Talk on Homosexuality

I’ve been invited by one of the four parishes based in Home City be one of the speakers in their Lenten reflection evenings. These evenings consist of some time in prayer, a reading of the previous Sunday’s gospel, and a guest speaker reflecting on that gospel. The text That I’ve been asked to speak on is Mark 9:2-10, the account of Jesus’ transfiguration. The spin I’ve been asked to put on the text is from the point of the Father saying of Jesus: “Listen to him”. I’ve been asked to talk about my work in social justice and speaking out about a particular issue.

I’m considering talking about my organising the ecumenical prayer service each year for World AIDS Day. Now, I know that World AIDS Day is more, much more, than about homosexuals. But it does go a long way to offer society a different viewpoint of homosexuals, especially from the point of rejection and discrimination they experience. So, this talk will provide me with an opportunity to challenge the participants in their attitudes to homosexuals. I have plenty of examples I can use without raising people’s suspicions about my own sexuality. I can talk about the young people I’ve buried because they felt they had no option other than to commit suicide because they felt they were gay; about the young people who have asked me the question: “Will God hate me because I’m gay?”; about the people I’ve ministered to as they died of AIDS; and about the rejection and discrimination that homosexuals have told me about.

The people of the parish where I’ll be speaking, and certainly those who’ll be attending on the night I’m talking, will people sane, rational people who are open to different points of view and who don’t feel threatened by someone who holds a view opposite to theirs, so I feel quite safe in talking about the homosexuality issue. I’ve a few weeks yet, anyway, before I have to speak, so I can change my mind if I wish.

hi, my name is april and i am a student at youngstown state university. I am doing a group project and am trying to use FOD to poll some people. If you wouldn’t mind taking a 5 question survey, please stop by my diary. Thanks! good luck with everything.

i think that its a good idea

Dragon Fades

February 25, 2003

Thanks

🙂

please don’t change your mind. it’s about time that people started talking about AIDS and homosexuals and the like again. the world right now is again forgetting it’s homeland troubles and focusing on attacking another country. please stick with your topic and try to educate those that will listen about what you know.

We can all speak from generalities, but the examples you raise are from personal experience and personal ministry. I urge you to do it for the sake of education and having people think about things.

dancing invisible

February 27, 2003

i’ve been lurking a bit, and sort of half reading – my interest in fod itself has waned considerably in the last little while. anyways, i was raised roman catholic, and spent my whole life in catholic schools except for a short stint when public was the only option my town had. i strongly believe that the old laws of the church need reexamining – as with anything, times change.

my mother got her BA in pastoral studies at a catholic university, and is now a marriage and family therapist, who believes that much of what she was taught, and what i was taught, isn’t right. i think as the church advances, the ways are going to change… a sort of new school. i hope so. i would like to raise my children in the church without too much worry about what they are learning.

I knew there was a god! Thank goodness! Please minister well, for all of us!!!

I hope you do this. People need to see the harm homophobic behavior can do, and that homosexuals are real people, not just ‘sinners’ to be prayed for (or sometimes at).

It’s great that you have that attitude about homosexuality despite the fact that many churches condemn it. I’m curious though, why it’s very important to you not to raise questions about your own sexuality. I’m not calling you homophobic or something, but it shows that maybe you’re not entirely comfortable with the subject.