Clergy rally for
same-sex marriage
Liberals gather in
New Brunswick with
an alternative view
of the Bible
BY JEFF DIAMANT,
Star-Ledger (nj.com) from the Web, October 14, 2005
Worried that conservative Christians
hold the upper hand in religious and political debates over same-sex marriage,
increasing numbers of liberal pastors and ministers are trying to publicize
biblical interpretations more permissive to gay people.
About 200 of them -- mostly mainline Protestant -- will come to New Brunswick
for a conference Sunday where speakers will say same-sex relationships are
neither sinful nor against God's will, despite Christian conservative claims to
the contrary.
The goal is to show that Christian clergy are not monolithically against gay
marriage but are divided like the rest of the country, said the Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale
of the Reformed Church of Highland Park. The church is an organizer of the
gathering, which is titled "Holy Relationships: A Conference on Theology
and Sexuality."
Conservative opposition to same-sex marriage increased in volume in 2003, after
the U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws criminalizing sex between consenting
adults of the same gender, and the Episcopal Church USA approved a gay bishop.
"That caused a shift in the political culture, and because of that there are a
lot of resources being thrown behind the conservative voice," said Richard
McCarty, a conference organizer.
The conference also will try to galvanize support for interpretations of the
Bible that are tolerant of same-sex relationships.
Religious opponents of same- sex marriage generally cite about a half-dozen
Bible passages condemning homosexual sex, including verses from the books of
Leviticus, Romans and First Corinthians. Two Leviticus verses, for
example, call sex between men an "abomination."
But liberal clergy say the passages are less relevant to modern life and
political debates than conservative Christians believe.
In one New Testament passage, Kaper-Dale said, St. Paul appears to be
criticizing gay sex between heterosexual males, and not, Kaper-Dale said,
between men who are gay.
"I don't think Paul had any notion that there was anything such as sexual
orientation," Kaper-Dale said. "He's concerned that people are giving
themselves up to unnatural passions. (He didn't) have a notion there were
some people whose God-given passion was for the same sex."
"When I look at Scripture in a more broad way, I can find all sorts of support
for same-sex relationships," Kaper-Dale said. "The mutuality, respect,
compassion and give-and-take of love -- there's all sorts of stories and
teachings that talk about such things."
It is hard to know what percentage of clergy support gay marriage.
About 100 ministers from the Reformed Church in America signed a document Kaper-Dale
circulated this summer that said homosexuality is not a sinful choice, he said.
And last month, almost 450 people -- 179 of them clergy -- attended a rally in
Montclair to call for the state Supreme Court to allow gay marriage in a pending
case.
A competing Trenton rally a week ago, against gay marriage, drew a smaller
crowd.
The Rev. Kendall Harmon, canon theologian of the Episcopal Diocese of South
Carolina and a vocal critic of same-sex marriage, acknowledged that many
mainline Protestant clergy support gay marriage, but he said most Pentecostal,
Roman Catholic, African-American and white evangelical pastors oppose it.
"It depends whose clergy we are talking about, and which church. (Clergy
support) really is restrictive to the more elite denominations" like the
mainline Protestant groups that are losing members, he said.
Harmon said biblical readings like those being discussed at this weekend's
conference display a liberal theological arrogance.
"What we can't do is embrace a new insight which sets the Bible aside and moves
away from the whole teaching of the church in history and worldwide," he said.
The conference is sponsored in part by New Brunswick Theological Seminary, which
gained attention in January for reprimanding its then-president, the Rev. Norm
Kansfield, and not renewing his contract after he officiated at his daughter's
wedding to a woman in Massachusetts.
Asked if the seminary's participation contradicts that action, trustee Larry
Williams said it is in keeping with the board's interest in "continuing
conversation" and dialogue on the subject.
The seminary is affiliated with the Reformed Church of America, which
disciplined Kansfield in June.
The conference takes place in New Brunswick at First Reformed Church, Christ
Episcopal Church and the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Information on registering
is available at (800) 284-0142 or
www.holyrelationships.org.
Jeff Diamant covers religion. He can be reached at
jdiamant@starledger.com or (973) 392-1547.
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