Queering the Church: Toward a Reality Based Theology
There are many people like this man in the Catholic Church today, though they don't tend to get a lot of publicity.
http://queeringthechurch.com/about/
I’m a cradle Catholic, educated entirely in Catholic schools at the time of Vatican II (high school years), and lived for over half a century in South Africa, against the background of the rise and fall of apartheid. Between them, these two have given me a perspective on the church and the Gospels with a definite emphasis on equality, justice, and full inclusion for all. This directly colours my views on justice, equality and inclusion for all inside the church, as well as outside it.
The central irony of my life is that as a young man, I attempted to live entirely in compliance with church teaching – which led to an early marriage and two daughters soon after. The marriage gradually broke down, both my wife and I drifted away from any religious practice or even (in my case) belief. After the final split, I was able to do what for years I had avoided, and accepted finally that I am gay. After coming out and settling down with a man in a shared home and committed partnership – it was he who gradually led me back to full and active participation in the Catholic Church.
Since coming to the UK nine years ago, I have been heavily involved in the Soho Masses, and in view of my own experience of reconciling the apparent conflict between my orientation and my faith, have made it my business to learn as much as I could about the intersection of these two issues, faith and sexuality. As I began to learn, I felt a desire (or calling?) to share what I had learned, with others, and so started the blog over Christmas / New Year four years ago. Maintaining it, together with continuing to think and learn, and direct involvement in LGBT ministry wherever I find it, has become an obsession, and in effect a full-time job – most regrettably, entirely unpaid.
I live in South West Surrey with my partner, Raymond, and also participate actively in my local Catholic parish, where I make no attempt to hide or downplay either my sexuality, or my involvement with LGBT Catholic activism (and have had an extremely supportive response from fellow parishioners and the two local priests).
SNIP
