MyOutSpirit.com Gay Spirituality Blog

Charter for Compassion Launches

As she accepted the 2008 TED PRize, Karen Armstrong called for a Charter for Compassion to restore the Golden Rule as the central global religious doctrine. 

People want to be religious, says scholar Karen Armstrong; we should help make religion a force for harmony. 

Religious thinker Karen Armstrong has written more than 20 books on faith and the major religions, studying what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and how our faiths shaped world history and drive current events.

A former nun, Armstrong has written two books about this experience: Through the Narrow Gate, about her seven years in the convent, and The Spiral Staircase, about her subsequent spiritual awakening, when she developed her iconoclastic take on the major monotheistic religions -- and on the strains of fundamentalism common to all. She is a powerful voice for ecumenical understanding.

Armstrong's 2008 TED Prize wish asks us to help her assemble the Charter for Compassion, a document around which religious leaders can work together for peace. In late fall 2008, the first draft of the document was written by the world, via a sharing website.

In February 2009 the words of the world were collected and given to the Council of Conscience, a gathering of religious leaders and thinkers, who are now crafting the final document. The Charter launched in November 2009 at http://charterforcompassion.org. 

"I say that religion isn't about believing things. It's ethical alchemy. It's about behaving in a way that changes you, that gives you intimations of holiness and sacredness."

Read the Charter after the jump:

Idiots for Christ

Gay-Bashing in Queens Reminds Us How Far We Still Have to Go.

My friend, Rev. Dr. Mel White (Soulforce.org), has been talking for 10 years about the connection between anti-gay preaching and anti-gay violence.  It's hard to imagine a more direct demonstration than Marcel Gelmy's tattoo, caught on camera by the local news as he defends his friend, one of the two men who gay bashed 49 year-old Jack Price.

The tattoo quotes Leviticus 18:22, saying, "You shall not lie with a male as one does with a woman. It is an abomination."  The man claims the attack was not an anti-gay hate crime but was justified because, he claims, Price hit on his attackers before the "beatdown" that sent Price to the hospital in a coma with a fractured jaw, rib fractures, collapsed lungs and a lacerated spleen.

You can watch video of the brutal attack here.

THIS is what it comes down to: religious leaders preach an idiotic misinterpretation of the Bible and people believe them and behave accordingly - with violence and discrimination.  

I pledge to spread the TRUTH - the Good News, if you will - about What the Bible Says, and Doesn't Say, About Homosexuality, and that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer questioning people are sacred, loved and whole, just as they are.  That's part of what MyOutSpirit.com is FOR.

At last week's National Equality March, hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ people demanded "equal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states."  And that kind of top-down change will be an enormous help.

At the same time, creating long-term, deep-rooted change in our culture, particularly in conservative Christian communities, requires a completely different kind of activism. 

No law would have prevented the savage beating of Jack Price.

But the far-sighted activism of Soulforce, Empowering Spirits Foundation, the American Friends Service Committee LGBT Issues Program and its Faith Action Network, PFLAG, and others, will help prevent such violence in the future by changing how people think right now.

Rabbi Breaks Out

"This month, the Board of Rabbis of Southern California installed Rabbi Denise Eger as its president — the first woman and the first gay rabbi to hold the position at the 72-year-old organization.

And perhaps what is most notable is that her gender and her gender orientation seemed to be a non-issue for the 300 or so colleagues of all denominations who voted her in.

“Honestly, I don’t think it was an issue at all,” Rabbi Mark Diamond, the Board of Rabbis’ executive vice president, said of the fact that Eger is gay. “At no point do I recall either a discussion of that or any concerns about it.”

Eger, who founded Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood in 1992, has faced down some opposition, mostly from Orthodox rabbis, since she came to Los Angeles just after she was ordained in 1988..."

Read the rest of this story in the JEWISH JOURNAL!

CONGRATULATIONS TO RABBI EGER!

Clergy Call lobbies for GLBT justice

Clergy Call for Justice and Equality -- two days of prayer and lobbying for GLBT rights -- begins tomorrow, May 4, in Washington, DC. May God be with them!

Clergy of all faith will gather from across the U.S. to worship together and get “tools for the journey,” including specific training on lobbying. Then Tuesday, May 5 is “Lobby Day,” when they make lobby visits to assigned politicians.

They will raise progressive religious voices in favor of important laws such as the Hate Crimes Bill and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. They will also support an end to the military’s Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

This looks huge. My partner looked over my shoulder as I was browsing through the announcement on my computer. “Are those all the attendees?” she asked.

“No, that’s only the SPEAKERS!”

The Clergy Call is sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign. I’m thrilled that the HRC is doing so much about spirituality these days. They are also joining with MyOutSpirit.com to sponsor this year’s National Coming Out Day on the theme “Coming Out Spiritually.”

P.S.  For first-hand reports by participants in Clergy Call 2009, click this link to the Jesus in Love Blog.

"Prayers for Bobby" Shows Price of Bible-Bashing

Get a sneak preview. Watch the trailer for "Prayers for Bobby" now.

From MoreLight Presbyterians.  This Saturday and Sunday evenings, January 24 and January 25, 2009, the Lifetime Cable Channel premieres the long awaited film version of the powerful book by Leroy Aarons, Prayers for Bobby.  Sigourney Weaver plays Bobby's Mother, Mary Griffith and Ryan Kelley plays Bobby. 

We encourage you to gather family and friends from your church to watch this poignant and powerful film together.  We encourage you to get your church's youth group, campus ministry or seminary community together to watch this film. 

Why?  It's a true story.  It's a family story.  And, it's a Presbyterian story.  This story and film has much to teach us in this moment as the Presbyterian Church (USA) is considering the removal of prejudice and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and their families in the ratification process of Ordination Amendment 08-B.

"Prayers for Bobby" has been called an American tragedy. 

In 1983, Bobby Griffith killed himself at the age of 20 by doing a back flip off a freeway overpass.  Bobby was a gay teen who grew up in religious household.  Bobby never found acceptance within his family, particularly from his mother, Mary Griffith. 

Mary's fundamentalist Christian beliefs forced her to choose between her faith and her son because he was gay.  When Bobby came out, she launched a crusade to "cure" Bobby that included posting Scripture passages around the house and forcing her son into therapy sessions.  

Bobby left diaries that are quoted in Aarons' book.  Bobby wrote: "I've overheard (family members).  They've said they hate gays, and even God hates gays, too.  Gays are bad, and God sends bad people to hell.  It scares me when they talk that way because now they are talking about me." 

"Imagine No Religion" Billboard Causes Controversy

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, the largest national association of atheists and agnostics, is taking its national billboard campaign to Texas for the first time, posting its colorful "Imagine No Religion" billboard on I-37.

The Foundation launched a national billboard campaign a year ago, taking its religion-free messages state-by-state. Foundation billboard messages also say "Beware of Dogma," "Reason's Greetings," and "Keep Religion OUT of Politics."

I heard of the campaign in late November after the General Outdoor sign company in Rancho Cucamonga, California, tore down and destroyed the Foundation's "Imagine No Religion" billboard.  Speaking to the Associated Press, the foundation's co-president, Annie Laurie Gaylor, said the billboard is meant to encourage a debate about religion by evoking lyrics from a John Lennon song.

Personally, I think the campaign is quite strong.  By evoking one of the best songs ever written, the foundation reminds us of Lennon's conviction that the world would be better place if we all treated each other with respect and kindness instead of constantly defending our religious beliefs against the other. 

BEHAVING as if there were no religion is not the same as GIVING UP our religious beliefs.

Queer artist warns of god politics

As the U.S. election nears, it’s time to consider a queer artist’s warning against mixing religion and politics.

Words appear in the sky as if written by God, but their creator is actually a queer feminist activist/artist in a major international art show in Singapore now.

“Beware of the god” is projected into the clouds by Australian artist Deborah Kelly. Her stated goal is to warn against the influence of religion on politics.

The words were projected over the Singapore Harbor recently as part of the Singapore Biennale 2008, a big exhibition of international contemporary art.  The show lasts from Sept. 11 to Nov. 16, although Kelly’s projection ran only for the first week.  In recent years, Kelly has worked the same magic in the skies above Sydney where she lives.

As a lesbian Christian, I find Kelly’s light projection to be a beautiful and mysterious reminder of God’s presence and our unfortunate human tendency to turn God (capital G) into our own many gods (small g) -- idols that express and feed human ego.

When I visited Kelly’s website, www.bewareofthegod.com, I was surprised to find that some of her work is a much bolder -- a direct attack on homophobia and misogyny in the church (and outside the church, too).  Sometimes she may go too far.  But we need our warriors, too.

Her “Beware of the god” series includes sticker postcards that are free for the asking.  Her own explanation is on the back.  It begins, “ Pop the sticker somewhere that’s plagued by holy rollers,
God botherers, or bearded blokes wielding vengeful-deity theories…”  Click here for the full text and more.

Images are "Beware of the god" by Deborah Kelly of GBK Gallery

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(Cross-posted at the Jesus in Love Blog by Kittredge Cherry, author of Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More.  She edits the Jesus in Love Newsletter on queer spirituality and the arts.

"Oh God I'm Gay!" Podcast

"Oh God I'm Gay" was a 2007 weekly audio podcast with host Alicia Ross introducing you to a variety of accomplished community and spiritual leaders from all different faiths, backgrounds, and points of view.  All of the episodes are still available online.  In them, Ross aims to gain insight into her guests' unique spiritual journeys while exploring relevant social issues that affect the LGBT community. Notable guests include Rev. Dr. Mel White from SoulForce; Orthodox Rabbi Steven Greenberg; Ann Craig from GLAAD; David K. Mensah of Wave Training; transgender pastor, Drew Phoenix; Jay Bakker (son of Jim and Tammy Faye); and Angelika Torres a transgender singer/dancer.

You can listen to individual programs HERE.

Today's the day to Come Out Spiritually!  Join MyOutSpirit.com! 

The Beginning: Equality Ride 2008

So, this is officially the beginning of me blogging for the Equality Ride. I'm honored to do so, and hope that my words and stories will depict what is needed to be shared.

We are less than two months away from loading the bus and confronting the fear that easily arises in people when they're about to encounter a opposite view from their own. I just hope the response from both sides will be that of love and acceptance. We are all God's children and we are all human beings. Not one of us is greater than the other. No one has all the answers, I don't claim that my opinion is 100% right and approved by God. God is mysterious, his ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts.This is part of the conclusion both sides must come to.

I'm excited to be a part of this years Equality Ride. I've been able to meet and get to know my fellow "Riders" and they are absolutely amazing. I look forward to spending two months on the road with them. However, before we can even load the bus we must raise the money to go. That is why on August 31st in Nashville, TN you join me at Aerial for my fundraiser event. There will be a DJ to provide the dance music along with the guest celebrity, Sixpence None The Richer who will perform a acoustic song. For detailed information on this event visit, www.myspace.com/azariahsbenefit. If you can't attend but would like to help please go to www.soulforce.org/azariah_southworth to donate .

Thank you for reading and I look forward to bringing the Equality Ride to you through my blogs.

Before I go, remember that God loves you. As Paul states in Romans “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

It is only you that can ultimately separate yourself from the love of God. Don't allow people's opinions of who God is and what his word says determine whether you allow yourself to experience his love.

Take care,
Azariah Southworth

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EDITOR'S NOTE:  Popular Christian tv host, Azariah Southworth, was quickly fired when he came out as a gay Christian a few months ago (read our blog about it).  Among the many projects he is working on now, he is taking the time to go on Soulforce's Equality Ride 2008, which puts young LGBT and Ally people of faith on the road (literally) to changing hearts and minds for equal rights and recognition.  Each rider has a fundraising goal of $3,500 to cover the expense of the journey - donate to support them all at http://www.soulforce.org/2008riders!  Azariah will be sharing his notes from the journey with MyOutSpirit.com's Gay Spirituality Blog!

Gay artist paints liberating Christ

For true liberation on U.S. Independence Day, check out a gay artist’s visions of a naked Jesus.

Jumping Jesus by Dirk Vanden is one of the newest additions to the Jesus in Love library of glbt spiritual art. The painting shows a winged Jesus making a joyful leap skyward.

[Correction from the artist added Nov. 6, 2008: That is his long hair, spread out behind him as he flies, not wings - & not up to heaven! If he's back, he's here to stay. Actually, in my head as I painted him, he's jumping with joy to be free of the cross."]

For more info and images by Vanden, visit the Jesus in Love Blog.

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Kittredge Cherry blogs at the Jesus in Love Blog and edits the Jesus in Love Newsletter on queer spirituality and the arts. She offers GLBT and progressive spiritual resources at JesusInLove.org.