NEWS
Churches fear showing their numbers (7 Jul 06)
Gays feel rejected by religions (30 june 06)
Schools should teach not preach (23 Jun 06)
Christians set to convert football fans (16 Jun 06)
Gays feel rejected by religions
(30 June 2006)
GAY people feel ‘less wanted’ by religious groups after row over consecration of practising gay bishops.
Rev Dwayne Morgan of the Metropolitan Community Church said that many gay people are very spiritual and a lot of them desire a connection with God but: “Unfortunately because of the churches’ reaction a lot of them don’t feel welcome in the church.
“It just makes them feel less wanted. A lot of gay people say why do I want to go there if these people don’t want me?”, he said.
Rev Morgan claimed that they want people from all genders, races and sexual orientations represented: “It’s important for people to see people like themselves as leaders, if all you ever see is a white, straight male priest then it’s hard for women, people of colour and gay people to identify with that.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has said in a press release that the debate has posed challenges for the unity of the church: “It is never easy to recognise when the moment of inevitable separation has arrived.
“It is imperative to give the strongest support to the defence of homosexual people against violence, bigotry and legal disadvantage”, he said.
The American Anglican Council published on its website that many are departing the Episcopal Church: “They are leaving quietly, going to Rome, independent churches, or most sadly, no church at all. We fear tens of thousands of individuals will be lost from Anglicanism forever.”