Gay minister's appointment divides Church of Scotland

Gay minister's appointment divides Church of Scotland
• More than 12,000 church members signed petition in protest
• Activists for equal rights say decision is blow against prejudice


Severin Carrell, Scotland correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 24 May 2009 18.39 BST
Article history

Campaigners for gay rights have welcomed a landmark decision by Scotland's largest Protestant church to appoint an openly gay minister to a new post.

The Church of Scotland voted late last nightto allow the Rev Scott Rennie to become minister at a church in Aberdeen, despite a vigorous protest campaign against his appointment by conservative and anti-gay evangelical groups.

Rennie is the first openly gay clergyman in a sexually active relationship in the UK to have his appointment officially confirmed by his church's governing body, breaking with centuries of Protestant tradition.

More than 12,000 people, including 272 serving Church of Scotland ministers, more than 700 ministers from Protestant and Catholic churches in Britain and Ireland, and more than 500 ministers from overseas, signed an online petition objecting to his new posting.

After a four-hour debate last, the church's general assembly, its governing body, voted by 326 to 267 to uphold his new posting. It will debate a new motion on whether to completely bar gay men and lesbians from the church – a vote the conservatives now face losing.

Senior gay rights campaigners in the Church of England, which is trying to prevent a deep split in the worldwide Anglican communion over the ordination of gay clergy, said Rennie's victory would significantly strengthen the pressure for reform.

The Rev Colin Coward, the chairman of the Anglican pressure group Changing Attitudes, said there were hundreds of gay clergy and several gay bishops in the Church of England, and bishops who supported civil partnerships. Their case for official recognition that gay men and lesbians in long-term partnerships had the same rights within the church would be "enhanced" by Rennie's appointment.

"It's very significant that the Church of Scotland has voted in this way," he said. "The pressure is especially on conservatives in the church to examine carefully the distinction they try to make between orientation and practice."

The Rev Martin Reynolds, of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said: "This is a significant moment. I think the Church of England is stuck in refusing to acknowledge the presence of lesbian and gay people in its ranks."

Senior Church of Scotland traditionalists were furious about the vote, arguing that it created a worldwide precedent that authorised the ordination and appointment of gay clergy and "brought shame" on their church. "It sends a clear signal to the world that our denomination has departed from the teaching of the Christian Scriptures, upon which its very existence depends. It is a deeply painful day for all who love Christ and his Gospel," said the Fellowship of Confessing Churches.Two leading conservatives, the Rev David Court from Edinburgh and the Rev William Philip from Glasgow,, played down earlier warnings that it would lead to a split in the Scottish church, but warned it would alienate many lay members: "We deeply regret the decision of the general assembly, which has brought great shame on the name of our lord, Jesus Christ, and his church by publicly proclaiming as holy what God, the Bible, and orthodox Christianity all down the ages, and all over the world, unambiguously call sin.

"This is about far more than just sexuality. The very nature of the Christian gospel is at stake."

Rennie's confirmation came after 12 conservative and evangelical Church of Scotland several members in the Aberdeen presbytery, the area's ruling body, objected to his appointment as minister of Queen's Cross church in January. A divorcee who is currently minister of Brechin cathedral, Rennie told the Queen's Cross congregation he was gay and in a permanent relationship. The protesters said that contradicted the church's decision in 2007 to delay making policy on ordained gay or lesbian ministers.

The Rev Ian Aitken, the protesters' spokesman, said the, told the general assembly that Aberdeen presbytery was unilaterally making church policyand challenging its unity when it endorsed Rennie's appointment. "Our presbytery struck out on its own, and effectively made a decision for the rest of the church," he said.

Rennie, whose campaign was supported by his former wife, Helen Rennie, told The Guardiantoday he was "humbled" that the general assembly had endorsed him.He had been "personally hurt" by the attacks on his appointment and private life, he said, but added that it would help open up the church to all Christians. "I think the gospel is about hope and not about fear," he said. "I hope that a lot of people across Scotland and the UK will receive this decision as one of hope, and whatever the future holds, we need a spirit of hope so we talk together and we're not paralysed by fear. Fear has nothing to do with the gospel. In fact Jesus so often said to his disciples 'do not be afraid'."

He added: "I'm already serving in a parish and so are other gay ministers serving in a parish. Are we never to move?

"The question was about the call of God in my life, the call of God in a congregation's life, and we've to respond. Everybody responds to the call of God. Just because I'm gay doesn't mean that I shouldn't."



http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/may/24/scotland-aberdeen-gay-priest-protestant

BLASPHEMY-JESUS IN GAY ORGY PICTURES

l
Outrage over Alfred Hrdlicka's gay Jesus

By Harry de Quetteville in Berlin


Pictures depicting Jesus being fondled and the Apostles groping each
other have caused outrage after they were displayed in a museum
attached to
Vienna's Roman Catholic Cathedral.


The museum has been forced to remove the most controversial picture,
in which the Apostles engage in what the artist describes as a
"homosexual
orgy".


a.. The exhibition, entitled "Religion, Flesh and Power" featured
works from sculptor and artist Alfred Hrdlicka, who turned 80 this
year and
is widely feted in his native Austria.


It quickly began attracting criticism from Catholic groups after
opening last week, some of which described the pictures as
"blasphemous".


The website Gloria TV, whose catch line is "the more Catholic the
better", produced a graphic video of the exhibition, condemning it for
being
"supported by the Church".


Some local media have likened the controversy to the bitter argument
over the cartoon portrayal of Islam's prophet Mohammed, which led to
protests and violence around the world.
Vienna's archbishop, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, has now ordered
the "homosexual orgy" picture, entitled Leonardo's Last Supper, to be
taken
down.


"This has nothing to do with censorship", said the Cardinal, adding
that it was removed with "reverence for the sacred".


But other pictures which have proved also controversial, including
one
showing Christ being fondled while on the cross, are still on
display.


Bernhard Boehler, the museum curator, has insisted that despite the
criticism, the exhibition is serving its purpose by encouraging
debate.


"We think Hrdlicka is entitled to represent people in this carnal,
drastic way," he said. "People can imagine what they want to."


According to notes accompanying the exhibition, Mr Hrdlicka's work
focuses on the carnality of religion, and on the search for "God as a
human
experience".


http://www.groupsrv.com/religion/about289177.html




Vienna Cardinal Regrets Erotic Last Supper ArtThe cardinal told the
museum to take down the picture, ˝a homosexual orgy˝ of the Apostles
as Hrdlicka describes it.
Reuters Vienna's Roman Catholic cardinal said on Wednesday that he
regrets the exhibition of a homoerotic version of Christ's Last Supper
in a museum linked to his diocese.
The controversial work was exhibited in Vienna's Cathedral Museum as
part of a retrospective honouring Austria's renowned artist Alfred
Hrdlicka, who recently turned 80.

Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, archbishop of Vienna, said he had
backed the exhibition without knowing the detailed contents.


"I obviously would not have agreed to have blasphemous or pornographic
works exhibited. I therefore explicitly regret that a work of this
kind was exhibited without my knowledge," the cardinal said in a
statement.


The cardinal told the museum to take down the picture, "a homosexual
orgy" of the Apostles as Hrdlicka describes it, just over a week after
the display opened, after some visitors complained and it provoked a
fierce uproar on Catholic websites.


Protest has continued over the picture 'Leonardo's Last Supper,
restored by Pier Paolo Pasolini' which showed cavorting Apostles
lounging on the dining table and masturbating each other. It was
supposed to be a highlight of the display.


"In some of (the pictures) he oversteps the essential threshold of
respect for the sacred," the cardinal said, adding that the museum
does not identify with all of the works.


But he also defended Hrdlicka as one of Austria's most notable living
artists who deserved such a retrospective.


"Hrdlicka...probably more than any other living artist, has devoted
himself to the suffering and downtrodden human being and has appealed
for "compassion" with the "Passion," he said.


The museum has said it did not set out to offend people but has
defended Hrdlicka's work and the decision to display the controversial
versions of biblical imagery.


Schoenborn, a former student of Pope Benedict who edited the Catholic
Church's official catechism in the 1990s, maintains that art inspired
by the Bible should be celebrated.


"I still hold the opinion that we must welcome the fact that artists
who do not share our faith, or are still searching for belief, occupy
themselves so intensively with biblical subjects," he said.


http://www.javno.com/en/bestseller/clanak.php?id=139046

THE SUPERPORNO-BLASPHEMOUS FILM " PASSIO "

Dark Alley Media’s first foray into controversial cinema brought us Gaytanamo, a gleeful mockery of the government’s war on terror and the Guantanamo prisons.
Now the mischievous movie makers are dipping their toes into the wild world of religion. And, not surprisingly, they’re going to get some shocks, gasps and, hopefully, moans.

James Withers chats with director Matthias Von Fistenberg to get to the bottom of the newly released video, after the jump…

Matthias Von Fistenberg’s Passio will surely make a few Fox News anchors explode - and not in a good way. In fact, it is safe to say that even those non-acolytes of the “fair and balanced” network will be disturbed by von Fistenberg’s Jesus. This savior could care less about clothing the naked or feeding the hungry, unless the meal’s cock.

“My Jesus is gay, stunningly beautiful and sexy. He gets aroused like all of us,” explains Von Fistenberg, who describes himself as a Catholic. The director also admits his Jesus story can’t be found in hotel room Bible. “The movie is a gospel, passio, version of the Jesus story according to
me.”

If people are shocked and appalled by Von Fistenberg’s re-telling of the Gospels, he gently reminds us that theocratic rules aren’t our lot. “Luckily we don’t live anymore in times when the Church controls the media and courts,” Von Fistenberg says. “Under the protection of our freedom of speech law, all biblical topics are open to any interpretation. Now, maybe the Pope will excommunicate me or Fox News will have a field day, but they wont be able to take away this important step towards exercising fully the right to free speech and artistic freedom.”

Though he expects howls of protest, Von Fistenberg reminds us that today’s revered religious art once counted as yesterday’s scandal. “From Michelangelo to Mantegna, Piero Della Francesca and Paul Gauguin, images of Jesus Christ have offended, delighted, outraged, and inspired the devout. For each controversial image, the sacred and profane was mixed in new ways, challenging viewers to rethink their own religion, spirituality, and sexuality. I will only mention that there are plenty of nude Christs in Renaissance art and nudity, courtesy of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, was considered obscene.”

Despite this art history lesson, even for a born again atheist such as myself myself there is something disquieting about these images Von Fistenberg is putting out there. A part of me would rather he just film hot guys having sex and leave all the religion stuff alone. Like a good teacher, Von Fistenberg makes me see the light. “As a porn director I am given the same tools as any other director so why should I not use them and express myself? Why should I pretend I don’t have my opinions, on politics, religion or on what’s sexy? My movies are made in a way that you can skip it all and go straight to sex. They have that utilitarian value, but it you watch them from start to finish they offer a view of the world as relevant as anybody else’s.”

Ultimately Von Fistenberg takes his job seriously and refuses to be restrained by the word pornographer. He’s not asking for the faithful to bow down to his vision of Christ. “You choose which Jesus is yours,” he says.

Regardless of your choice, the director remains convinced that underneath the outrage and disgust will be desire and want. “I’m a modern day Marquis de Sade. I show you what is sexy. First you think its wrong because you are so programmed by society, but later, when no one is watching, you can’t deny it.”

BLASPHEMY-JUDAS WAS A GAY

Blasphemy-Judas was a gay
About Judas Iscariot-The italian Crimonology Doctor Francesco Bruno declares that
Judas was a neurotic-homosexual.
This blasphemous article is edited by the very catholic Petrus;
http://www.papanews.it/dettaglio_interviste.asp?IdNews=6574#a
about the Pope news web-site.
Catholic christians are going to believe that Jesus and his Apostles were all gay.



ANTI-BLASPHEMY CENTRAL



http://groups.google.com/group/anti-blasphemy-central?hl=it