When gay activist groups emerged in the 1960's, churches were challenged to include homosexuals and allow them to participate without discrimination in church activities and events. Fundamental groups held firm to scriptural guidance, while mainline churches, especially within the leadership of the denominations, were moving toward inclusion.
Churches Challenged
The Southern Baptists, the largest Protestant denomination with sixteen million members, was not without challenge in its effort to preserve conservative family values. In 1965 Anne and Fred Alexander, members of the Southern Baptist Church, started the publication of The Other Side magazine "to keep alive the possibility of fundamental change." In 1978 The Other Side published an issue dealing with homosexuality, which included groundbreaking articles offering gay and lesbian speakers the opportunity to express their feelings and experiences. 1.
Organized elements within the mainline Protestant churches began a systematic push to change thinking related to theological and ethical issues involving sexuality. In 1978 a Task Force on Homosexuality submitted a report to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) recommending that avowed practicing homosexuals be ordained as ministers, ruling elders, and deacons. The 1978 General Assembly of PCUSA declared homosexual behaviors contrary to scripture and persons who practiced it could not be ordained. In 1978 the General Assembly appointed a seventeen-member committee, heavily weighted with members who condoned homosexuality, to develop a study on human sexuality. The report repudiated scriptural morality and proposed legitimizing premarital, extramarital, and homosexual relationships. The Human Sexuality Report was rejected by 94% of the delegation at the 1991 PCUSA General Assembly. A committee moderator stated, "We are convinced that the issue raised by this report will not go away." 2.
In 2006 a report titled "A Season of Discernment" that devoted 100 pages to "Sexuality and Ordination" was passed by the General Assembly of PCUSA. Agreement was reached on some matters. While ordination would be denied to anyone who demonstrated licentious behavior, celibate homosexuals and bisexuals were not barred from consideration for ordination. Every ordaining body was given the opportunity to decide what departures can be tolerated. 3.
Aggressive Attacks on the Church
In December of 1989 the late Cardinal John O'Connor was beginning his sermon in New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral when angry shouts came from the congregation. Members of the militant homosexual group ACT-UP stretched themselves out in the aisles or chained themselves to the pews. An angry man yelled, "You bigot, O'Connor, you're killing us." Forty-three protesters were arrested while O'Connor tried to go on with the service.
In 1992 the voters of Colorado had passed Amendment 2 that denied homosexuals special legal privileges. Will Perkins, the man who helped get Amendment 2 on the Colorado ballot, attended the Village Seven Presbyterian Church. In the middle of a Sunday service in 1993 a dozen homosexual activists leaped out of their seats and bombarded the parishioners with condoms. Focus on the Family in Colorado had rocks thrown through the windows, dead animal parts left on the ministry's front door, and flyers posted on light poles in front of the ministry and throughout the downtown area calling for conservative Christians to be thrown to the lions. 4.
Soulforce, Inc: We Will Split You
Soulforce, Inc. was a roving protest group of multi-denominational gays, lesbians and transgendered persons committed to nonviolent action with a goal to challenge church doctrines on homosexuality. The organization was founded in 1998 by the Rev. Mel White who had co-authored books in the 1980's with Evangelical elites including Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. After 25 years of trying to 'cure' himself, the father of two left his wife and moved in with his male partner. In the summer of 2000, protests were organized to disrupt the general assemblies of the Methodist, Baptist, and Episcopalian denominations. Working with activists within the denominations, Soulforce staged demonstrations. White's attitude was "We don't debate anymore. Change your policies or we're going to split you apart and leave." 5.
Denominations Divided
The demonstrations brought fervent opposition from evangelical forces within the churches. The vote by the delegates at the 2000 annual conference of the United Methodist Church rejected by a two-thirds majority any effort to alter the denominations's marriage centered sexual morality or sexual standards for ordination. 6.
Episcopalians were also divided by the debates on homosexuality. In 1998 conservative members formed a reform movement called Concerned Clergy and Laity of the Episcopal Church. In 2003 the election of a partnered homosexual bishop created turmoil in the church. The 2009 General Convention adopted two resolutions that seriously departed from biblical sexuality by repealing a moratorium on the consecration of additional gay bishops, while opening the doors to blessing same-sex unions. 7.
In August of 2009 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) adopted policies that were a departure from traditional Christian teaching. "The new policies allow ELCA churches to give approval to non-marital sexual relationships, both homosexual and heterosexual, and to ordain persons in such relationships." 8.
Priestly Sexual Abuse Challenges the Church
Accusations of priestly pedophilia exploded in the Catholic Church in the 1980's. The dual system of sexuality within the Catholic Church created problems in the development of a consistent understanding of sexuality. Church leaders for centuries have been called to celibacy. However seminary training did not adequately address the realities of leading a sexually celibate life. A church sponsored panel reported that 2 to 4% of Catholic priests may have been guilty of sexually abusing children, mostly teen boys. 9.
Many Catholic seminaries have a gay subculture. R. Scott Appleby, professor of history at Notre Dame University, said "People I know quite well have left the seminary either in disgust because people are not keeping their vows, or in alienation because they're not gay." 10
AIDS has taken a toll among Catholic priests. By the beginning of the new millennium, hundreds of Catholic priests had died of AIDS-related illnesses, and hundreds more were living with HIV. Priests were dying of AIDS at a rate four times that of the general population. 11.
Priestly sexual abuse of children and young teens raises two questions.
1. How many young boys were drawn into the homosexual lifestyle by early experiences of sexual behaviors with priests.?
2. To what extent has the homosexual challenge to traditional family patterns been supported and encouraged through these behaviors?
These questions become especially relevant in light of the high rate of AIDS among the priesthood.
ENDA and Hate Crimes Challenges Religious Liberty
Since 1994, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) has been repeatedly introduced in Congress. If the bill passes, 'sexual orientation' would be added to the list of federally protected classes under the 1964 act that prohibits job discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. ENDA would make it illegal to make decisions on hiring, firing, promoting or paying an employee based on sexual orientation. Supporters argue that ENDA is necessary to protect a minority from discrimination while opponents argue that religious employers who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle would be discriminated against. Church related facilities or non-profits could lost their tax exempt status if they refused to hire a person on the basis of their sexual orientation. 12.
After a decade of political struggle, President Obama signed the federal hate crime bill into law on Oct 28th of 2009. A hate crime is identified as a crime of violence motivated by the hatred of the group to which the victim belongs. The federal hate crime protects against violence based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity of the victim.
BACKLASH- Protecting Religious Liberties
When church leadership moved toward changing sexual expectations to include practicing homosexuals as clergy and leaders, church members who leaned toward maintaining a scriptural foundation to the faith voted with their feet. Between 1965 and 1989 six mainline denominations (Evangelical Lutheran, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Disciples of Christ) reported a combined membership loss of 6.2 million members. The churches that increased in membership were conservative and evangelical, in contrast to the secular liberalism of mainline denominations. 13.
Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council contends that state-sanctioned same-sex unions pose a dangerous threat to religious liberties, not just for churches but for everyone. Heterosexual relationships, although the only relationships that can naturally reproduce, would be officially declared 'nothing special'. Non-discrimination laws would threaten the rights of individual believers trying to live their daily lives in accordance to their faith. 14,
Perkins lists ways in which individuals may be challenged in their faith or denied the right to express their personal religious values.
* Individuals would be denied the right to express their views in regard to the gay lifestyle in public.
* Private business owners would be required to provide benefits for same-sex domestic partners.
* Organizations that challenged same-sex relationships may be denied government grants.
* Organizations may be denied access to public events.
* Professionals may face lawsuits or be denied licensing.
* Religious non-profits or educational establishments may lose their tax-exempt status.
* Religious clubs at secular universities may be denied recognition.
* Private business owners and religious non-profits would be required to include gays as employees.
Perkins notes occasions in which these conditions have already occurred.
* Catholic charities in Boston were told they could no longer do adoptions if they refused to place children with same-sex couples.
* A fertility doctor was sued for refusing to artificially inseminate a lesbian.
* A Christian camp meeting lost it's tax-exempt status for refusing to rent their pavilion for a lesbian 'civil union' ceremony.
* A Lutheran school in California was sued for expelling two girls in a lesbian relationship.
The late Dr. D. James Kennedy, founder of Coral Ridge Ministries, sounded the alarm on the federal hate crime law, which is named after Matthew Shepherd. Shepherd, who was a homosexual, was brutally pistol whipped and left tied to a split-rail fence in Laramie, Wyoming by two thugs in an attempt to get money and drugs. Homosexual protesters turned the tragic event into an attack against the Christian community, claiming that anti-gay messages by Christians who opposed homosexuality contributed to the 1998 murder of Shepherd.
Hate crimes add additional penalties for crimes committed against homosexuals or other designated groups when hatred or bias is a motivating factor.
Dr. Kennedy contended that "hate crime laws have been used to silence Christians, while providing special protection to homosexuals." 15.
Opponents of hate crime laws argue that the legislation leads to criminalizing speech that opposes the homosexual lifestyle. Current laws punish behaviors while hate crime laws punish offenders for what they think or say. In 2004 eleven Christians were arrested for committing a hate crime when they preached at a homosexual gay-pride event in Philadelphia. Matt Barber, Director for Cultural Affairs with Liberty Counsel, calls hate crime legislation "Constitutionally dubious and dangerous to religious liberties and freedom of speech" and "entirely unnecessary."
16.
REFERENCES
1. Davidson, Doug. "Disturbing the Peace:Thirty years on The Other Side." The Other Side. 30th Anniversary . Vol. 31, No. 6 (Nov/Dec) 1995:7.
2. Presbyterian Layman. "Highlights from the Layman's years of reporting on Presbyterian Church (USA)." Vol. 28, No. 6 (Nov/Dec) 1995.
Jameson, Vic. "Assembly maintains traditional Presbyterian sexuality policies." Presbyterian Survey. (July/Aug) 1991:24-25.
3. Religious Tolerance. "Statement on homosexuality: 2000 to now." 2008. http://www,religioustolerance.org/hom_pru22.htm. 2/22/2010.
4. Sears, Alan & Craig Osten. The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today. (Revised and updated) Nashville,TN: B&H Publishing. 2003:127,156.
5. Van Biema, David. "Out of the Fold.". Time. Vol. 156, No. 1 (July 3) 2000:48-51.
6. Tooley, Mark. "United Methodists move to the center." Faith and Freedom. Vol. 19, No. 3-4 (Summer/Fall)2000:6-7.
7. Walton, Jeffrey H. "Episcopalians Roll Down the Slope". Faith and Freedom. Vol. 28, No. 4. Fall 2009:7.
8. Wisdom. Alan F. H. "Evangelical Lutherans Go Over the Edge." Faith and Freedom. Vol. 28, No. 4, Fall 2009:6.
9. Associated Press. "Catholic bishops urge new rules over sex abuse." San Antonio Express News. November 18, 1993:15A.
10. Sears, Alan & Craig Osten, 2003:152.
11. Thomas, Judy L. "AIDS taking toll among Catholic priests in U.S." San Antonio Express News. Sat., Feb. 5, 2000:10B.
12. Riley, Jennifer. "Gay Employment Bill on Queue for Returning Congress." Aug. 21, 2009. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090821/gay-employment-bill-on-agenda... 2/21/2010.
13. Ostling, Richard N. "The Church Search." Time. Vol. 141, No. 14 (April 5) 1993.44-51.
14. Perkins, Tony. "Same-sex 'Marriage' vs. 'Religious Liberty." Truth & Triumph. Alliance Defense Fund. Vol. II, Issue 3. 2009:14-15.
15. Kennedy, D. James. "CRM Sounds Alarm on Hate Crime Laws." IMPACT. Vol.XX, No. 10. Coral Ridge Ministries. 2008
16. Ibid
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