A series of articles by Robert Buchanan, D.Min., on gay prejudice and
Christianity in order to challenge the church and help provide for the
spiritual needs of sexual minorities
Please bookmark this page and come back.
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A series of articles by Robert Buchanan, D.Min., on gay prejudice and
Christianity in order to challenge the church and help provide for the
spiritual needs of sexual minorities
Please bookmark this page and come back.
|
|
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Inclusive Sanctuary vs. Spiritual Terrorism
One of the
terms that is often used for church is “sanctuary.” A sanctuary is sacred
space. It is safe space. It is space that is set apart and devoted to God
and God’s love. Church buildings have been used as sanctuary to protect those
trying to escape from a threatening world. This is a good thing for church to
be.
Yet, for
millions of people most churches can’t be a sanctuary. Church can be a place
of fear and rejection. Those of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender can’t find that safe place in most churches because most churches
reject us as second-class people. It would be a frightful thing to stand up
in most modern churches and profess that one is attracted to, and in love with
another of one’s own sex. In many places such an admission could even result
in violence and death. Church brawls have broken out from much less
controversy.
Church is
supposed to safe, loving and accepting, but instead can be filled with terror,
hate, and rejection. Sadly those who feel this pain the most are the young
queer people who are required to go to a particular church by their families.
They know the pain of being told they aren’t as good as everyone else. The
hurt of knowing that, if the secret were let out, even one’s parents might
offer rejection. Often we are told that God rejects us and sends us to hell,
simply because of who we are attracted to. This is not a place of peace and
worship, but a place of fear and torment.
Some Christians
are coming to understand that the Bible doesn’t really condemn homosexuality.
Many are recognizing that Jesus never condemned queer people. Several small
denominations have been formed to be inclusive of everyone regardless of the
gender they are attracted to. These truly inclusive churches can be a source
of strength and courage for those who know the sting of Christianity’s
rejection.
Yet, these
inclusive denominations struggle to bring hope and truth to queer people.
They face a difficult and harsh reality from a couple of fronts. First, so
many sexual minorities have been so wounded and beaten by the church that they
want nothing to do with Christianity. Second, other adult gay people are
complacent within the very denominations that abuse them. They continue to
attend, support, and give their money to churches that are not sanctuaries for
their own kind. In so doing, they support the abuser of the next generation
of queer young people.
It is sad that
church is not the sanctuary Jesus wants it to be. It is sad that we are not
the people Jesus wants us to be. It is sadder when we support the very source
of pain and rejection so many must endure. Thinking people can take a stand
and help make places of worship that are indeed communities of safety and
sacredness. We can abandon the camp of the spiritual terrorists for the
Sanctuary of the Prince of Peace.
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Robert Buchanan is a minister of the Ecumenical Catholic Church and a psychotherapist who lives with his partner of many years in Durham North Carolina. He is the author of Love, Honor & Respect: How to Confront Homosexual Bias in Christian Culture and serves as director of the Institute for Inclusive Christianity. a training program for ministers and clergy who do not discriminate against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, or because of financial, familial or social status. Additional resources for inclusive Christians can be found at our Resources page.
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