Cathleen Falsani (aka God Girl) caused quite a stir here at HuffPost when she cited my new book "Fall to Grace" as evidence of a potential "great gay awakening" in the evangelical church.

The response was heated: 1,400 posts (and counting) filled with everything from enthusiastic support, to reasoned dissent, to emoticon-happy vitriol. Things got so unruly at Cathleen's own website that she shut down the comments thread and posted an instructional video on how to administer hugs.

This column isn't the space for a blow-by-blow account of the biblical passages on homosexuality. (For that, you'll have to check out my book. Nudge, nudge.) Instead, I'd like to challenge readers with a story about my own struggle to overcome the fear of judgment and live grace.

During a trip to California a few years back, my then-wife Amanda and I were invited out to a drag show by RuPaul, the famous drag queen (recording artist, supermodel, VH1 talk-show host, etc.) who did the voice-over for the 2000 documentary about my mom, The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

The invitation came at a delicate moment in my own spiritual evolution. I was working my way toward becoming a gay-affirming pastor -- someone who welcomes gay people into the church without asking them to compromise their love or lifestyle -- but I hadn't yet declared this position publicly. Frankly, I was really nervous about how the Christian magazines and festival organizers and even some of my Christian friends would react if they knew I'd been to a drag show.

I came up with lots of excuses not to accept the invitation: I told myself that I was trying to gradually bring conservative Christians around to a more loving and understanding attitude toward our LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) brothers and sisters in Christ. And I thought that meant not reinforcing stereotypes or inflaming fears about the gay community -- and you don't get more flaming than a RuPaul drag show!

In the end, I decided to overcome my fears and go. (When the queen of drag queens invites you to a drag show, you really don't have a choice.) Thank God I did.

When we arrived at the club, RuPaul said hello and ushered us in past the crowd thronging outside. There were about ten of us in the VIP area. It was a very hip group including risqué celebrities like Dita Von Teese, the famous burlesque dancer who was married to the singer Marilyn Manson. The first half of the show passed without incident. Then, during intermission, I stepped outside to have a cigarette. While I was standing there, one of the drag queens -- a seven-foot tall black man in heels who was wearing a massive replica of the Eiffel Tower on his head -- approached to say that he was a preacher's kid too and that he had grown up in the church. He went on to explain how much he loved my mom and how worried he was about her cancer.

"Please tell your mom that I'm praying for her and that I love her," he said, Eiffel Tower bobbing as he spoke.

"Well, let's get a picture together so I can show my mom who you are," I said, letting my guard down a little and taking a photo with him. Stubbing out my cigarette, I went back inside for the second half of the show.

Near the end of the show, a drag queen got up onstage and began spotlighting the famous people in the crowd: "Dita Von Teese is here!" (cheers). "And RuPaul is here!" (cheers). And all of a sudden he said, "Did anyone here ever watch the Praise the Lord ministry?"

I thought, Oh, no, here it comes. But half the crowd raised their hands and cheered (and chuckled). I think they were expecting someone to come out and impersonate my mom or something. "Well, Jim and Tammy's son, Jamie, is here," the emcee said. And suddenly, this huge spotlight hit me.

As I blinked into the blinding light, the emcee asked teasingly, "Are you straight?"

"Yeah," I said, blushing and pointing a thumb at my wife, Amanda.

"Lucky girl," the emcee said.

And then the emcee got real serious. Standing there in high heels and a sparkly dress, he said: "You know, this is where Jesus would be if He were alive today. Jesus hung out with the tax collectors and the prostitutes and the sinners ... " He then launched into a three-minute speech about how Jesus loved everybody without judgment.

Then he looked back up at me and asked, "Jay, are you still doing your church?"

"Yeah," I answered.

"Oh, that's so wonderful. Best of luck to you on that." And everybody clapped.

So there I was, stunned, not knowing what to make of this. One minute a drag queen was making cracks about whether I'm gay, and the next minute he was saying these really amazing things about Jesus and grace. I looked over at Amanda, not knowing what to expect, and she had tears in her eyes.

"This is incredible, Jay," she said. "In a roomful of people, where you don't know who believes what, they're talking about Jesus. They're talking about His love and grace and how much they appreciate the fact that you, as a preacher, are here with them, that you're willing to come out to the show and share this with them ... This is where we're supposed to be," she said. "This is where God has sent us."

I realized she was right.

That night, at a burlesque club in Los Angeles, I saw people hungry for the love and truth of Christ. Not the judgment and rejection they'd experienced their whole lives in the church, but the real deal: revolutionary grace. That's what they welcomed into their midst.

That's what grace is all about: loving one another and understanding one another and sharing in Christ together, no matter who we are or what others might think about it.

Being at that drag show in L.A. challenged me to get outside my comfort zone. It taught me that grace crops up where you least expect it. It helped me to recognize that there can be no boundaries on God's love.

I want to challenge everyone reading this to push yourself in this same way. What are the boundaries you put on grace? Are there places you won't go or people you won't socialize with for fear of judgment? Ask yourself: What are the rules I make up about who gets to sit at Christ's table? Then ask yourself: Are my rules consistent with grace?

Jay Bakker is the son of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner, the co-pastor of Revolution Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the author of the new book "Fall to Grace: A Revolution of God, Self, and Society", from which this piece is adapted.

Christian groups bring different messages to Pride event

Metro Atlanta

Oct 31, 2009

The battle for Jesus played itself out Saturday as it does every year during Atlanta's largest event for gay people. Outside the gates of Piedmont Park, where much of the Atlanta Pride Festival takes place, a handful of conservative Christians carried Bibles and signs, warning arriving gays of impending eternal doom unless they change. For the past two years, local churches who affirm gays have mounted a counteroffensive. Their members stand near the conservatives, holding signs saying that God accepts gays just as they are. "We are letting people know that there is an alternative message," said Lisa Costen of Atlanta. She attends Trinity United Methodist Church, which affirms gays though the United Methodist denomination has not taken that step. The battling groups reflect much of what is happening inside American Christianity, as churches grapple with how to treat gay members. Some reject them. Some welcome them with open arms. Others are trying to find a balance. Inside the park, local churches, from a born-again, charismatic gay congregation to mainline churches, such as the Episcopal Church, have taken vendors' booths and invite gays in without demanding they change. This year, two evangelical ministers who are walking a middle path between outright condemnation and full affirmation of gay people took a booth and surprised those stopping by with apologies."I just want to say I'm sorry," Jason Harper, an assistant pastor from Sacramento, Calif., told a man as he handed him a white rubber bracelet with "We're Sorry" indented into it.Harper continued, he is sorry for the way many churches have treated gay people, making them feel like outcasts. The man paused, looked Harper in the eye and thanked him before disappearing.Harper and Craig Gross wrote a book, "No Matter Who You Are or What You've Done, Jesus Loves You, This I Know" (Baker Books $17.99), about their experiences with prisoners, porn stars, Las Vegas strip down-and-outers and other strangers to church. They attended Atlanta Pride as part of the book tour.

They don't condemn gay people, but they won't affirm a gay relationship as an ideal union. That typically does not come up in their brief apologies.Renee Randall, a gay Georgia State University student, smiled and chatted with Harper and  Gross after an apology."I think it's a message that people need to know," she said after leaving the booth."It gets really old hearing all that other stuff," she said, nodding toward the gates where the conservative Christians stood in the misting rain with their signs.Others coming by were not as receptive to Harper and Gross' message. One woman took a bracelet, and as she walked away, her female partner chided her, used an expletive and called her a "traitor."Bill Adams, a conservative Christian from Atlanta had a similar attitude toward Harper and Gross, but for a different reason. Adams comes yearly to try to talk to attendees outside the gates about his views of the Bible. You can't be a practicing homosexual and a Christian, he said. He believes people need to hear the unvarnished truth of the Bible, preached just as Jesus and his early followers preached it, he said."It is a dangerous and confusing thing [Harper and Gross] are doing," he said.The variety of religious opinion on display within a 200-yard walk was as varied as the crowd's couture. Some dressed as if they had come from work. Others were in full Halloween costume.Costen, holding her welcoming sign outside the 10th Street park gate, seemed to sum it all up. "Not all Christians are the same," she said.

Aug 16, 2009
PM'S NATIONAL DAY RALLY SPEECH

Straits Times

'Live and let live'
By Irene Ngoo

ALL religious groups in multiracial Singapore must exercise tolerance and restraint and adopt 'live and let live' as a guiding principle.Making this call in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday night at the University Cultural Centre, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged Singaporeans against taking racial and religious harmony for granted, stressing that some basic requirement must be observed to keep the nation peaceful and harmonious.He dwelt at length on the importance of maintaining social cohesion, especially racial and religious harmony.Mr Lee highlighted race and religion as the 'most visceral and dangerous fault line', compared to the potential divide between the rich and poor, and between Singaporeans and new-arrivals.Acknowledging that religion is a sensitive subject and people shy away from discussing it, Mr Lee said from time to time, it must be raised for discussion - 'sensitively and honestly, to assess progress, recognise trends, and remind ourselves where we must do better.'PM Lee spelt out four basic rules to maintain social cohesion in Singapore. First, he urged all groups to exercise tolerance and restraint.Elaborating, he said Christians cannot expect Singapore to be a Christian society, ditto Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and other groups.'Many faiths share this island. Each has different teachings and practices,' he told the gathering of over 1,600, who include politicians, grassroots and religious leaders, trade unionists and captains of industries. 'Rules which apply only to one group cannot be made into laws that apply to everyone.'For example, Muslims do not drink alcohol, but alcohol is not banned. The same goes for gambling, which several religions disapprove of.'All must adopt 'live and let live' as our guiding principle,' said Mr Lee.Secondly, he said religions must stay separate from politics.Unlike countries with predominantly one faith, he said religion cannot play the same role in Singapore politics.'In Singapore, if one group invokes religion in the political arena, for example, mobilises its supporters to campaign for a party or policy, other religious groups will push back, and also invoke their faith,' said the PM.'If one insists he is doing his God's work, and the other says he is doing his God's work, and both take these as absolute imperatives, the result will be a clash between different religious groups, which will tear us apart.'Thirdly, he said the Government must remain secular, and the laws are not based on divine authority, but enacted by Parliament based on public interest.Besides being neutral and fair, the Government ensures all religions can be practised freely, without infringing on other groups.Mr Lee said religious groups are free to propagate their teachings on social issues and moral questions, pointing to the debates on the integrated resorts, Human Organ Transplant Act and Section 377A, as examples.But they 'should accept that other groups may have different views, informed by different beliefs, which they should respect,' he said.'The public debate - and decision - cannot be between different religious perspectives, but must be based on secular, rational considerations of public interest - what makes sense for Singapore,' said PM Lee.Fourthly, PM Lee said there must be common space for all Singaporeans to share.'This space must be secular and neutral, because it is the only way all groups can feel at ease and share it,' he said, giving as examples, Singaporeans sharing meals together, interaction in schools and the workplace.Summing up the four ground rules, Mr Lee said: 'Whatever other countries do, these basic rules must apply in Singapore.'The basis for this is practical reality of our society, not abstract political theory or divine revelation,' he stressed.'This is the only way for all groups in Singapore to live in peace and harmony.'

05 Aug 2009

Psychologists repudiate gay-to-straight therapy
By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer David Crary, Ap National Writer

NEW YORK – The American Psychological Association declared Wednesday that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments. Instead, the APA urged therapists to consider multiple options — that could range from celibacy to switching churches — for helping clients whose sexual orientation and religious faith conflict. In a resolution adopted on a 125-to-4 vote by the APA's governing council, and in a comprehensive report based on two years of research, the 150,000-member association put itself firmly on record in opposition of so-called "reparative therapy" which seeks to change sexual orientation. No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the report, and some research suggests that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies. The APA had criticized reparative therapy in the past, but a six-member task force added weight to this position by examining 83 studies on sexual orientation change conducted since 1960. Its comprehensive report was endorsed by the APA's governing council in Toronto, where the association' s annual meeting is being held this weekend. The report breaks new ground in its detailed and nuanced assessment of how therapists should deal with gay clients struggling to remain loyal to a religious faith that disapproves of homosexuality. Judith Glassgold, a Highland Park, N.J., psychologist who chaired the task force, said she hoped the document could help calm the polarized debate between religious conservatives who believe in the possibility of changing sexual orientation and the many mental health professionals who reject that option. "Both sides have to educate themselves better," Glassgold said in an interview. "The religious psychotherapists have to open up their eyes to the potential positive aspects of being gay or lesbian. Secular therapists have to recognize that some people will choose their faith over their sexuality." In dealing with gay clients from conservative faiths, says the report, therapists should be "very cautious" about suggesting treatments aimed at altering their same-sex attractions."Practitioners can assist clients through therapies that do not attempt to change sexual orientation, but rather involve acceptance, support and identity exploration and development without imposing a specific identity outcome," the report says."We have to challenge people to be creative," said Glassgold.

She suggested that devout clients could focus on overarching aspects of religion such as hope and forgiveness in order to transcend negative beliefs about homosexuality, and either remain part of their original faith within its limits — for example, by embracing celibacy — or find a faith that welcomes gays."There's no evidence to say that change therapies work, but these vulnerable people are tempted to try them, and when they don't work, they feel doubly terrified," Glassgold said. "You should be honest with people and say, 'This is not likely to change your sexual orientation, but we can help explore what options you have.'"One of the largest organizations promoting the possibility of changing sexual orientation is Exodus International, a network of ministries whose core message is "Freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ."Its president, Alan Chambers, describes himself as someone who "overcame unwanted same-sex attraction." He and other evangelicals met with APA representatives after the task force formed in 2007, and he expressed satisfaction with parts of the report that emerged."It's a positive step — simply respecting someone's faith is a huge leap in the right direction," Chambers said. "But I'd go further. Don't deny the possibility that someone's feelings might change."An evangelical psychologist, Mark Yarhouse of Regent University, praised the APA report for urging a creative approach to gay clients' religious beliefs but — like Chambers — disagreed with its skepticism about changing sexual orientation.Yarhouse and a colleague, Professor Stanton Jones of Wheaton College, will be releasing findings at the APA meeting Friday from their six-year study of people who went through Exodus programs. More than half of 61 subjects either converted to heterosexuality or "disidentified" with homosexuality while embracing chastity, their study said.To Jones and Yarhouse, their findings prove change is possible for some people, and on average the attempt to change will not be harmful.The APA task force took as a starting point the belief that homosexuality is a normal variant of human sexuality, not a disorder, and that it nonetheless remains stigmatized in ways that can have negative consequences.The report said the subgroup of gays interested in changing their sexual orientation has evolved over the decades and now is comprised mostly of well-educated white men whose religion is an important part of their lives and who participate in conservative faiths that frown on homosexuality.

"Religious faith and psychology do not have to be seen as being opposed to each other," the report says, endorsing approaches "that integrate concepts from the psychology of religion and the modern psychology of sexual orientation. "Perry Halkitis, a New York University psychologist who chairs the APA committee dealing with gay and lesbian issues, praised the report for its balance."Anyone who makes decisions based on good science will be satisfied," he said. "As a clinician, you have to deal with the whole person, and for some people, faith is a very important aspect of who they are."The report also addressed the issue of whether adolescents should be subjected to therapy aimed at altering their sexual orientation. Any such approach should "maximize self-determination" and be undertaken only with the youth's consent, the report said.Wayne Besen, a gay-rights activist who has sought to discredit the so-called "ex-gay" movement, welcomed the APA findings."Ex-gay therapy is a profound travesty that has led to pointless tragedies, and we are pleased that the APA has addressed this psychological scourge," Besen said.

12,000 foetuses aborted in Singapore every year

Channel News Asia

11 July 2009

Govt unlikely to appeal HC's gay order on its own

The Times of India

03 July 2009

New York Times

Indian Court Overturns Gay Sex Ban

03 July 2009

Vermont becomes 4th U.S. state to allow gay marriage

Reuters

07 Apr 2009

BOSTON (Reuters) – Vermont legalized gay marriage on Tuesday after lawmakers overrode a veto from the governor by a wafer-thin margin, making the New England state the fourth in the United States where gays can wed.The vote, nine years after Vermont was first in the United States to adopt a same-sex civil-union law, also makes the tiny state of 624,000 people the first in the nation to introduce gay marriage through legislative action instead of the courts."We've shown that truth and fairness and justice and love are more powerful than one man's veto pen," same-sex marriage advocate Beth Robinson said to cheers from supporters in the state capital of Montpelier after Vermont's House of Representatives passed the bill by a 100-49 vote. Known for picturesque foliage, quaint dairy farms and a counter-culture spirit, Vermont joins New England neighbors Connecticut and Massachusetts in allowing gay marriage. Iowa legalized gay marriage last week. Lawmakers in next-door New Hampshire and Maine are also considering bills to allow gay marriage, putting New England at the heart of a divisive national debate over the issue.

Iowa first Midwest state to allow gay marriage

03 Apr 2009

Reuters

Pastor T.D. Jakes' stepson faces charge

Thursday 12 Feb 2009

AP

Sir Cliff Richard has used his autobiography to reveal details about his close friendship with a former Roman Catholic priest.In his book, titled My Life, My Way, the 67-year-old former pop idol describes Father John McElynn as his "companion".Sir Cliff, whose sexuality has long been the subject of speculation, met the American former missionary while visiting New York in 2001.Not long after, McElynn took a sabbatical."He hadn't had any thought at the beginning of giving up the priesthood, but when it became clear he was thinking of the possibility, I suggested he might help me with some charitable projects," Sir Cliff's book says, according to extracts published in the Daily Express newspaper."That was seven years ago and our arrangement has worked out really well."John now spends most of his time looking after my properties, which means I don't have to."John and I have over time struck up a close friendship."He has also become a companion, which is great because I don't like living alone, even now."On the years of speculation about his sexuality, Sir Cliff says he is "sick to death" about it but expresses his support for same-sex relationships."What business is it of anyone else's what any of us are as individuals," he writes.

"I don't think my fans would care either way."Same-sex marriages are perhaps a modern example of how things have changed. I think the church must come round and see people as they are now."Gone are the days when we assumed loving relationships would be solely between men and women."In the end, I believe, people are going to be judged for what they are."It seems to me that commitment is the issue, and if anyone comes to me and says: `This is my partner, we are committed to each other' then I don't care what their sexuality is."I'm not going to judge, I'll leave that to God."Sir Cliff also says while he has twice considered getting married - to dancer Jackie Irving and tennis player Sue Barker - he has no current plans to tie the knot."People often make the mistake of thinking that only marriage equals happiness," his book says."I may suddenly meet someone and feel differently, but right now I am not sure marriage would enhance my happiness."

The group of Christian loonies which has been known to go on public pickets with signs such as "Thank God for 911," "Thank God for AIDS," "Thank God for Katrina," "Thank God for IEDs," and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" also announced plans to "preach to the whole world" — particularly all you "fags" and "fag-enablers" out there — at the Olympic Stadium August 8-24. It's been a while since we last had some good ol'-fashioned gospel preachin', so we will be there with bells on (look out for the guys camping outside the stadium in a row of pink tents!). Between now and then, though, we'll be organising a few prayer meetings to beseech the Lord to please grant our dear preachers their visas.

Whereas in the old days the Church's anti-gay faction was led by an obscure "Mary Whitehouse in a dog collar" called Reverend Tony Higton, Kirker's main enemy today is Archbishop Peter Akinola, the powerful Anglican Primate of Nigeria. In open disregard of the 1998 Lambeth Conference resolution to "listen to the experience of homosexual persons" and to "condemn irrational fear of homosexuals", Akinola says homosexuality is as dangerous to mankind as global warming. If Rowan Williams has issued any rebuke, it has been barely audible until recently. Gay-friendly before becoming Archbishop of Canterbury, he now reserves his chief condemnation for the North American Episcopalians who have elected an openly gay bishop. Many of the archbishop's former close gay friends have been left reeling by what they call his betrayal.

"It's all about gays and their agenda. Gays are some evil group that is so organized. I didn't know that I belonged to this very powerful group of people," he says. He acknowledges that having Russian-speakers come out of the closet would help change views. "But who is going to do that? I would expose myself to so much hate from people who don't know me."

The Philadelphia Boy Scouts could find themselves booted from their historic dowtown headquarters Monday unless a dispute with City Hall over the group's anti-gay policies is resolved. The Cradle of Liberty Council—Philadelphia's Boy Scout chapter—has been housed in an historic building in downtown Philly for almost 80 years, paying almost nothing for the prime piece of proprety under the terms of a 100-year sweetheart lease it inked with the city in 1928. But that lease is set to expire, and city officials say the taxpayer's shouldn't be footing the Scouts rent bill because of it's national policy banning openly gay members and leaders. The Scouts must either pony up the fair market rent for the space—about $200,000 a year—or find a new home. "If they want to accept the national policies of the Boy Scout organization they have to be able to pay for it," said Philadelphia City Councilman Jack Kelly.According to a letter the Boy Scouts received from City Solicitor Rome Diaz, the Boy Scouts have until Dec. 3 to sign a new lease and start paying for the use of the property, or the city will find a new tennant and the scouts will be evicted.

PENANG: From the front, it looked just like any other shoplot but on the inside, the third-floor shoplot in Medan Fettes actually housed a fitness centre-cum-sauna used for gay sex parties. A police team raided the premises at about 7.30pm on Sunday while a sex party was in progress and rounded up 34 men, aged between 22 and 55, including a Briton. George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid said numerous used condoms were found strewn all over the floor of the sauna by the team. “Seven tubes of lubrication jelly, 20 gay magazines, four pornographic VCDs and six boxes of condoms were seized from the premises. “The men were brought back to the Patani Road police station and released after their statements were taken. Three workers were also picked up in the raid. “We will check with the authorities if the operator has abused his business licence. We will not tolerate the presence of such joints in the district,” he said yesterday. ACP Azam said the raid was part of the police’s ongoing operation codenamed Ops Bersih aimed at keeping all types of vice activities in check. A resident who wanted to be known only as Ah Leong, 35, said he had lived in the area all his life but he did not know that such a place existed. “Apparently, the place was only known by word of mouth. I was told that the place had been in operation for more than a year.” On April 3, police raided two similar joints, which was operating without a licence, at a shopping complex in Jalan Burma and picked up more than 30 men.

On his blog, in public comments and in interviews, Mr Siew has avoided declaring his sexuality - until now.'For the record, I am decidedly straight. I am in a serious and committed relationship with a wonderful woman,' he said. 'But I have always been loathe to mention that because I did not want to dignify this sort of speculation with such a disclaimer. 'Whether I am gay or not should really have nothing to do with the merits of the debate. 'After all, this is not a gay issue but an issue of equality and non-discrimination.'It is an issue for all Singaporeans. The debate, he stressed, 'is about the public, the people, heterosexuals and gays, who believe that Section 377A is wrong and should be repealed, and are willing to put their names down in writing to stand behind it.'His girlfriend, he said, also signed the petition. He declined to give further details about her, save that 'she supports me in doing this'.He admits that there will be 'perceptions and suspicions' that he is tabling the petition because he is himself gay. 'That really speaks volumes about the level of debate in Singapore,' he said. His actions, he said, were motivated by his long-held personal views, 'views which I must add are held by a broad spectrum of Singaporeans regardless of sexual orientation' , he said. 'I felt an obligation to agree to present the petition to Parliament,' he said, adding that he was 'completely overwhelmed' by the response the petition has generated - both positive and negative.More than three newspaper forum letter writers have argued against repealing the law. One also questioned Mr Siew's right to raise the issue in Parliament. While Mr Siew did not want to talk about the outcome he is hoping for,
he added that he is happy the petition 'has generated a useful discourse'.'It is important to have a debate on the concepts of equality and non-discrimination in Singapore.

'It was a diverse group of people who signed the petition - straight, gay, male, female, young, middle-aged, old. Even religious people signed the petition. 'So that shows that these issues cut across lines and resonate universally, ' he said.But the petition is unlikely to move the Goverment. It has already said that it would not amend the law. At a forum last month, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong explained that the Government's view was that it should not push forward on this issue, but follow society's views.And the majority of Singaporeans, he said, was not ready.Earlier, the Government had said that it would maintain the status quo, as Singapore is generally a conservative society. But authorities would not actively prosecute people under Section 377A. Constitutional lawyer Kevin Tan said he, too, did not think the petition would lead to any change in legislation.'The Government has stated its stand, and since the arguments in the petition are not new, I can't see the Government back tracking,' he said.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Saturday that the monsignor had been suspended pending a Vatican investigation. Stenico is a top official in the Vatican's Congregation of the Clergy.The Vatican after acted Vatican officials recognized Stenico's office in the background of a television program on gay priests that was broadcast on Oct. 1 on La7, a private Italian TV network. Stenico was secretly filmed making advances to a young man and asserting that gay sex was not sinful.In the Repubblica interview, Stenico said he had met with the young man and pretended to talk about homosexuality "to better understand this mysterious and faraway world which, by the fault of a few people — among them some priests — is doing so much harm to the Church."He said he had never been gay and was heterosexual, but remained faithful to his vow of celibacy.Italy's Sky TG24 said Stenico had written a letter to his superiors with a similar defense.Calls to Stenico's home and Vatican office went unanswered Sunday.

"The authorities are obliged to act with the necessary severity against behaviour that is incompatible with religious service and the mission of the Holy See," Lombardi said.Four gay priests appeared in the television programme broadcast on October 1 on the national television channel La7. All had their faces hidden from the camera and their voices electronically disguised.But the suspended prelate made the mistake of giving the televised interview in his Vatican office, which was identified by other staff, La Repubblica said.In the interview, he said that he did not regard himself as a sinner, but had to be discreet in order not to attract the attention of his superiors.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A leading conservative critic of the U.S. Episcopal Church said on Wednesday its bishops have turned their back on pleas from global Anglican church leaders to take a clear stand against consecrating gays as bishops or blessing same-sex unions. "Sadly it seems that our hopes were not well-founded and our pleas have once again been ignored," Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria said, responding to a six-day meeting of Episcopal Church bishops that ended a day earlier in New Orleans."Instead of the change of heart (repentance) we sought, what we have been offered is merely a temporary adjustment in an unrelenting determination" to make the rest of the global Anglican Communion, as the worldwide church is called, think the same way as its U.S. branch, Akinola said in a statement issued from his office and circulated to American media.What the Episcopal bishops came up with was not a "whole-hearted embrace of traditional Christian teaching" and it lacked the clarity and unambiguity that he and other leading Anglican bishops had sought from the U.S. church in a statement issued during a meeting earlier this year in Tanzania. Akinola is a leader of the traditionalists in the "Global South" -- African, Asian and Latin American congregations who make up more than half the world's Anglican followers.The U.S. bishops wound up their meeting on Tuesday promising to urge restraint in elevating gays or lesbians to the position of bishop and said they would not authorize rites to be used for the blessing of same-sex marriages. The positions did not go far beyond those already taken by the 2.4-million-member U.S. church. At the Tanzania meeting leading Anglican bishops, or primates, from around the world "requested" that the U.S. branch of the church make it clear by September 30 that it would not ordain another openly gay person as a bishop and would not allow the blessing of same-sex unions. The 2003 Episcopal Church consecration of Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first bishop known to be in an openly gay relationship in more than four centuries of church history, has rent both the U.S. church and the 77-million-member Anglican Communion.NOT BANNEDIn New Orleans the bishops of the U.S. church reaffirmed a resolution passed by its general convention in the summer of 2006 calling on those picking candidates for bishop to choose people who would not offend the wider church, and the bishops said that included gays and lesbians.But there was no outright pledge to ban another consecration of a gay person should one be elected bishop.On the issue of blessing same-sex unions the U.S. bishops said they "pledge not to authorize for use in our dioceses any public rites of blessing of same-sex unions until a broader consensus emerges in the Communion ..."They went on to say that such blessings are not happening in a widespread way and that the majority of bishops oppose them. But they did not pledge to ban them.The U.S. bishops also expressed dismay that conservative bishops from Africa and elsewhere -- Akinola among them -- have been visiting in the United States uninvited and installing bishops loyal to their orthodox views.

'THE SKY DIDN’T FALL IN' In any country, bigots must be fought with well-reasoned arguments and reliable research, says Sir Ian McKellen. By Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop Newsweek International Sept. 17, 2007 - Sir Ian McKellen has been a vocal gay-rights advocate since making his own homosexuality public in 1988. The following year he cofounded the gay-rights lobbying group Stonewall UK. Best known for his roles in "X-Men" and "The Lord of the Rings," the Oscar nominee was recently in Singapore with the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing in the title role of "King Lear." He talked to NEWSWEEK's Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop about his lobbying experience in the United Kingdom and in South Africa. Excerpts KOLESNIKOV-JESSOP: In the United Kingdom, attitudes toward homosexuality have changed fairly rapidly recently. In 2000, the British government lifted the ban on lesbian and gay men in the armed forces. In 2001, it lowered the age of consent to 16. And in 2005, it allowed the first civil partnerships to take place. But in many countries around the world, homosexuality is still outlawed. How can similar social changes happen? MCKELLEN: The change happened very quickly in the U.K. once the government was able to say there had been a change in the public mood. Tony Blair's New Labour did not campaign for new legislation. Indeed they defended the status quo until they were told by the European Court of Human Rights to admit gays into the military and to equalize age of consent. Europe was of great help to us. The sky didn't fall in, the die-hards began to look like extremists and the government was emboldened. With the approval of the mainstream press, they felt able to introduce not marriage but the next best thing: civil partnership that the state recognizes. So looking back on his legacy, what Blair can be most proud of is the advancement of gay rights. How do you further change public opinion? In the U.K. there is still work to be done, particularly in schools, stopping the homophobic bullies in the playground and introducing unbiased discussion on gay issues in the classroom. In countries that need reform, the bigots have to be countered by measured arguments and reliable research so that government can respond to reason and not prejudice. Public figures' coming out and declaring their homosexuality certainly helps the move to change.

What worked in the U.K.? In any human-rights campaign, everybody must do what they can. I was criticized by some gays as being too soft on the government when I made a private meeting in a very public way with John Major, Blair's predecessor as prime minister. Major was sending signals to his supporters at a time where most gay people, including myself, had stayed very quiet. Some people argued that the best thing was to go to the streets and frighten the horses, disrupt the state opening of Parliament, or interrupt the Archbishop of Canterbury's Sunday sermon. That's not my style: I already have enough theater in my life! But do you think people should be upfront and protest, or take the quiet way? Both are valid and work well in parallel—think of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. In Singapore, Malcolm X type of activity would be extremely difficult because the government can be very harsh on lawbreakers. I wouldn't presume to tell what people should do. Some argue that some societies, like Singapore's, are too conservative for such changes. There is nothing special about their situation. We heard it all before: "Gays should respect the views of those who condemn them." "Government is powerless to move until society is ready for change." "The law here that outlaws love between two grown men was left behind by the British." I would have thought any self-respecting ex-colony would want to get rid of the colonizer's laws. When I went to lobby Nelson Mandela while the postapartheid constitution was being drafted, I asked him to endorse making it illegal to discriminate on grounds of sexuality. I'd been warned that he might giggle if I mentioned homosexuality. But he got the point immediately and just said, "Yes, of course." Perhaps a winning slogan might be: "What's good enough for Mandela is good enough for us all." Do you think pragmatism will change the world? Perhaps. When I went to talk recently to Lehman Brothers in London at a meeting of their LGBT members, the managing director declared that every member of his staff, of whatever sexuality, needs to feel the support of company as a whole. Singapore's current laws would discourage gay foreigners from working there. Maybe big business can help change laws by explaining the problem.

Focus on the Family announced Monday that it is laying off 30 employees and reassigning 15 others. It also announced that founder James Dobson had been cleared of accusations that he jeopardized the group’s nonprofit status by endorsing Republican candidates. Most of the layoffs are in the organization’s Constituent Response Services department that answers mail and telephone requests. A drop in projected revenue played a part in the layoffs, and the growth of e-mail and Internet-based communications is behind the reassignments, said Gary Schneeberger, vice president of communications. The layoffs are less than 3 percent of the work force of 1,205. After layoffs, 70 employees will remain in Constituent Response Services. Some of the departing employees’ duties will be reassigned. Jim Daly, Focus president and CEO, said that the organization expects to take in about $1 million more than in 2005-06 by the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30 but that the increase doesn’t offset inflation. “Our budget was fairly aggressive. The projected budget was $150 million. It looks like it will come in about $8 million under, at $142 million,” Schneeberger said. Dobson has said on several of his radio shows that donations have been down. Many churches and parachurch organizations are seeing decreases in income, according to Terry Gorka, head administrator at Barna, a California-based research organization that tracks Christian ministries.

The collection plate has been suffering for a number of years and even more so recently as economic woes, including the housing downturn, has hit. While many denominations suggest a 10 percent tithe, in recent years most Americans have given less than 3 percent of their income, a Barna study found. Those leaving Focus will be given packages that include contributions to health care expenses, job-placement assistance and financial compensation. “Organizational change, while healthy and positive, is always difficult when it involves a staff reduction,” Daly said in a news release. “Building flexibility into our internal operations is vital to staying engaged with and relevant to our constituents. The adjustments we’re making this week, though difficult, will allow us to better serve the families that rely on Focus on the Family in the future.” The changes take effect Sept. 21. The nonprofit’s 2007-08 fiscal year begins Oct. 1. Focus is Colorado Springs’ largest evangelical organization, with a worldwide radio program, publications and telephone help for families. The IRS ruled that Dobson was acting as an individual and not on behalf of Focus in his endorsement of political candidates. “We were confident all along that we were within the letter of the law. We were hyper-compliant. There was not one slap on the wrist from the IRS. As a private citizen, he can speak out about what he wants to, and he always made clear he was speaking as a private citizen,” Schneeberger said Monday. Liberal watchdog groups, including Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and Colorado Springsbased Citizens Project, had filed complaints with the IRS in 2005.

BOISE, Idaho (CNN) -- Sen. Larry Craig, who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after an incident in an airport restroom, is losing support among conservatives and Republicans in his home state of Idaho. State party officials are standing by Craig in their public comments, but some privately say that the senator is ruined. One conservative leader, though, was unequivocal: "I believe he should resign because I believe character is an extremely important qualification for public service," said Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance. "And I believe the senator, by his own admission, has acknowledged that he has fallen short of the standard that we should expect from public servants." Craig's term ends next year; he has not announced whether he will seek re-election. In Washington, Republican colleagues generally are taking a "wait and see" approach. However, Senate GOP leaders in Washington called Tuesday for an Ethics Committee investigation of the Idaho Republican's June arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota."He's disappointed the American people," former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, for whose presidential campaign Craig was a Senate liaison, told CNBC on Tuesday night.In his first public statement on the arrest, the lawmaker said he did nothing "inappropriate." "Let me be clear: I am not gay and never have been," said Craig, who has aligned himself with conservative groups who oppose gay rights. Since news of his arrest broke, Craig appears to be in deep political trouble. "I think it's very damaging.

There is a lot of smoke here, and the truth is that in politics, smoke is as deadly as the fire sometimes," said Jennifer Duffy, editor of The Cook Political Report. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told Craig on Tuesday that the leaders of his party were calling for an ethics investigation into what they termed a "serious matter," a Senate Republican leadership aide said. The aide said one factor in the decision was the arresting officer's assertion that Craig produced a business card identifying himself as a U.S. senator after his arrest and allegedly said, "What do you think about that?" Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, chairwoman of the Ethics Committee, declined to comment on whether an investigation would be conducted. Her office noted the committee's work is generally confidential. In recent years, Craig's voting record has earned him top ratings from social conservative groups. He has supported a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. In 1996, Craig also voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition to same-sex marriages and prevents states from being forced to recognize the marriages of gay and lesbian couples legally performed in other states. Craig also has opposed expanding the federal hate crimes law to cover offenses motivated by anti-gay bias and, in 1996, voted against a bill that would have outlawed employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, which failed by a single vote in the Senate.

Malaysia: First Openly Gay Pastor Holds Controversial Church Service Updated:2007-08-12 15:31:07 MYT KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Malaysia's first openly gay Christian pastor conducted a controversial worship service Sunday (August 12th), calling on mainstream churches not to discriminate against homosexuals. Rev. Ouyang Wen Feng _ an ethnic Chinese Malaysian who was ordained a minister in the United States in May _ told a congregation of nearly 80 people, mainly homosexual men and women, to "reclaim our faith and celebrate our sexuality." "For some of us, especially our gay brothers and sisters, we have experienced firsthand that Christianity has been used to persecute minorities," Ouyang said during the service in a Kuala Lumpur hotel. Ouyang, 37, has sparked concerns among Malaysian Christian community leaders after he recently declared that he hopes to set up a church in this predominantly Muslim nation, which has large Christian, Buddhist and Hindu minorities. A church that accepts homosexual relationships would face stiff opposition from both Muslim and Christian conservatives in Malaysia.

Although homosexuality is not specifically a crime in this Southeast Asian country, it is covered under a law prohibiting sodomy, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and whipping."For so long, we've been quiet," Ouyang said Sunday (August 12th). "We've been brought up to believe that they were right and we were wrong. But today, we're making history. We're here to tell Malaysians that we're all children of God." Ouyang has worked at the Metropolitan Community Church in New York, which tries to serve homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals. He has said he wants to return to Malaysia permanently within the next few years. Rev. Wong Kin Kong, secretary general of Malaysia's National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, reportedly said last week that Ouyang's plans to preside over a Sunday service and start a church has stirred anxiety "because Christians do not want others to assume they condone such a thing." Ouyang claimed he and the organizers of his Kuala Lumpur service _ which is considered one of the first steps toward establishing a church _ "received very nasty" phone text messages. Worshippers at the service, including people from neighboring Singapore, hugged each other and sang hymns with lyrics such as, "With justice as our aim, a queer and righteous people united in Christ's name." Ouyang went to the United States in 1998 and studied sociology and theology. He lives with his partner, an American.

SIN Chew Daily and China Press highlighted the ordination of Malaysian Ou Yang Wen Feng as a pastor of Metropolitan Community Church, New York.  China Press reported yesterday that Ou Yang, 37, came out of the closet last year and disclosed that he was gay. He is said to be the first pastor in Malaysia to do so, the daily said.  The daily quoted Ou Yang as saying that it had been his dream to become a pastor one day.  “Since I was 17 years old, I was already preaching in churches,” the daily quoted him as saying.  According to Sin Chew Daily, Ou Yang went to further his studies in the United States on the daily's scholarship in the 90s. Ou Yang is a guest columnist at the daily.  

NEW YORK (CNN) -- When did it come to the point that being a Christian meant caring about only two issues,­ abortion and homosexuality? Ask the nonreligious what being a Christian today means, and based on what we see and read, it's a good bet they will say that followers of Jesus Christ are preoccupied with those two points.Poverty? Whatever. Homelessness? An afterthought. A widening gap between the have and have-nots? Immaterial. Divorce? The divorce rate of Christians mirrors the national average, so that's no big deal.The point is that being a Christian should be about more than abortion and homosexuality, and it's high time that those not considered a part of the religious right expose the hypocrisy of our brothers and sisters in Christianity and take back the faith. And those on the left who believe they have a "get out of sin free" card must not be allowed to justify their actions.Many people believe we are engaged in a holy war. And we are. But it's not with Muslims. The real war -- ­ the silent war ­-- is being engaged among Christians, and that's what we must set our sights on.As we celebrate Holy Week, our focus is on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But aren't we also to recommit ourselves to live more like Jesus? Did Jesus spend his time focusing on all that he didn't like, or did Jesus raise the consciousness of the people to understand love, compassion and teach them about following the will of God?As a layman studying to receive a master's in Christian communications, and the husband of an ordained minister, it's troubling to listen to "Christian radio" and hear the kind of hate spewing out of the mouths of my brothers and sisters in the faith.In fact, I've grown tired of people who pimp God. That's right; we have a litany of individuals today who are holy, holy, holy, sing hallelujah, talk about how they love the Lord, but when it's time to walk the walk, somehow the spirit evaporates.

A leading gay activist in Nigeria has denounced current government efforts to ban homosexuality in the country. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa reports the Nigerian government is facing substantial international pressure over the plan.A controversial bill that would ban homosexuality in Nigeria could become law this month. Among other things, the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2007 assigns a five-year prison term not only for practicing gays, but for those who support them. The legislation has passed two readings in both houses of the National Assembly, and will become law if it passes a third reading and is approved by the president.The Nigerian parliament will go into recess later this month as the country prepares for elections in April.Activists fear politicians will push through the bill to score political points, despite serious concerns about the implications for human rights.Homophobic attacks, intimidation and threats have reportedly increased in Nigeria as a result of the introduction of the legislation in early 2006.Davis Mac-Iyalla is the Director of Changing Attitude Nigeria, a gay group that claims 2,000 members. An Anglican, Mac-Iyalla attracted media attention in 2005 when he announced his group. He has since fled Nigeria and on the phone from his temporary home in Lome, the capital of neighboring Togo, he told VOA his fears and anguish over current attempts to ban homosexuality in Nigeria.