Psychological Tests and Candidates For Ordination: Not the Answer

There was this news last week that the Catholic church will use psychological tests to weed out closeted gay priests. Click here from 365gay.com.

Really?

What person who really wants to be ordained won't say ANYTHING in order to pass through a psychological test? Those who administer tests are psychologists who are more into the psychometric aspect of administering the test correctly--which usually involves answering a set of questions in a survey-format--rather than anything radical like sitting with a person and truly getting to know the other person. The person giving the test and the one taking the test know that this is a game of hide-and-go-seek.

Really!

So much for us living transparent lives!

Pace!

B

A Big Mormon and Gay Wedding!

This is a wonderful story from salon.com about the wedding of Brian Dietrich and Jay Redd, pictured in matching kilts and tartan, black coats, and matching red beards.

Jay was brought up to be a good Mormon. And Jay also knew he was and is and will be forevermore gay. His mom agreed to come to the wedding, but the father was a harder nut to crack. Read the story below of how his dad, George, made the decision to attend the wedding:

After much contemplation about what to do about his son Jay's marriage, George realized that "the most important thing is to love and support our son in the decision he's made." He and the family would drive from Utah to San Francisco for Jay and Brian's wedding.

Jay recalls hearing the phone ring at 4 o'clock one morning. When he listened to the message later, it was his father. "I've been praying about this. I love you. You're my son. I want you to be happy, and if this marriage to Brian makes you happy, then I'm happy."

Jay sobbed.

Later, he asked his mother what she had said to him to influence his decision. "I didn't say much," she said. "I only asked him one question -- what do you think Jesus would do in this situation?"

What would Jesus do in this situation? Make water into wine!

Pace!

B

p.s., click here for the article

Secret Retreat for Gay Catholic Priests and the Rev. Gene Robinson...Shhhhh!!!

This little article on queerty.com and the Union Leader is sad: Gene Robinson led a quiet, hush-hush retreat for gay clergy in the Catholic Church. It looks like 75 attended. By "quiet," it means that the superiors of the priests did not know they attended the retreat.

What is sad is that we have these retreats on the quiet, on the side, on the "hush hush" part of life, rather than in the light of day. Are there gay Catholic clergy? You bet! Are there gay Orthodox clergy? Sure! Are there gay ministers in the Southern Baptist Church? Lots! Are there gay pastors in African American churches? Yep! And are there gay ministers in the mainline and non-denominational, free-will Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Assembly of God, Holiness Pentecostal churches? Uh-huh. Lots. Loads. A plethora.

And are the majority of them living in the closet? Yep.

And is living in the closet of Don't Ask Don't Tell bad for your health of mind, body, and spirit? Sure is!

Got the point?

Click here for more!

Pace, B

Sts. Sergius and Bacchus: Saints to Remember on All Saints' Day

This coming Sunday is All Saints' Day, which follows after All Hallow's Eve (Halloween) and All Souls' Day (hat tip to my Catholic and Orthodox Brothers and Sisters!).

For this day I want to lift up Sts. Sergius and Bacchus:

"Sergius and Bacchus were young Roman nobles and high ranking legionnaires in the Roman army stationed in late third/early fourth century Syria. For refusing to enter the Temple of Jupiter with fellow officers to make offerings there, they were stripped of their military garb and then humiliated by being paraded in heavy chains through the streets dressed in women's clothing.

In prison, while singing and praying, they were visited by angels who comforted them. Calling each other "brother," they claimed that in their "union" they became as one, as well as at one with Christ. Before Sergius was beheaded, Bacchus, who had been killed first, appeared to him as an angel wearing military garb.

The tomb of Saint Sergius became a famous shrine and was honoured by great gatherings of Christians because of the frequent miracles there. For nearly a thousand years Sergius and Bacchus were the heavenly protectors of the Byzantine army. Many early Christian churches bore the name of Sergius (sometimes with Bacchus), and his veneration was extraordinarily widespread and popular throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and among the Slavs. The nomads of the desert invoked Sergius as their special protector. Christian Arabs continue to revere Sergius and Bacchus as their special patron saints.

During the Middle Ages, the relationship of Sergius and Bacchus was considered an example of compassionate union based on agape (brotherly love) and mutual respect.

Saints Sergius and Bacchus were counted among the patrons of soldiers and wandering warrior knights. Today they are invoked by Gay people and anyone persecuted or marginalised by the authorities for daring to follow their heart and conscience. Sts. Sergius and Bacchus are also venerated by spiritual dissidents and Christian non-conformists who refusing to 'go along with the crowd' do not lead an 'ordinary life'."

We need all the saints we can find, living and dead!

Pace, B

Republicans in CA Against Prop. 8

Such good news! Bi-partisan support against Prop. 8 in CA! Republicans AND Democrats, along with Independents, are working hard to defeat Prop. 8.

Read the article via advocate.com here.

Pace, B

Salon's Cary Tennis and the Closeted Gay Mormon

I like the advice of Cary Tennis, Salon.com's resident "Miss Manners" and "Dear Abby." His response to the closeted gay Mormon is pretty much on target in terms of coming out of the closet. First, he tells the closeted gay Mormon that he did the courageous thing in getting married, accommodating as best as possible to the situation he finds himself in life. Now he is even more courageous in coming out of the closet. But in order to do this he will need to help others come out of the closet:

"You must take action. But you did not get into this situation in one day, and you are not going to get out of it in one day, or with one simple solution.

You are just going to have to change your life.

In moments of crisis like this we need to connect to a community.

You have a lot to offer. I suggest you work with other gay Mormons.

You have a story to tell.

Think of all the gay young men who now stand at the same precipice where you once stood, looking out at the future, thinking of their family and their church, trying to make the most compassionate, selfless and reasonable decision. They cannot possibly know the pressures one must live under. It is probably tempting to do what you have done. So you can help people understand how sacred the individual self is. You can help them understand that though we do not know why things are the way they are, they are the way they are. Does that sound moronic? Well, you know what I mean, don't you? I mean that you can fight it but it's not going away.

Perhaps what I'm suggesting sounds egotistical. You see folks out there on the soapbox telling their stories and you wonder: Why should they help anyone? Why should they even try? There must be an angle.

Here is the angle: When we get desperate enough, we find that only by helping others can we climb out of our own unimaginable hell."

Click here for more.

Pace!

B

"That's So Gay" Not So Good

Ruth Sheehan in today's News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), focused on the saying "That's so gay," which is a form of bullying. "That's so gay" is often followed up with "No offense," but it is offensive. It is a form of bullying; of discrimination; it is hate speech, clear and simple.

Simple statistic in which this phrase causes pain: "85% of the gay students said they had been harassed at school in the past year; three-fifths felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation; and almost a third of gay students had skipped a day of school in the past month because they felt unsafe."

Click here for more.

As Ruth finishes this essay: "That's so wrong."

Pace, B