For those in the Los Angeles area, make sure you pay a visit to Dignity Los Angeles. They are an advocacy group for the support, respect, and inclusion of LGBT Catholics. They have chapters all around the country, and organize special services, events, and liturgies for LGBT believers and loved ones. It would be a dream to see such a group transpire within the Coptic Community.
While reading message boards on the subject of homosexuality, it is obvious that the Coptic Church has little to no experience with this issue, and this lack of dialogue is dangerous for its congregants. There is a lack of dignity in the way the church deals with this issue. While it would be ideal for folks to remain close to their roots and love the church they grew up in, to worship in Spirit and in Truth is the ultimate, as Jesus said. A day will come where it will not be about facing Jerusalem, or Alexandria in our case :)
I don't think the clergy need to look any further than the One whom they not only worship, but also represent, in order to find the formula for treating people with dignity and respect. "Love the sinner, hate the sin." Who came up with that one anyway? To tell a person that you love them and hate their homosexuality, you are telling them that you hate their nature, that you hate their desire for partnership, and there is nothing edifying about that.
Again, my brothers and sisters, love your church, but make sure you find your safe place to worship as well, where you can be yourself, and it will make all the difference in the world.
I have been very busy this past week, so this entry is rather brief, so please forgive me. More to come, as there is so much to say.
While this makes 100% sense to me, I feel you've perhaps made a leap that would be too difficult to fathom (not to mention replicate) with homosexuality being equivalent to someone's "nature". After all, doesn't Paul say in Romans 1 that it's "unnatural"? (He does, but it's a mistranslation. One that I'm not sure your audienc is necessarily privy to.) I'm thinking you should probably devote a whole new post to dealing with this very important question. IS homosexuality a choice? Is it able to be changed, or is it immutable? Is it part of someone's nature, or just a moral weakness that people give into?
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ReplyDeleteThanks for reading. You're right in pointing out the leap, although it's not so much a leap for me anymore, as it's clear to me who I am and what I'm made from. You bring up a good point and I will most definitely take a look at that topic sometime soon. I am no psychologist or theologian, but let's just say I'm well versed in the issue and having believed both sides of that argument at different points in my life, my conclusion is one that came both thoughtfully and prayerfully.