ATLANTA - Why not Adam and Steve or Allison and Eve? Seminar seeks to formulate gay Christian sexual ethic.
The familiar phrase used by the Religious Right concerning gays, lesbians, bi, and transgendered persons is, “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” In the view of religious conservatives the only sexual ethic gays and lesbians have is, “If it feels good, do it.” Is that true? Is sex in the gay, lesbian, bi and transgendered community just a commodity to be sought after? Does the gay, lesbian, bi and transgendered community even have a sexual ethic? An upcoming four-week course will explore this volatile issue.
A ground breaking class entitled: “Back to the Garden: Cultivating a Gay Christian Sexual Ethic” will explore the topic of gay, lesbian, bi and transgendered sexuality from a Christian perspective and strive to envision a new sexual ethic for our community. Through readings and class discussion, this course hopes to formulate a practical Christian sexual ethic grounded in Christian thought and tradition, but not completely bound by it.
“The course seeks to help gays, lesbians, bi and transgendered persons develop sexual ethics of their own within the scope of their understanding of God,” said course leader Candace Chellew, founder of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Christians. “Little direct biblical guidance is given to the gay Christian, so the course will attempt to build a sexual ethic out of Jesus’ teaching of mutuality expressed in the greatest commandment to love God and our neighbors as ourselves.”
"The religious right has pounded our community for years concerning our sexual ethics by holding us to a flawed and failed heterosexual Christian ethic." Maybe the time has come for our community to step up to the plate and begin to explore who we really are in the eyes of God concerning our sexuality", stated Rev. Paul M. Turner Sr. Pastor of Gentle Spirit Christian Church, who is sponsoring this workshop in conjunction with the church's deaconate training.
The classes will be held the first four Sundays in June 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd from 3:30pm to 5:30pm located at Gentle Spirit Christian Church 1561 McLendon Ave, Atlanta, Georgia. The workshop is free and open to the public, especially the GLBT community. Further information concerning the workshop and the reading assignments can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/theodyke316 For those attending the workshop it is VERY important to go this site and complete the reading prior to the first class.
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