Description
Describe what you are recording about. Identify whether it was a journal paper, book chapter; practice observation; taught theory; lecture or other.
I was reading a book called ‘We were baptized too’ written by Marilyn Alexander and James Preston. The book looks at the question ‘What does it mean to be Christian and Gay?’
Understanding
What was the main message? What did I understand was being said by the author; lecturer; practitioner etc… What argument was used to support their position?
The message from the book is that when we are baptised Christians and are welcomed into the church as God’s children. At the time of baptism the church and parishioners promise throughout the ritual to accept, love, forgive and nurture the person in faith. Yet the church can be selective and if a person identifies as gay or lesbian the church condemns them and makes them believe that they are not children of God.
“Oppression is not only evil, it is blasphemous because it makes a child of God doubt that s/he is a child of God” Archbishop Desmond Tutu, cited in Alexander & Preston 1992: P43
Because to the fear and isolation from the church and their community gay and lesbian people can oppress their feeling and sexuality, deny who they really are to live a life that is accepted by their church and society, by marrying someone from the opposite gender and go on to have families.
“The fear and repression of sexuality in general fan the flames of homophobia. The inner tug is to avoid, deplore and deny. The walls go up; the sentry is on the lookout” (Alexander & Preston. 1992:P55)
Critical Thinking
What is my evaluation of what was being presented / observed? What evidence do I have that either supports or contradicts the above?
(Re...
... middle of paper ...
...as LGB&T.
Are faith based youth clubs really carrying out youth work that should be inclusive to all, or are they carrying out activities with young people while teaching theological literature and scripture?
If faith based youth workers are the Shepherds for their church are they protecting their entire flock or just a chosen few, isolating the ones that are different?
Works Cited
Bennett-Alexander, M., Preston, J. (1992) We Were Baptised Too. Claiming God’s Grace for Lesbian and Gays. Kentucky: Westminster:
Jeffs, T., Smith, M. (2005) Informal Education: Conversation, Democracy and Learning. 3rd Ed. Education Now Publishing Nottingham: Co-operative Ltd
Kennerley, G., O’Leary, R. 2012. Moving Forward Together: Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland. Belfast: Changing Attitudes Ireland
Sappin, K. (2008) Essential Skills for Youth Work Practice. London: Sage
Christian leaders have often written about homosexuality in a negative manner. Throughout the majority of Christian history most theologians and dominations have viewed homosexual behavior as sinful and immoral especially in African-American churches. Certain orthodox interpretations of Christian morality have led the overwhelming majority of African-Americans who attend church to consider homosexuality a sin and thus same-sex marriages as wrong. Black liberation theology, especially in the context of the black political church, has led a minority of African-Americans to be inclusive of homosexuals and to permit their churches to serve as a political resource for those receptive to lesbian and gay rights (Shaw). However, in the past century some African-American Christian religious groups and churches have espoused a wide variety of beliefs and practices towards homosexuals, including the establishment of some 'open and accepting' congregations that actively support queer members. The Abyssinian Baptist church is one of these institutions. By comparing the preaching’s of early 20th century pastor Adam Clayton Powell Jr, to present day pastor Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, there is strong evidence to show the evolution of churches position on homosexuality in the Abyssinian Baptist Church.
The lecture hall filled with the audience members’ conversations in the gymnasium-sized room, which the microphone on the podium in center stage amplified. Through the double door entrance to the hall walked a conference attendee named Adam Moore, who found his seat in the last of many perfectly aligned rows of folding chairs. He began reading the brochure handed to him as he arrived and “homosexuality” being on the list of discussion topics intrigued him because he is an openly homosexual member of the Episcopal Church. After all the discussions had concluded and the ministers and clergy answered every question, Moore approached Father McAllister and asked him to explain some of the Catholic Church’s teachings to him. Father McAllister happily agreed and they both returned to the lecture hall to have their conversation. Father McAllister sat next to Moore, who reclaimed his conference seat. Moore explained that although there were many topics he did not fully understand in Catholic Church teaching, there was only one he wanted to discuss with him. He sought to understand what the Catholic Church taught on the topic of homosexuality and what the Church’s opposition was to homosexual relationship...
The first story centers on Gene Robinson, now the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, and the son of a loving, church-going couple from Kentucky. Next, we meet the Poteats, a Baptist family from North Carolina with a gay son and daughter. Then there are the Reitans, from Minnesota, whose son Jake comes from a long line of Lutheran pastors. When Jake came out of the closet, some of the locals threw a brick through their windshield and wrote “fag” in chalk outside the house. The mother’s description of immediately scrubbing the profanity off the driveway was very poignant. Perhaps the most heartbreaking story was that of Mary Lou Wallner, a Christian fundamentalist who rejected her lesbian daughter, which ...
“For The Bible Tells Me So” by Daniel Karslake is a documentary style film that focuses on issues about sexuality. The film focuses on the conflict between homosexuality and Christianity and the analysis of several Bible verses about homosexuality. The film attempts to alter the minds of homophobes by using facts, science and several interviews with Christians who also have gay children. The interviews are done with five American, very Christian families and “how they handle the realization of having a gay child” (Karslake, 2007.) The film looks at both the understanding of the church, that is portrayed within the film, and the suggestion that there can only be one sexuality, heterosexuality, and that all others are sins in the eye of God.
In the past decades, the struggle for gay rights in the Unites States has taken many forms. Previously, homosexuality was viewed as immoral. Many people also viewed it as pathologic because the American Psychiatric Association classified it as a psychiatric disorder. As a result, many people remained in ‘the closet’ because they were afraid of losing their jobs or being discriminated against in the society. According to David Allyn, though most gays could pass in the heterosexual world, they tended to live in fear and lies because they could not look towards their families for support. At the same time, openly gay establishments were often shut down to keep openly gay people under close scrutiny (Allyn 146). But since the 1960s, people have dedicated themselves in fighting for
...n the Court Case Which Ended the Legal Persecution of Homosexuals." Www.thisislondon.co.uk. ES London Limited, 14 July 2007. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
My vision is to assist youth in becoming Christlike disciples who love and obey God and mentor and empower others. The philosophy I wish to develop for Youth Ministry is a holistic approach. There is a need for youths to know that God loves them and that only through a personal relationship with him, they can experience the full extent of His love.
As I said I have little or no experience in the field of youth ministry. I do have secular experience with youth, but not the spiritual or scriptural understanding that one needs to have too implement and run an effective and efficient youth ministry.
Which, without a doubt is regarded as an abomination of mankind by many parents who wish their child’s minds not be rotted by the “perversions” of homosexuals (Stern). The homophobia and transphobia comes from parents, then which goes to their children, and so forth in an endless cycle of fear. Parents don’t realize that the phobias are meaningless and to impose their homophobic and transphobic view onto a child is detrimental to their perspective (Dahir). Children will grow up being homophobic and transphobic, having a hard time grasping the
In the past few years, there is a difference in states approach to gay, marriage. More and more states join the wave and approve gay marriage across America. Today’s days more than half of the states in America allow and recognize gay marriage. However, there are few states that do not agree with the idea of two people married from the same gender. Randall Kenan in his story, “The Foundation of the Earth” (107-119), addresses the issue of marriage equality and the ignorance that comes with it. The story is about a religious woman, Maggie, who raised her grandchild, Eduard. When her grandson dies she is mourning and ask herself why he never came to visit her, when she realizes that the reason is his him being gay. As a result of it she decides
The fight for tolerance towards the LGBT community has been fought since before the 20th century. Homosexuality was perceived in various ways. Religion, as well as assorted countries, played a role in the disapproval
Quite interesting, Nussbaum’s opens up the preface with an example of a gay teenager who describes his experiences when “coming out of the closet”. The teenager admits to being horrified and disgustful towards his own emotions that weren’t passing, as they should. Through this example, Nussbaum distinguishes between the two perspectives that are in our society today regarding homosexuals. The contrast lays “between people who can ‘sort of experience’ what a gay teenager feels and people who simply think of those desires, and no doubt, the teenagers themselves, ‘as being disgusting’”(Nussbaum xiii). She even go...
They are praising and worshipping at the same space. Why would the older generations think that they are different? It hurts me so much as a participant and a leader how can I tell them or explain to them they are treated differently by the adult congregation just because they think that youth are just kids and they wouldn’t know, don 't get me wrong by saying these things but not all the church would treat them that way but, they are some struggles between the generation to generation. We are confined by the walls that we built, we come to an end by hardening that wall, not even trying to break that wall. Youth ministry itself is the heart of the church, they are the ones that grow and serve the church and become a leader for the church, just like Jesus Christ learned from the scratch from God, rather it was hard way or not. He did it for the Glory of God. The church is one body one church one savior. To resolve a problem of this issue through prayer but if it could not fix right away then it would become lager scale of the problem that would not youth to grow spiritually and as a person. And it 's a pressure both as a participant and a leader, as time goes by I still see the same problem that I just mention as pressing question. The kingdom of God is like youth ministry, how God would see us, as children. Our spirituality is like puberty, the youth ministry could describe as a puberty, it could become very emotional and joyful at the same time but its painful. The youth ministry is the metamorphosis of the life that seek to find personal identity of their own to who they
The Catholic Church holds the belief that homosexuality is an objective disorder and describes it as “moral evil,” yet is not considered a sin until acted upon (Ratzinger, 1986). Once acted upon, it is seen as a moral disorder in which it is “contrary to natural law” and that one “closes the sexual act to the gift of life” (“Catechism”). More over, the Catholic Church believes that marriage should be between a man and woman in order to continue the transmission of life (“Cathechism”). More recently, the Pope and Catholic Church have made statements saying that those with homosexual tendencies should not be discriminated upon, but given pastoral direction so that they can practice their faith properly under God’s will (Ring, 2016). In saying this, they still believe that homosexuality is
When one hears the words “LGBT” and “Homosexuality” it often conjures up a mental picture of people fighting for their rights, which were unjustly taken away or even the social emergence of gay culture in the world in the 1980s and the discovery of AIDS. However, many people do not know that the history of LGBT people stretches as far back in humanity’s history, and continues in this day and age. Nevertheless, the LGBT community today faces much discrimination and adversity. Many think the problem lies within society itself, and often enough that may be the case. Society holds preconceptions and prejudice of the LGBT community, though not always due to actual hatred of the LGBT community, but rather through lack of knowledge and poor media portrayal.