More on same-sex marriage

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How do I write further on this topic? I have been completely overwhelmed by the response I have received to my last post, On same-sex marriage. As I write this follow-up post the first one has just past 800 views. My blog has never seen traffic like this before, and I have been completely humbled by that.


I've had many comments, some of which are available to view at the bottom of the original post. Others were private emails I received. I've tried to respond personally to them all where I have been able to. Some have just brought me to tears and I know when that happens, words are generally futile. There is clearly a lot of hurt that has been caused or experienced around this topic, and I just hope that what I've said has somehow been "healing" rather than opening up the wounds.

I've been excited to have received many offers for a coffee or a meal. I'm taking up one of those offers this week! I hope to have many more in the future. I'm a lifelong learner, and I'm really looking forward to learning through listening to people. That's exciting for me.

I've also discovered that there are plenty of people out there already discussing this, and at least one forum for discussion has been made available to me. I'm going to be actively involved in that.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been so kind in reading my post. I find it a miracle that people even bother! But then clearly people have been sharing this around, because the "hits" just keep mounting up...

Thanks. I don't take it for granted.

I hope to put some further posts on the topic in the future so why not click on the "join this site" button to the right to subscribe.

Thanks

Comments

  1. Jason Davies-KildeaJuly 17, 2011 at 6:59 PM

    Well said Adam. Like you, I've frequently been humbled by the grace shown to me by others. This is particularly meaningful when it comes from people who have been hurt by the church I represent. May God give us all ears to listen and humble hearts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 18, 2011 at 3:39 PM

    Adam,

    Thankyou SO VERY MUCH for your article. It is brilliant. As the one respondent said, you can start by really talking to people in your Corps (and some of the cadets in College). I can almost guarantee, there will be at least one or two homosexuals in your corps (if it is a medium sized corps), and probably at least one in each session in college (married or single). I can also guarantee they will all be struggling extremely deeply, may be in a chronic depression (though hiding it reasonably well) because of the struggle.

    If you want to meet homosexuals who are more open and Christian with a good theology etc., then try talking to people in the Uniting Church in Sydney (the one in Pitt Street I think it is) - they have a very good theology and dialogue with homosexuals - and one of their priests is openly gay (as I remember). You could also visit the MCC (there's one in Petersham (near the railway) or Parramatta, but they tend to be 'gay grottos' where people are hurting together, and just supporting each other through their hurt - they are too busy trying to heal from the hurt of the church to move forward with their theology. The Uniting Church however is very strong and good.

    It might also help to talk to some liberal Jews, to get an understanding from a Jewish perspective on the 'clobber passages'. Temple Emmanuel, on Ocean Grove near Bondi Junction will be very good for that. They are an inclusive Jewish Temple (they even have a female Rabbi - or at least did Four years ago) and are very open to dialogue with people from all faiths and background.

    But do all of this out of uniform - as the sight of a uniform will get the guard up of people from the LGBT community (open or clsetted) striaght away.

    By all means, feel free to contact me personally and have a chat with me - My email is thunderchest@hotmail.com Would love to hear from you.

    Yours in Christ,
    Graeme Randall
    Former SA Officer Australian East
    (living in London)

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 18, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    PS - to above - anyone can feel free to contact me on this subject at that email address - I am very keen to discuss this in hones dialogue with anyone.

    Appologies to anyone from the MCC who might be offended by my referring to it as a 'gay grotto'. That was my experience when I went there for about a year. Very good as a starting point, but they (including the minister) never moved beyond 'we are hurting, we are hurting, we have been wronged, we are hurting. Let's support each other.' After a year of that, I thought 'that's not for me. I need to move beyond hurt. That's why I found the Uniting Church very helpful.

    Yours in Christ,
    Graeme Randall

    ReplyDelete

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