1986 the Witness, Vol. 69, No. 11
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VOLUME. 69 NUMBER. 11 NOVEMBER 1986 publication. and reuse for required Permission DFMS. / Bill & Polly Spofford Church Paul Valliere Episcopal Mary Lou Suhor the of And other Soviet Archives sojourners... 2020. Copyright Letters pre-marital sex, adultery and homo- tragic that a number of sincere What P.B. might have said sexuality, do offer a basic expres- women and men who have offered Here is what Bishop Browning might sion of God's love, acceptance and themselves to Jesus Christ in the have said about homosexuality, in re- redemption. Nor does the Bible form of church ministry since then sponse to the Editorial Board of THE condemn simply so-called "hot" have been — how shall I put it? WITNESS (September issue): sins; it speaks even more strongly clobbered — in the ordination My Dear Friends: against the so-called "cold" sins of process itself. Your Open Letter is particularly self-righteousness and Pharisaical I look forward to growing more welcome to me because of its time- condemnation of others on the conversant with this issue, and will liness. As we all know, there are basis of "spiritual legalities." resolutely enter into dialogue with countless gay men and lesbians I hear you asking me for a pas- a number of gay and lesbian mem- publication. who are devout, responsible mem- toral response. bers of the church, both clergy and bers of the church, a number of and First, I believe that no one should laity, in order to further the process them in the clergy (including the of information, dialogue, and mutu- episcopate) and in key lay roles. presume or dare to stand between a reuse ally growing closer together. Too little is still known about person and Jesus. Who among us for I pray that the process ahead will homosexuality. What part does it is, in any case, able to cast the first be conducted by the Holy Spirit play in God's plan of creation? stone at another? We confront this reality within the Eucharist in the working through us as instruments required Why are there gay people? Clearly, of God's will. to be gay goes far beyond "what General Confessioa Your Presiding Bishop one does in bed." There is a gay Second, I believe that the church ethnicity, a gay sensibility, that can must be a witness of reconciliation The above is my fantasy offering. I hope to be writing for THE WITNESS Permission be traced through human history. always, everywhere. Of course, What does it mean? one cannot speak lightly or glibly of soon about related, real-world matters. The majority culture has long reconciliation. Sometimes it is also Malcolm Boyd DFMS. / consigned homosexuals to life in- necessary to witness prophetically Santa Monica, Cal. side a maligned ghetto. The majority to shatter a false peace, or an unjust (Malcolm Boyd is writer-priest-in- culture has done the same thing to system, as a very part of the process residence at St. Augustine-by-the-Sea Church Blacks, Latinos, Asians and others, of reconciliation itself. Episcopal Church. His 22nd book, Gay even as it has exacted from women Third, I believe that Jesus' sacri- Priest An Inner Journey, has just been a grim duty to follow prescribed fice for our sins puts our guilt and published by St Martin's Press. — Ed) Episcopal roles if they would be admitted to self-rejection within the healing the positions of power by the established presence of hope and grace. This Quote out of context of patriarchy, and on its own time- places a severe yoke upon those, Bishop Browning in the September table. for example, who condemn gay WITNESS quotes me as follows: "The No ghetto is healthy. Neither is a people and act out that condemna- Christian tradition over the centuries has Archives majority culture that consigns peo- tion in hostility, coldness and re- affirmed the heterosexual, monogamous, ple to a ghetto. jection. If Jesus' sacrifice for our faithful marital union as normative for 2020. The church has understood and sins brings our self-rejection into the divinely given meaning of the inti- taught that marriage is the norm of the realm of hope and grace, it falls mate sexual relationship." The quotation sexual expressioa Yet, with half upon the church — claiming to be is accurate, but in isolation from its con- Copyright the marriages in various locations Christ's body — to offer an ap- text it has been misunderstood ending in divorce, and untold proximation of that same hope and First, it was clearly intended to be a numbers of women and men living grace without equivocation, luke- historical observation, not a moral judg- together outside of marriage (es- warmness or smugness. ment As a matter of historical record, pecially prior to marriage itself), The resolution concerning the the Christian tradition over many cen- clearly the church has a responsi- ordination of homosexuals which turies justified slavery, male superiority, bility to address these people in a was passed at the 1979 General divine right of kings, and many other loving, nurturing, pastoral way. Convention mistakenly dealt with beliefs and practices later reconsidered. The biblical texts, which in selected procedure instead of the deeper To record such traditions is not to argue passages seem to pass judgment on question of inclusiveness. It is for them THE WITNESS Second, the statement was preceded even worse, hidden? church's ministry. by a criticism of the kind of judgment- The church that demands us to lie, be In exercising the ministry of compas- alism that often victimizes homosexual nice cuddly curates and not advocate sion, Bishop Browning asserts that the people. lesbian/gay rights is one in need of pur- church musf'foster reconciliatioa" We Third, the statement was preceded by gation, love and forgiveness. are faced with the danger, though, of a sentence saying: "Christian judgments The Rev. Zalmon O. Sherwood premature reconciliation in which by pur- on human conduct are subject to change." Jackson, Mich. suing the via media, we avoid the painful Fourth, the statement (first printed in confrontation of the issues. Reconcili- 1969, then reprinted without my knowl- Community impaired ation cannot take place in the presence of injustice. Without justice there can be no edge in 1980) called on Christians to I am one of the two people to whom the peace. In the same manner, the church look for "new sources of information first lines of THE WITNESS' Open publication. cannot be a " community where love and and insight" If I were writing on the Letter refer. I want to make clear that the and grace abound" if lesbians and gay men subject now, I would take account of new issue of ordination of open lesbians and are continually asked to hide who we are information and insights that have be- gay men is larger than either Zal Sher- reuse in order to be acceptable. Until General come available since I first wrote. But wood's case or my owa Our particular for Convention endorses the acceptance, that is another task. For the moment I situations are the result of a heterosexist ordination, and deployment of qualified wish only to correct misunderstandings and homophobic world/church which lesbians and gay men, our relationship to of the sentence that Bishop Browning impacts heavily on the day-to-day lives required one another in the church community is quoted I do not accuse him of distorting of lesbians and gay men. Indeed, it is seriously impaired May we all become my meaning, but I have been shown how church tradition and teaching which too movers from the land of fear and faith- easily the sentence, in isolation, can be often is used to justify social policies misunderstood. lessness to the land of love and faith- Permission which discriminate against us. Note, for fulness. Roger L. Shinn instance, the recent Supreme Court de- Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics cision on sodomy as well as the current Anne Gilson DFMS. Union Theological Seminary New York, N.Y. / AID S phobia which permeates our lives. In such a context, to fail to pursue Church needs purgation proactive measures to rectify the in- 'Normative' code word Church I was surprised to read that Bishop justices perpetrated against lesbians and Bishop Browning was present, I believe, Browning is "not familiar" and knows gay men in the church is to continue to for the installation of Desmond Tutu as "no details" about my forced resignation abide in a land of "fear and faithless- Archbishop of Capetown and heard the Episcopal from a North Carolina parish. One week ness." prophet say that "Many years ago we the following my resignation, I wrote him in I found Bishop Browning's points in [Blacks] were thought to be human, but of vivid detail and included four newspaper response to the Editorial Board, while not quite as human as White people, for accounts of the controversy. important, to contain some serious limi- we lacked what seemed to be indispens- Five weeks later, Bishop Browning tations. able to that humanity, a particular skin Archives replied to me, urging me to exercise If we are to foster relationship among color. Have things changed? Yes and no. "prudence" in any future ministry, and ourselves, God, and Jesus, then that re- I am sad to say that I believe that the 2020. to seek "reconciliation" and a "pastoral lationship must be, as Bishop Browning fundamental attitude that 'Blacks are relationship" with my North Carolina points out, guided by a ministry of com- human, but...' has not changed We do rector and bishop.