumstances can they be approved.” 

We are left with two conflicting understandings of homosexuality.  In its teaching on homosexuality the Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly bases its teaching on scripture.  At one point, the first edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church did include some scientific conclusions.  However, in the second edition, they removed references to that research, namely that homosexuals "do not choose their homosexual condition..." 

Science is clear that homosexuality is not chosen.  The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association along with the nations other major mental and medical organizations have all stated that men and women do not choose to be homosexual:

"That evidence supports the conclusion that homosexuality is a normal expression of human sexuality that is not chosen..."

Why remove this reference from the Catechism of the Catholic Church?  The reference was being used by some bishops to call into question the Church's teaching on homosexuality.  Here lies the problem, to acknowledge the scientific evidence would of called into question the Church's understanding of scripture, and more importantly, its authority to interpret scripture.

It's not that religion and science are incompatible.  The Church has fostered science and scientist throughout its history.  Blessed Pope John Paul II said in Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason) that "Truth is the point where faith and reason meet."  When faith is absent of reason we are left without truth.  A mistake the Church has made in the past with other issues. 

We only have to look to the famous Galileo controversy to find an example of relying solely on scripture absent of reason.  In 1981, Blessed Pope John Paul II charged a papal commission with studying the matter. It was determined that the problem came because Galileo had not at the time proved irrefutably the double motion of the earth, a proof that would not come for another 150 years, and that theologians failed to grasp the Bible's profound nonliteral meaning in describing the physical structure of the created universe. In 1992, the pope accepted the commission's finding that the Church had erred in the Galileo matter.

The Church is finding itself at a similar crossroad.  Science has moved us toward a new understanding of homosexuality.  Our Church is now struggling to reconcile its faith belief based on scripture, with the growing scientific evidence. 

There is now considerable scholarly debate about how to interpret scripture passages such as Lev 18:22 and Rom1:26-27 in their cultural context.  Scholars are pointing out that even the word homosexuality is a nonbiblical word that originated in modern times to describe sexual attraction to and sexual activity with a person of one's own gender.  The good news is scripture scholars and theologians are moving the Church forward in its understanding homosexuality.  For instance, the Church now distinguishes between homosexual orientation and homosexual activity-a distinction not made in the Bible.  Slow, but sure progress.

Pope Francis has urged his followers to make the Catholic Church a more merciful and welcoming place for all.  He also warned that its moral foundation will "fall like a house of cards" if it does not find a "new balance" in regards to homosexuality.   Now more than ever, if we are to contemplate the fullness of truth, we need a spirit of faith, and a spirit of reason to guide the Church on the issue of homosexuality.  And what is this truth?  The answer is simple:  We are all fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God and we are all GOOD! 

Peace and all good,
Brother Sun and Sister Moon

Personal Reflection:
How has science and/or reason helped you to grow in your understanding of God and/or homosexuality?  Please share your answer in the comment spaces below.
 

La Civilta Cattolica interview with Pope Francis

In an interview with La Civilta Cattolica, the Italian Jesuit magazine, Pope Francis urged followers to make the Catholic Church a more merciful and welcoming place for all. He continued: “A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’”  “This church with which we should be thinking is the home of all,” he said, “not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people.”

But this isn’t the first time Pope Francis has sent shockwaves through the Catholic Church in regards to his thoughts on homosexuality.  A few months ago, he caused a stir during an inflight news conference when he was asked about gay priests. “Who am I to judge?” he replied. Then he added: “As long as they are searching for God and have good will.”

The great hope I have for Pope Francis appears to be well placed, as I have stated in previous blogs.  Read my blog on Pope Francis - Gay and Hopeful for an overview of my initial hope.  The media, Catholics and the world over have focused on his above statements on homosexuality, but the gem of the story lies hidden further in the article with La Civilta Cattolica:

I ask Pope Francis about the enormous changes occurring in society and the way human beings are reinterpreting themselves. At this point he gets up and goes to get the breviary from his desk. It is in Latin, now worn from use. He opens to the Office of Readings for Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time and reads me a passage from the Commonitorium Primum of St. Vincent of Lerins: “Even the dogma of the Christian religion must follow these laws, consolidating over the years, developing over time, deepening with age.”

The view of the church’s teaching as a monolith to defend without nuance or different understandings is wrong.  The pope comments: “St. Vincent of Lerins makes a comparison between the biological development of man and the transmission from one era to another of the deposit of faith, which grows and is strengthened with time. Here, human self-understanding changes with time and so also human consciousness deepens. Let us think of when slavery was accepted [Read my blog on Slavery and Homosexuality] or the death penalty was allowed without any problem.  So we grow in the understanding of the truth.

Exegetes and theologians help the church to mature in her own judgment. Even the other sciences and their development help the church in its growth in understanding. There are ecclesiastical rules and precepts that were once effective, but now they have lost value or meaning. The view of the church’s teaching as a monolith to defend without nuance or different understandings is wrong.

Yes, I have great hope.  Our understanding, knowledge and faith of the People of God is deepening.  As is our understanding of homosexuality.  Science is moving us forward, the American Psychological Association, a professional and scientific organization stated:

“Lesbian, gay, and bisexual orientations are not disorders.  Research has found no inherent association between any of these sexual orientations and psychopathology.  Both heterosexual behavior and homosexual behavior are normal aspects of human sexuality.  Both have been documented in many different cultures and historical eras. Despite the persistence of stereotypes that portray lesbian, gay, and bisexual people as disturbed, several decades of research and clinical experience have led all mainstream medical and mental health organizations in this country to conclude that these orientations represent normal forms of human experience. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual relationships are normal forms of human bonding."

The world finds hope in his comments on homosexuality, but the real hope lies in his above statement.  Pope Francis is quietly opening the door for the Church to look upon human sexuality with fresh eyes.  He is giving the Church permission to allow the faith to deepen and develop.  This is were my hope lies. 

I have great hope that one day the Church will proudly proclaim that ALL our fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God and ALL are GOOD; both gay and straight.  Until then, let us pray for Pope Francis, that the Spirit will guide the Church into a future full of hope for all.  Otherwise countless homosexual men and women will continue to suffer discrimination, prejudice and violence.  Let us pray Church!

 

Peace and all good,

Brother Sun and Sister Moon

PS:  Read the full interview with Pope Francis in La Civilta Cattolica in American Magazine.
 

Personal Reflection:

To my straight brothers and sisters, how has your views on homosexuality deepened and developed over the years?  To my gay brothers and lesbian sisters, how did you learn to embrace your sexuality as good?  Feel free to share your story in the comment spaces below.
 

Evolving Marriage

Fundamentalist often use the story of Creation to argue against homosexuality and gay marriage.  The story of Creation, or I should say stories of Creation can be found in Genesis 1 and 2 of the Bible.  These two chapters actually contain two different accounts of Creation.  The first account has God creating the world in an orderly fashion, in six consecutive days (Gen 1:1-2:3).  The second account is very different, with God acting much more spontaneously.  In this account, God created man and the garden of Eden, and then when the man was lonely, God created the animals and finally, woman (Gen 2:4-25).  Which story is to be believed?

The Genesis Creation stories are mythic; they are not intended to be historical or scientific.  They teach us truths about God: that God exists apart from created things, that God is all-powerful, that God's love is expressed in and through Creation, and that God wants to be in loving relationship with the human beings God created in God's image and likeness.  The stories have nothing to say about homosexuality that fundamentalist would like us to believe.

If the Genesis Creation stories are not meant to portray historical or scientific fact, what does science have to say about homosexuality? Let us turn to the American Psychological Association, a scientific and professional organization for that answer:

“Lesbian, gay, and bisexual orientations are not disorders.  Research has found no inherent association between any of these sexual orientations and psychopathology.  Both heterosexual behavior and homosexual behavior are normal aspects of human sexuality.  Both have been documented in many different cultures and historical eras. Despite the persistence of stereotypes that portray lesbian, gay, and bisexual people as disturbed, several decades of research and clinical experience have led all mainstream medical and mental health organizations in this country to conclude that these orientations represent normal forms of human experience. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual relationships are normal forms of human bonding."

Our understanding of marriage is evolving, too.  In ancient times, women were considered the property of men.  Before a man could marry a women he would have to pay a dowry to her father.  This nuptial present was a sum of money, animals, and so on, offered in trade for the woman.  According to the Law of Moses, men were also free to divorce a woman to whom they were bound, but women were not free to make that decision (Deut 24:1-4).  Marriage is evolving and Jesus was often the cause of this evolution.

Jesus did not accept the common practice that granted men the right to divorce a woman for trivial grounds.  He saw how a divorced woman was sentenced to a life of poverty, shame, and the loss of her children.  He stood against the Laws of Moses in order to protect the vulnerable.  Jesus challenged his followers to protect women and their children by taking marriage as a lifelong, sacramental commitment (Mt 5:31-32, 1:1-9).

Jesus evolved marriage in order to protect the vulnerable; women and children.  Can the Church not do like wise to protect gay men, women and their children?  It would do us well to reflect on the example of Jesus.  It took courage on Jesus' part to question his Judeo faith.  It will take courage on our part, as the Body of Christ, to question our own Christian faith.

Jesus was willing to evolve marriage in order to protect women and children.  Today gay men, women, and their children are vulnerable.  Can we not evolve marriage in order to protect them?  What did Jesus do?  What will we do, as the Body of Christ?

Peace and all good,

Brother Sun and Sister Moon

Personal Reflection:
Have you ever felt called to question your faith because of its treatment of others?  How did you feel?  Feel free to share you story in the comment spaces below.