Categories
LGBTQ

Same Sex Marriage

Use of the St John’s building

Just in case you missed it, there are two opportunities to take part in the decision about whether the St Johns building can be used to conduct same sex marriages. Although, according to their conscience, clergy have been able to solemnise same sex marriages since 2017 the use of a particular building is the responsibility of the vestry

From the St John’s notices

On 25th June there will be a Table- Top Discussion event in the Hall after the Sunday service. This will be facilitated by Vestry members. The purpose of the discussion is to ascertain the general feeling of the Congregation about the matter. There will be no vote, as the decision has to be taken by the Vestry, having taken the views of the Congregation into account. It may be worth noting that the views of Vestry members, as in the rest of the Congregation, are varied, and no decision, one way or the other, has been made.

The Vestry in its meeting last month had further, lengthy, discussions about the question of whether we should allow same sex marriages to be conducted in our church building. A paper was circulated to all the Congregation on Sunday 11th June. There is also a tree with leaves for you to write your views. A box has been provided beside the tree if you would prefer to submit your view more discreetly. The box will be emptied and all views will be subsequently posted on the tree.

Pew Notes week commencing Sunday 18/6/23

We will be starting our midsummer Forest Church on Wardlaw hill later that the usual 2pm to allow people to participate in this discussion.

Categories
LGBTQ

Free and Equal

Vicky Beeching is a former Christian music star and a popular religious commentator and media personality. She has emerged as a leading voice for Christian acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. In 2014, she came out in an interview with a national UK newspaper.

“No one should have to choose between their religious faith and their gay, lesbian or bisexual orientation. We are all God’s children, created to love and be loved.

Vicky Beeching, 2014

She is calling religious leaders, and particularly Christians, back to its roots in love.

https://www.unfe.org/vicky-beeching-calls-religion-back-roots-love/

You can read more on the United Nations “Free and Equal” campaign website.

More than a third of the world’s countries criminalize consensual, loving same-sex relationships, entrenching prejudice and putting millions of people at risk of blackmail, arrest and imprisonment. Many countries force transgender people to undergo medical treatment, sterilization or meet other onerous preconditions before they can obtain legal recognition of their gender identity. Intersex children are often subjected to unnecessary surgery, causing physical and psychological pain and suffering. In many cases, a lack of adequate legal protections combined with hostile public attitudes leads to widespread discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people – including workers being fired from jobs, students bullied and expelled from schools, and patients denied essential healthcare.

UN Free and Equal webpage
Categories
LGBTQ

Human Rights Campaign

This organisation is based in the USA, and their primary focus is understandably on where they live. The shared heritage between the UK and USA means that a lot of it is relevant however.

Tools for equality and inclusion.

Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign is to ensure that every LGBTQ+ person is free to live their life openly, with their equal rights ensured. We know that goal requires that we keep educating, supporting and inspiring ourselves and each other. In the spirit of that continual growth, we’ve compiled information and advice on a range of topics, including resources from the HRC Foundation.

They have published a quick report on faith positions in the USA to LGBTQ+

(Episcopal in this context means American Episcopal)

https://www.hrc.org/resources/religion-faith

Political change might be slow, but it does happen. If you are a minority changes which are significant to you might take place without the general population even knowing. Up until the 1980’s in Scotland not only were same sex relationship not protected by the rule of law, some couples would be criminalised by it. Since then things have changed.

However this timeline (again from the USA) charts a story of real fears of what a hostile government might do in a short space of time.

https://www.hrc.org/resources/trumps-timeline-of-hate

Categories
LGBTQ

Diversity

Timeline showing the evolution of the churches of Scotland from 1560 (wiki)

There is a tendency for LGBT discussions to polarise people. People respond both intellectually and emotionally to these issues as well. It is a common experience to find that ones intellectual response and emotional gut response are not in harmony. Reading someone else’s thoughts can help find words to refine ones own.


The timeline on the left gives an idea of the history of diversity within church gatherings in even a small area such as Scotland. To respect the diversity of belief and opinion this post contains links to expressions of concern about the changes which have taken place as well as statements of belief which deplore and condemn them.

Some of the language might be hard reading.

2014 – Scottish evangelicals respond to Synod Marriage vote

https://anglican.ink/2015/06/14/scottish-evangelicals-respond-to-synod-marriage-vote/

2014 – a letter sent to all MSPs by Rev David Campbell, minister of the Edinburgh congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland

A faithful warning unheeded

This section on the FAQ page on the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland website also seemed relevant.

Male/Female distinctions

2022 – Response to consultation on gender recognition reform by the Free Church of Scotland

Categories
Fresh Expressions LGBTQ

Pride

Know your place

Knowing your place is a difficult business. If you stand out, or seem to be adopting to high an impression of yourself people will feel the need to put you down. If you aren’t sure of your place then it can be difficult to accept praise that is intended to build you up.

If you identify with a group of people who have been despised, persecuted, criminalised and misrepresented for generations then actively having pride is necessary just to hold yourself in a place others would consider normal.

In Dumfries and beyond, the month of June is used to celebrate the presence of LGBTQ+ people within the community. While there are still people pushing anonymous hate mail through LGBTQ + office doors, and claiming to be doing so in Jesus name, the Church has work to do. Until the balance of “normal” in our community has shifted and it becomes clear that any such hate message sent in Jesus name is unrepresentative of the Church then we have work to do.

This post aims to help redress the balance. To help anyone reading this engage with this work, what follows is a collection of links to resources to help you explore, reflect on, and express your beliefs positively. Love will find a way.

This section is intended as a work in process, please comment and e-mail us to help it develop.

Links to webpages on various Church sites

Scottish Episcopal

From the cathedral of Glasgow and Galloway Diocese

Methodist

https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/the-methodist-church/the-inclusive-methodist-church/lgbtplus/

Roman Catholic

https://questlgbti.uk/

Baptist Union Scotland (Theological resources)

Baptists in England and Wales https://www.baptist.org.uk/Groups/357131/Links_to_resources.aspx

Ecumenical grassroots

https://www.christiansatpride.com/

Resources to download

Love is Love, a guide to becoming involved with pride (pdf)

https://www.methodist.org.uk/media/28406/love-is-love-pride-guide-feb2023.pdf

The Iona Community shop page

Historical news articles,

Stories and moments as the theology gets worked out in practice. (We will post more as the month progresses)

National Records of Scotland Archive

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/learning/features/hidden-lgbt-histories

A rainbow is flying over Kirk (2016): https://www.stonewall.org.uk/node/28593

Church votes to allow equal marriage (2017)

https://www.scotland.anglican.org/church-votes-allow-equal-marriage/

A church leaves the SEC over equal marriage issue (2018)

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/scotland/710092/split-from-the-scottish-episcopal-church-over-equal-marriage-is-very-sad-says-incoming-bishop-of-brechin/

The SEC primus on LGBTQ+ inclusion (2022)

https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/originals/the-primus-of-the-scottish-episcopal-church-on-lgbtq-inclusion/