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Today's Gay History Lesson: The Ordination of William Johnson in 1972
Posted on July 9, 2013 at 10:25 AM |
By Dennis Stone
In America much of the most vehement opposition to gay equality has come from the Christian church. (Though religion is certainly not necessary to produce a virulently anti-gay society, as we have seen under overtly atheistic regimes such as in China and the Soviet Union.) Because Americans have been and remain overwhelmingly Christian, that is a problem.
In recent years, however, Protestant Christian churches have begun to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Several now ordain gay people as pastors and have become overtly welcoming. Local congregations march in Pride parades. Other churches are on that path, and have at least begun to preach acceptance and condemn hate.
Bill Johnson in 1972
The changes within religion represent a massive cultural shift. Sometimes it seems like that shift began only recently. But as with any cultural movement the seeds are planted long before in small events, easily forgotten. On June 25, 1972, an important first step was taken when William R. Johnson was ordained as a minister by the United Church of Christ. He was the first openly gay person to be ordained in any Christian organization in the world. In 1974 Johnson co-wrote with Sally Miller Gearhart the book “Loving Women/Loving Men: Gay Liberation and the Church”.
Here is a link to a documentary on YouTube about William Johnson and his ordination. It’s about 18 minutes long and is called “A Position Of Faith”.
Categories: History Lessons
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5 Comments
On another note, if your will study our Founding Fathers, you will find many of them were Diest. Our Declaration of Independence says "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God". That is not the same as the God of the Bible.
Just kidding. Mostly.
Our Christian allies seem more likely to identify by denomination rather than the generic "Christian" which has the effect of making religious support for gay equality feel fractured. And there are also divisions within denominations so we can't really make statements like "Lutherans support gay equality" because large segments of Lutherans don't (not to pick on the Lutherans; other denominations are similarly fractured). They have ceded the word "Christian" to the radical right.
I tend not to engage with religious types because I have no patience with it or them. They are fundamentally (pun intended) unable to grasp the simple notion that their religious rights end where my personhood begins. Nothing will change their minds and they will literally have to die before they stop burdening humanity with their hatred.
When someone argues that "America was founded as a Christian nation," I counter, "Yes, primarily by Episcopalians, and we have a gay bishop now!" If they then try to argue that MOST churches condemn homosexuality, you can always respond, "Maybe most, but CERTAINLY NOT the best!" (The "best" obviously encompassing more than just Episcopal, just to be clear.)
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