OK, kiddo! Here are all the fantastically amazing posts tagged with Priests
Homophobic Pastor Shows Gay Porn In Church
Martin Ssempa, a pastor in Uganda’s capital city of Kampala, is showing gay porn as part of his church sermons.
Ssempa began showing the sexually explicit videos, which he downloaded from the Internet, in an effort to sway his parishioners in support of a terrifying anti-gay bill currently before the Ugandan legislature. When interviewed about it, he said he’s showing the films—and will continue to do so—in order to “educate churchgoers on gay sex.”
Well, that’s all kinds of crazy. I mean, can you imagine if homophobes like Ssempa treated straight people the same way they treat gays?
Still, as unbelievable as it sounds, it has come to this: Gay porn in church. And, naturally, it’s the anti-gay people that have done it. The method is entertaining (I joked on Twitter that Ssempa’s sermon would have kept me in the pews), but the thinking behind it is really tired. In retrospect, I shouldn’t even be surprised.
People involved in anti-gay campaigning are obsessed with gay sex in ways that no one else is, and quite strategically so; human sexuality falls under special moral scrutiny, making it an effective platform for criticism. When speaking of heterosexual relationships, these people have no problem glossing over the intimate sexual details of the partnership in order to convey a larger meaning: Love, commitment, support, unity—all the qualities that make unions special. But when it comes to the subject of gay relationships, they turn to hysterics, engrossed in their own imaginations over what could be going on in the bedrooms.
Sexual attraction is what biologically orients us toward partners, and it works for straight people in exactly the same capacity as gay ones. This means that, when speaking of relationships, kooks like Ssempa must either gloss over the sexual details for everyone in exactly same way, or act all aghast in about them in exactly the same way.
Well… Unless, of course, they expect that all straight couples have had sex precisely as many times as they have children. But then they’re crazy for an entirely different reason.
Thanks to Slap reader Tom for alerting me to this incredible story.
- Pastor shows gay porn in church [Associated Press]
Entire Church Suspended For Hiring Gay Pastor
An entire Lutheran congregation in Newmarket, Ontario has been suspended over the hiring of a gay associate pastor.
Lionel Ketola, a gay, legally married man of faith, was ordained last May in a ceremony that drew more than 300 well-wishing parishoners. However, this did not sit well with Bishop Michael Pryse of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, who officially informed the Holy Cross Lutheran Church this week that they have been suspended over the hiring.
The Synod’s actions are reportedly based on a lesser known biblical passage: And Jesus gathered his followers and spoke to them: “Eeew! A gay! Could someone get him out of here, please? Anyone? Seriously, I’ll turn this church around and there’ll be no heaven for anyone. There we go; thank you, sir.”
- Congregation punished for hiring married gay pastor [The Record]
Another Priest Suspended For Same-Sex Wedding
OK, I’ve lost count.
Reverend Michael Bury from St. John the Evangelist church in Stirling, Ontario has had his marriage license suspended after performing a same-sex marriage back in August. As an added measure, he has been ordered not to attend church until January.
The man is on medical leave.
Reverend Bury, of course, is definitely not the first priest to be disciplined for supporting his gay parishioners. And, as is the case here, most of the disciplinary actions have come from the Anglican church, which has been oddly contradictory about gay blessings recently.
In June, the General Synod decreed that blessing same-sex couples did not conflict with church doctrine, then promptly voted to ban the practice. This month, the Ontario and Montréal dioceses voted to allow same-sex blessings.
Hmm… Reverend Bury is from Ontario; I guess this makes their decision non-retroactive.
Well, until Friday, have a safe and happy Halloween! If you don’t have a costume yet, here’s an idea: Go as a wacky contradiction! Just fine some Anglican garb and…
- Ontario priest disciplined for marrying same-sex couple [Anglican Journal]
Priest Resigns Over Anti-Gay Hierarchy
Reverend Shawn Sanford Beck, a priest in Saskatoon, has resigned his position after refusing to renounce same-sex marriage. Beck, who had his license stripped in January, was given a temporary license and an ultimatum by Bishop Rodney Andrews back in March: Either stop supporting equal rights for gays, or get lost.
Well, it looks like Beck has bravely chosen the latter. (Though he made his intention clear quite some time ago.) In an open letter, he called the church’s position on same-sex marriage “theologically problematic and fundamentally unjust.”
And, with that, I’m officially out of ideas on how to illustrate priests being kicked out by their churches. If you’ve got an idea for the next one, send your suggestions to:
Priest Ejectionsc/o Slap Upside The Head
123 Gay Street
Montréal, QC G4Y 8O1
- Saskatoon priest resigns over same-sex issue [Anglican Journal]
Priest Removed For Refusing To Fire Gay Employee
Ah, so that’s what Jesus would do!
The congregation of the Holy Cross Church is reeling after Bishop Richard Gagnon fired their favorite priest, Father Michael Favero, for refusing to dismiss a gay employee.
Father Favero indicated that firing the gay office manager would have gone against his concience, and chose to be dismissed rather than compromise his integrity. Parishoner Monica Kowalewski said Favero was a “hero” for taking that stance, and that Bishop Gagnon needs to apologize for his un-Christian behaviour:
Not only has [Father Favero] been fired from our church, he’s been barred from undertaking any priestly functions anywhere. He should be offered the opportunity to return to Holy Cross, and if he doesn’t want to come back, at least he can work elsewhere.
So, there you have it: Since same-sex marriage has become reality, churches have fired priests for refusing to dismiss gay employees, refused communion to gay parishoners, and suspended the marriage licenses of archbishops who bless gay couples.
Guess that terrifying slippery slope was actually more like a rope-tow, huh?
- Gay firing riles churchgoers [Victoria News]
