The Gay Jesus Prayer Book

A report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media.  This week’s item is from Newstelegraph.com, March 11, 2002 with a headline “Labor Minister backs new gay Jesus prayer book,” dateline: London.A government minister has launched an outspoken attack on church leaders in a new collection of prayers written for homosexuals.Ben Bradshaw, the Foreign Office Minister accuses Christian leaders of hostility to homosexuals in a foreword to the controversial anthology which includes contributions by Church of England clergy.One prayer in the book is addressed to “the wife of my lover.”Another prays that the next Pope shall be young, colored, and gay and one contributor argues that Jesus was homosexual.Mr. Bradshaw, who is himself gay, said that the new book would provide strength and inspiration for those who want to celebrate their God-given sexuality in the face of continuing rejection and hostility from church leaders.There are prayers in the book for same sex marriages, sex changes and fantasy and fetish.Mr. Bradshaw added, “I hope this anthology will also be read by those who would like to push this issue of human sexuality under the carpet in hope it will simply go away.It won’t, and this invaluable collection of writings shows quite clearly why.From the heart-rending account by a loving mother of her anguish when her son came out to the joyful celebration of love, we are lead through the tears and fears to the calm and the laughter that so many of us will recognize from journeys of our own.”Mr. Bradshaw’s comments will anger the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Cary who has supported the church’s traditional ban on gay marriages and the ordination of active homosexuals.The collection, Courage to Love which is published tomorrow by Darton, Longman, and Todd encourages Christians to speak openly whether we are gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.Among the contributors are Canon Jeffrey John, a theologian of Southward Cathedral and the Reverend Jean Maryland, a Church of England Priest and the ecumenical organizationChurches Together in Britain and Ireland.Part of her prayer reads: “No gays here, no women bishops, no blacks we might say, but we dare not.No children to interrupt our holy meditation, no human rights here, after all we are the church.”The book also contains a number of prayers for Holy Communion and other church services.One, Service of Affirmation and Blessing for Homosexual Couples was written by the Reverend Jeffrey Heskins for use in his church in South London.Canon John defended the prayers saying that the church should be pressured into offering blessings for gay Christian couples.The liturgy needs to bless gay relationships based on the same commitment as marriage.The church shouldn’t accept anything else.However, the Reverend David Banting, the head of the evangelical pressure group, Reformed said, “These prayers are opposed to the biblical faith and we must resist them.The people who use them seem to have no shame and want to shame the church.”

Tom:

Dave, this is really related to what we were talking about in our earlier segment.So people say well this is Dave Hunt’s view or it’s Tom McMahon’s view or whatever.Let me read just a couple of verses from Romans just to see what the Manufacturer’s Handbook has to say about this.This is beginning with Romans:1:18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
See All..., “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness;…” there’s an interesting phrase.Now I’m going to jump down to verse 24: “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.”

Dave:

Well Tom, it says the natural use.In this article, one of the speakers, I don’t remember who it was; he said we ought to be able to celebrate our God-given spirituality.Well, they can examine their bodies.They are either male or female.That’s how God made human beings.He made them male and female and he said “For this cause (because they are male and female) a man will leave his father and mother, cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh.”This what God says.He didn’t create Adam and Steve, but Adam and Eve.Now to say, to blame someone’s lust on God and say well this is the way God made me—wait a minute!We can give you all kinds of statistics.I would suggest you might want to read a book out there called, The Fatal Shore.It’s about the origins of Australia.Australia was penal colony for men and they shipped them there.Some of the criminals.And you can read the accounts of some of these men.It was men with men, there were no women and so they turned to that which was against nature.Some of these men would write back home that they hate what they are doing, it is so contrary to what they ought to be doing.Some of them were forced into it.Or you could go to the Catholic Church will acknowledge that we’ve got some real problems now with homosexual priests preying on little boys.They used to cover it up and just transfer them to another parish, but you know some of these parishes are going bankrupt.They can’t pay the out of court settlements.Well they will even acknowledge in some Catholic seminaries you’ve got all males together there is as high as 70% homosexuality.It was probably that high or higher in Australia in its beginnings when you only had men together.And you want to say this is natural?This is the way God created them?And it just so happens that homosexuals gravitate toward seminaries, or they happen to be the criminals that would be sent to Australia?No, it doesn’t work that way.This is not natural, but it is something that people might desire or they might lead others to it.That’s why we should not allow these people to be in our schools passing this off as something that is natural and wholesome.I think they ought to be ashamed and instead of having gay pride parades—if everyone adopted this, it would be the end of the human race, right?

Tom:

Dave again, referring back to our earlier segment.This news alert is on the basis of religious leaders.

Dave:

Right.

Tom:

Promoting this when I just read from the Manufacturer’s Handbook.This is rebellion.

Dave:

Exactly, exactly.What does God want us to do?And I can tell you, God loves us and he’s wiser than we are.His way is best.The most intelligent thing anyone can do is to submit to God’s will and desire his will for their lives.