Gay clergy pro or con?

Abdul Alhazred

Philosopher
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A big deal in the more liberal religious denominations today is the question of gays being in the clergy.

This is mostly Christians and Jews, with a few one-offs such as Unitarians.

Some say yes, some are debating it,

In some cases tearing their denominations apart.

Those who have definitely said no are not liberal, though even in such as the Roman Catholic Church some are dissenting.

Please don't just vote, please post your denomination or philosophy and your reasons as well.

No this isn't a scientific poll in any way, no pretense of that. Just want to see the temper of the forum.

Right after I set up the poll, I will vote and post again with explanation.

This poll will be running concurrently in SC and JREf, feel free to vote both places if so inclined.

It is a seven day poll. Any answer after that will be ignored.
 
I don't care much what sexual preferences the local leaders of the Pink Unicorn Club have.
 
I voted "Foul priestcraft is wrong regardless".

Much as I hate anti-gay bigoted religion, when such do not turn to violence, which is most of them, I am equally nauseated by the "God made me gay" crowd.

That guy in the bus station was not God just because he said so. :P

For the record, I am gay and a strong atheist.

Gay marriage? Sure! Gay clergy? WTF is clergy that I should be mindful of them?

Sorry about the fat fingers on "regardless".
 
I voted "Foul priestcraft is wrong regardless" as well.

I'm gay and a strong atheist as well, and I've always been vaguely creeped out by all the gay churches around. "Jesus died for my sins, not my sexuality." Yeah, okay, whatev. I don't see the use or the appeal of these traditional institutions, though they be dressed up in a rainbow flag. Gay churches and straight churches all read the Bible selectively and put their own spin on the bits they do read.
 
I voted foul priestcraft...

I think it's fugged up not to let people read your woo-woo text to the masses just because of who they like to do the dance of the dirty turtles with. On the other hand, it's your religion, and it's already fugged up. Just keep your weird outdated belief system out of my life.

Obviously, that's a generic you, not directed at any of the flaming priests above. :p
 
I'm the (so far only) other.

If the congregation/church corporation doesn't mind, I certainly don't.

If they do mind, he's out-of-there one way or the other.

Religion is marketing.
 
Rob Lister said:
... Religion is marketing.
Click to expand...

Indeed. Who I wanna ◊◊◊◊. Ultra Brite Toothpaste has sex appeal.

To notional Hell with foul priestcraft!

That includes sweetie pie pacifists bearing their throats to religious pazukis of all stripes!
 
Abdul Alhazred said:
Indeed. Who I wanna ◊◊◊◊. Ultra Brite Toothpaste has sex appeal.

To notional Hell with foul priestcraft!

That includes sweetie pie pacifists bearing their throats to religious pazukis of all stripes!
Click to expand...

Wow! what a post.

If I understood it, would I be amused, insulted, entertained, enthralled, awed? Would I blush?

IOW, huh?
 
I voted the foul priest one.

/badjoke I thought Catholic priests *were* gay. /badjoke


No seriously, I find nothing more condescending than someone preaching from a position of authority who assumes they are preaching infallible truth when it is derived from fiction.
 
I voted "Foul priestcraft is wrong regardless".

Besides, I wouldn't think that respectable gay people would want to be associated with child-molesting priests.
 
I've never figured out why any gay person would want to worship a god whose scripture says they're nasty, or associate with religious persons who believe the scripture is right.
 
Abdul Alhazred said:
Please don't just vote, please post your denomination or philosophy and your reasons as well.
Click to expand...
Unitarian/atheist: I voted yes because I don't see how one's sexual orientation plays any part in a person's ability to be a spiritual leader.

A few clarifications:
  1. "Clergy" refers to leaders of all religions, not just Catholicism (that'd be "priests").
  2. Not all Christian sects, or their leadership, take an old testament "gays are bad" position. I don't think it's fair to lump them all together with the Fred Phelps of the world.
  3. Unitarians (the non-christian religion I have the most experience with) are decidedly pro-gay and not merely not anti-gay.
Did I get the double- and triple-negatives right in that last one?

While I would not consider myself a "religious" Unitarian, I do see and appreciate the value of having a spiritual/philosophical ...well, not "leader" so much as "adviser" or "councilor". This has become more apparent to me recently since my wife's step-father is probably coming to the end of a relatively brief struggle with a cancer & no kidneys double-whammy. Clergy have a useful part to play in grief counciling, if nothing else.
 
I'm a heterosexual atheist, but my wife attends the United Church of Canada. It's a very liberal denomination, and the minister who married us is gay. His then-partner (now spouse) conducted the first gay marriage in British Columbia, and was also the first openly gay cabinet minister in BC (possibly in Canada, I'm not sure).

I believe that gays should be allowed to hold down any job for which they are qualified. If a gay man believes in god and Jesus Christ, and has the rest of the necessary qualifications, he should be allowed to be a minister/priest/rabbi/monk/mullah/shaman/etc. Same goes for lesbians, of course.
 
Hetero male agnotic here. I voted yes. If a person wants to preach about a mythical being to a bunch of gullible people, who am I to care who that person sleeps with?

BTW, years ago I used to attend a Unitarian church. The minister was a lesbian. She had the best sermons I've ever heard.
 
tdn said:

BTW, years ago I used to attend a Unitarian church. The minister was a lesbian. She had the best sermons I've ever heard.
Click to expand...
This goes without saying. "Good with mouth" is in a lesbian's job description.
 
I'm a heterosexual atheist. I'm certainly not a fan of religion, but I wouldn't go so far as to call priesthood foul and wrong. So a "Yes" from me. :)
 
I voted "Foul priestcraft...", but I think all priests should be out-of-the closet male homosexuals.
 
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