Presbyterians Welcome Gays!















Good the the Presbies! I can't say I knew much about them until I began to read of their bids to modernise their religion to reflect the realities of living here today. I know that for many 'devoutly religious people' fulfilling the letter of the word of their 'holy texts' is the be all and end all of their faiths but it has always bothered me that when the texts were written, so much less was known about how everything works and fits together and where it all came from than we know now. The Bible is a bronze age text written initially for a nomadic tribe for whom masturbation ("wasting the seed")was a capital offence.

The Presbyterians are opening their hearts and their churches to all. Had Jesus acted like Pope Benedict XVI "Christianity" might not have been anything more than a local and short-lived movement. It was radical of the prophet to talk about inclusion at a time when religion was about being distinct from your neighbour and showing your difference as much as you could. Jesus wasn't preaching to intellectual elites but to any who would listen and learn from him. The bible records no comments on same sex issues by Jesus, shouldn't that count for something?

I hope LGBT people of faith find comfort and encouragement with the Presbyterians and that their religion is enriched by contributions from its new members.

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