Area churches differ on views of homosexuality

By Bethany McCormack
Staff Reporter

While businesses and universities are beginning to accept the validity of same-sex unions, many churches still are not.

However, Charles Calabrese, Catholic Community priest, said he hopes the policy of the Catholic Church toward same sex unions will change.

“Marriage laws need to represent how people are and not the way someone thinks they ought to be,” he said.

Calabrese said homosexual orientation is not a sin according to church policy, which is determined by the Pope and bishops.

owever, he said church policy holds any sexual activity outside of marriage to be a sin, and homosexuals cannot enter into the covenant of marriage.

He said that in the past, church policy has changed when people lived contrary to custom. For example, charging interest on money in the Middle Ages was considered a mortal sin. However, he said now investing is a common practice that even the church participates in.

Calabrese said the Catholic Church teaches that homosexuals should be treated with greater compassion and should be allowed an active role in the Christian community.

“We respect the human dignity of every person,” Calabrese said. “I would hope that every parish would be open to every person — homosexual or heterosexual.”

Brian Young, United Methodist Church campus minister and director of the Wesley Foundation, said that within the United Methodist Church there are varying opinions on the topic of homosexuality.

“It’s certainly a debated topic, and you can talk to people on both sides of the issue,” he said.

Young said there is no official policy on church membership for homosexuals, and anyone can be a member of the church.

According to “The Book of Discipline,” the official statement of the United Methodist Church, the practice of homosexuality is not condoned, but Young said God’s grace is available to all.

Young said “The Book of Discipline” also states that homosexuals should be provided with all civil rights and should not be discriminated against.

Young said the official position of the United Methodist Church restricts clergy persons from performing same-sex unions, but there is much debate about this. He said in some churches, clergy members have performed same sex-unions with repercussions.

Lisa London, a pastor on staff at Cathedral of Hope, a Metropolitan Community Church in Dallas, said the church performs between 50 and 75 Holy Unions each year. She said a Holy Union ceremony between members of the same-sex is similar to a marriage ceremony, but it is not legally binding.

London said Cathedral of Hope is a welcoming place.

“Anyone seeking to know God can come and worship without being judged and criticized,” she said.

London said other churches that are welcoming and affirming to homosexuals include some United Methodist churches, United Church of Christ, some Presbyterian churches and some Disciples of Christ churches.

“Within all denominations, these movements have created an atmosphere of discussion that needed to be there,” he said.

Bethany McCormack
b.s.mccormack@student.tcu.edu