God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines

 

From the Amazon web site

The landmark book exploring what the Bible actually says—and doesn’t say—about same-sex relationships.
 
As a young Christian man, Matthew Vines harbored the same basic hopes of most young people: to some-day share his life with someone, to build a family of his own, to give and receive love. But when he realized he was gay, those hopes were called into question. The Bible, he’d been taught, condemned gay relationships.
 
Feeling the tension between his understanding of the Bible and the reality of his same-sex orientation, Vines devoted years of intensive research into what the Bible says about homosexuality. With care and precision, Vines asked questions such as:
 
• Do biblical teachings on the marriage covenant preclude same-sex marriage or not?
• How should we apply the teachings of Jesus to the gay debate?
• Can celibacy be a calling when it is mandated, not chosen?
• What did Paul have in mind when he warned against same-sex relations?
 
Unique in its affirmation of both an orthodox faith and sexual diversity, God and the Gay Christian has sparked heated debate, sincere soul search­ing, and widespread cultural change on the issue of what it means to be a faithful gay Christian.

Editor's note

In most UU churches, LGBTQ people are not only welcomed but in leadership positions sometimes ministerial. UU ministers usually conduct gay weddings and other ceremonies. This is as it should be because it is based on UU  principles.

UUAWOL often addresses controversial issues in our own denomination as well as in the religious world and broader society. To stay abreast of topics which address concerns about living the UU faith subscribe to the UUAWOL blog and receive daily notices which new articles are published.

German Catholic Priests defy Rome and bless gay couples

 

From the New York times on 05/10/21

BERLIN — More than 100 Roman Catholic parishes in Germany offered blessings to gay couples on Monday in defiance of church teaching and their own bishops.

The call for nationwide blessings came in response to a decree issued by the Vatican on March 15, reinforcing the church’s prohibition of priests asking for God’s benevolence for gay couples, stating that God “does not and cannot bless sin.”

For more click here.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. It is great to see the German Catholic Church grow and embrace its gay brothers and sisters and afford the them the same dignity and respect as heterosexual people. It takes a degree of maturity and a higher level of consciousness to embrace all people regardless of their sexual orientation.

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