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Souls & Spirits
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 Coming
Out As Sacrament by Chris Glaser
When denied traditional
means of grace, the sacraments of the church, we who are
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and family and
friends of those who are, celebrate the sacrament of
coming out, revealing the sacred in our lives: our love,
our lover, our lives, our families, our community, and our
unique perspective on God. Coming out is a theme in
scripture in a way homosexuality is not. Biblical
characters came out to be the people they were chosen and
called to be, and the Bible is the coming out story of
God--coming out of the closet of heaven, down from the
mountaintop of requirements (Mt. Sinai), to enter our
lives compassionately as God-with-us, who suffers with us,
rejoices with us, and loves us unconditionally. This book
critiques a traditional view of the atonement, suggesting
the crucifixion was the result of human will, not
God's--that God's will was the resurrection, that God
chooses life for God's child and children, not death.
Using the work of Rene Girard, I consider the scapegoat
mechanism's applicability to how lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgendered people are scapegoated by society and
religious institutions today. Finally, I offer seven
"rites for the soul" by which the reader or
groups may reclaim biblical affirmations and their baptism
and their church, and celebrate coming out in a ritual
that combines elements from the traditional seven
Christian sacraments. This book is different from my other
books in that I sustain one careful argument throughout
the book, using pastoral and personal experience as well
as biblical and theological knowledge to sustain the theme
of Coming Out as Sacrament.
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The "Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance"
provide accurate information on various religions, and expose
groundless religious hatred.
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This site prepared and maintained by Ralph W. Henn.
Excerpt:
This organization received its initial impetus from funding by the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church Foundation,
Minneapolis, for a conference by the same name in April 1999. It was planned by an interdenominational committee of
individuals — people of faith, both clergy and laity, straight and gay, chaired by the Rev. Howard Johnson, a retired UMC
clergyman. People on the committee are from:
American Baptist Church
Episcopal Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
United Church of Christ
United Methodist Church
This committee is concerned about continuing misinformation regarding those in the community of faith who are GLBT (gay,
lesbian, bisexual or transgender). It arises from condemnation and exclusion of GLBT persons of faith and the pain and
sense of alienation this causes, not only to them, but to their parents, families and friends. The exclusion of any group of
persons on the basis of stereotypes and flawed assumptions is contrary to the spirit and mind of Christ, and a destructive
source of alienation within the entire community of faith.
We believe that when we are not inclusive and loving to one another within the church, we, as the Body of Christ, have no
clear witness of healing and reconciliation for a troubled world.
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Gay and Lesbian Atheists and Humanists is an
organization with four main goals:
- Support equal rights for lesbians, gays, transgenders,
and bisexuals.
- Educate people about atheism and humanism.
- Support separation of church and state.
- Provide freethinkers with opportunities to get to
know each other.
In its 14th year of its existence, GALAH has a membership
of roughly 100. Historically, GALAH has been a local organization in the
Los Angeles area, but GALAH has started outreach to queer freethinkers
nationwide in the United States. GALAH has a monthly newsletter which,
among other things, includes updates on the Religious Right, information
about letter-writing campaigns to counter the fundamentalists, and
commentaries questioning established religious thinking.
To find out more about GALAH, write to GALAH, PO Box
34635, Washington, DC 20043.
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Rainbow Wind is a group for Lesbigay Pagans
and their friends. It was formed in the summer of 1995 as a response to
three needs: 1) the need of Pagans to develop a greater sense of
connectedness with the Pagans community, 2) the need to define the
frequently undefined role of Lesbigays and transgendered people in
Paganism, and 3) the need to respond to the wave of attacks on Lesbigays,
TGs, and Pagans by the radical Christian fundamentalists who have gained
great influence over both the Republican and Democrat parties.
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Religion and Religious Resources &
Information
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