Author Archives: Andrew McFarland Campbell
Book Launch: Moving Forward Together: Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland
Changing Attitude Ireland is launching a new book, “Moving Forward Together: Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland”, in Belfast on Tuesday 7th February and in Dublin on Thursday 9th February.
The book, co–edited by Ginnie Kennerley and Richard O’Leary, includes short articles in straightforward language written by leading theologians and well known Church figures, as well as personal accounts from both lay and ordained gay or lesbian people. Among the contributors are Dr Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral & Pastoral Theology in Oxford, Dr Andrew Pierce from the Irish School of Ecumenics, the Bishop of Cashel & Ossory, Archdeacon Gordon Linney, and Dr Alan Acheson. You can download the table of contents and the foreword and preface.
The book will be launched in Belfast on 7 February at 4.45pm at the Good Bookshop, Donegall St (next to St Anne’s Cathedral) where the speaker will be Lady Brenda Sheil. The Dublin launch will be on 9 February at 6.15pm in the Trinity College Gallery Chapel, where the speaker will be Judge Catherine McGuinness.
It can be bought at the following locations.
- DUBLIN
- Best Sellers, Dawson St
- The RE Resource Centre Rathmines
- Books Upstairs, Dame st (opposite TCD)
- The Exchange bookshop, Dalkey
- BELFAST
- The Good Book Shop (Donegall st, next to St Anne’s cathedral)
- No Alibis bookshop (Botanic Avenue)
- LONDONDERRY
- Eason bookshop
- COUNTRYWIDE
- Some Church of Ireland cathedral book stalls
- BY POST
from The Treasurer, Changing Attitude Ireland,.
36 Seahill Road Holywood Co. Down BT18 0DJ Northern Ireland
P&P £1 or €3 according to UK/ROI address
Order Form
The First Faith, Pride, and Chat Meeting
Biscuits!
Faith and Pride is holding it’s first Faith, Pride, and Chat meeting at 7 p.m. on Friday 27th January in the Sunday School Room at St George’s Church on High Street in Belfast. It will last about an hour, and afterwards some of us might be going to the cinema in Victoria Square. Everyone is welcome.
Faith, Pride, and Chat is an informal social gathering where you can meet other LGBT Christians and talk about anything, including being gay and Christian, in a safe, non-judgemental environment. There will be coffee, and possibly even biscuits.
If you need more information, or if you get lost and need directions, please contact us on 07590 928616.
And if you can’t make it this time, don’t worry. We will be holding Faith, Pride, and Chat on the last Friday of every month. Watch this website for details.
Faith, Pride, and Chat
Faith and Pride will be holding the first of our monthly social meetings at the end of January. They will be an opportunity to meet other gay Christians in a welcoming environment. Full details will follow.
A True Christian Position on Same-Sex Marriage
In the UK, and in many countries across the world, there are many different forms of marriage. These are all accepted as marriage, even though they aren’t “Christian”. On its own, that is enough to suggest that conservative Christians should not oppose the emergence of same-sex marriage. True, same-sex marriage isn’t part of traditional Christian beliefs, but neither are Hindu marriages, Jewish marriages, or civil marriages. The religious freedom that allows conservative Christians to celebrate their form of marriage means that conservative Christians should allow other people to follow their religious or philosophical views to celebrate marriage in their own ways – including Christians and other people of faith who want to celebrate same-sex marriage.
There is another reason for Christians accepting same-sex marriage, even Christians who believe that all same-sex relationships are wrong. A recent study showed that where same-sex marriage is allowed, the health of gay men improves. That means that by opposing same-sex marriage, you are effectively encouraging poorer health in gay men, which is hardly a Christian position to take.
Supporting same-sex marriage is not the same as approving of same-sex relationships, any more than supporting civil marriage is the same as supporting atheism. Opposing same-sex marriage is denying other people the religious and philosophical freedom that we all enjoy. Opposing same-sex marriage is wishing poorer health on a subset of the population. A Christian should support same-sex marriage, even if he or she believes that same-sex relationships are wrong.
Belfast Pride 2012 – and Beyond
We are currently planning the Faith and Pride events that will take place in and around Belfast Pride 2012. What would you like to see happen? Or maybe you have an idea for something you would like to see happen at some other time of year. Add a comment, or let us know through the Contact page.
Being LGBT and Having Faith in Northern Ireland: a Report
The Irish Peace Centres has launched a report LGBT Communities’ Experiences of Faith and Church in Northern Ireland.
Mephibosheth had Two Dads
Mephiboseth was the son of Jonathan.
Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth. (2 Samuel 4:4, NIV)
After the turmoil surrounding David’s accession had calmed down, he asked “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). David was able to trace Mephibosheth and summoned him to court.
“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” (2 Samuel 9:7)
David showed kindness to Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake. Why would he do this? It was because of the covenant between David and Jonathan, as Jonathan mentioned in 1 Samuel 20:42:
Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
As I mentioned in my talk, the word “friendship” is one that is introduced by the translators of the NIV.
David and Jonathan’s families were united by the covenant between them. When Jonathan was killed, David took his son under his wing and treated him as his own son. Was this adoption? And did Mephibosheth have two dads?
Not Quite Adoption
No, this is not quite adoption in the sense that we know it in the modern world. By the time Mephibosheth was ‘adopted’ by David, he was old enough to have a son of his own (2 Samuel 9:12), and in the modern Western world by the time someone is old enough to have children of their own they are usually too old to be adopted.
However, David did look after Mephibosheth in a fatherly way, so I think it is safe to say that David was a father to him. Mephibosheth did have two dads.
Definitely Not Political
The real significance of David’s adoption of Mephibosheth, of course, is that it shows that David and Jonathan’s relationship was one based on love and partnership, not politics. Politically it was a foolish idea to have any of Saul’s heirs around, and on one occasion there were rumours that Mephiosheth was trying to usurp David (2 Samuel 16:3).
But if David and Jonathan formed a relationship based on love, a spousal-type relationship, then this makes perfect sense. David looked after Jonathan’s sole surviving heir because Jonathan was his spouse, making Jonathan’s children his step children.
Against Nature?
I just saw this on the BBC website.
The post revealing which person in the Bible ad two dads will be next – I just thought that story was too interesting not to share.
Jesus Had Two Dads…
… And he turned out just fine.
There is a phrase that has been doing the rounds in gay Christian circles for a while now: “Jesus had two dads, and he turned out just fine.” Is there any scriptural basis for this? Yes, of course there is. It is right there in Matthew chapter 1. Joseph’s role in Jesus life was so important that his lineage was traced through Joseph, not Mary. Joseph wasn’t merely some human caretaker, he was Jesus’ human father. At the same time, God was Jesus’ father in a much more literal sense than he is our father, so there is no doubt that, for mainstream Christians at least, Jesus did have two dads.
Does this have any relevance to the debate surrounding same-sex couples and adoption? Yes and no. Both of Jesus’ fathers were involved in their own way during his childhood, but it isn’t really a model for a same-sex couple raising a child. It is more like a father, mother, and step father all raising one child together. While that is a laudable thing, and not just because it is a reminder that not all successful families have the same nuclear structure, it isn’t the same as a same-sex couple raising a child.
But I can think of one person in the Bible who definitely had two dads. Can you guess who? Answer will be in the next blog post.
The Foundation of What We Believe
we believe that planting our feet on any foundation other than the Bible is a dangerous and perilous place to stand.
And I agree with him. It is important for ‘orthodox’ Christians to understand that many gay Christians believe exactly the same thing. Our disagreement is not in the foundation of what we believe, it is that one group believes that the Bible teaches one thing, and another group believes that it teaches another. Neither side ignores parts of the Bible, or decided that they know better than God.
Faith and Pride 