A message to all the Catholics and Christians too blinded to see how the church is changing,
By: Rebecca Clifton-James
Tags: LGBTQ, Catholic, Power, Church, Gay Rights

“homosexuality will send people to hell” — an unrightful and unfair sermon posed on public school grounds. These slurs and messages aren’t getting us anywhere. We know your opinions, and we understand that your God says that homosexuality is a sin. But my God? My God loves. He is a powerful and brave leader that calls everyone to his church doors and welcomes them safely. The LGBTQ+ community deserves to have the same exact rights as straight people, we all belong in the church and should be accepted by everyone around us.

An unnamed pastor tells his congregation: “In Chapter 20, He [God] states the death penalty for those who disobey. And notice throughout … if it is not the death penalty, it’s being cut off from the people of God, which is still death, not just instant death and so God is serious about sexual purity.” We do not deserve these cruel, heartless and unjust sayings, we deserve to walk into the church on a Sunday morning and praise, not feel the disgusted stares from the stereotypical eyes surrounding us.

I grew up believing that the church was the place you turn to when you are lost and scared, and so when I go to the church in my times of need I deserve to be welcomed with open arms like my God intended.

“God does not want us sinking in a sea of shame,”

Do you really want to be the reason someone turns their back on the church? Could you possibly cope with the guilt? Because I couldn’t. I wouldn’t be able to bare the thought that I’m the reason someone turned to drugs, or self-rejection, or self-harm, just because the doors that used to bring them safety slammed in their face. What side of history do you want to be on?

A pastor in Nigeria, Rev. Rowland has relocated abroad (to the UK) where he is presently running his gay Church, “House Of Rainbow Fellowship”. According to the gay Pastor, “Any negative effect on the anti-gay bill will have a detrimental effect on the work and mission of House Of Rainbow in Nigeria. The lives of LGBTQ+ people and their friends, families, and allies will be further frustrated with fear and prejudice. We need to pray and stand up against injustice.”

He then further continues preaching,

“My Church is the voice of the younger generation of citizens, activists, and diaspora, and our collective belief in a more progressive Nigeria. They are afraid of our growing influence as we gather allies not just from the West, but from people that are not afraid but powerful and resilient. Right now, we are spreading their tentacles to every village, town, and city around the world. The Church is also calling on faithful and dedicated local leaders who believe in homosexuality and lesbianism. Ten House Of Rainbow Fellowship local leaders are in Ghana, Nigeria, UK, Burundi, and Lesotho. Religion is a backbone to life in Nigeria, so, we all want to go to Church. But we don’t want to lie to God about who we are.”

The last line of Rev. Rowlands speech stating, “But we don’t want to lie to God about who we are.” Really makes you stop and reflect. God is always watching us, and if we were hiding our sexuality from him, it would be near impossible as he sees all we do, he knows things about us before we ourselves, even know them, and to hide such thing from him would not get you anywhere. If God himself, after knowing our deepest secrets, can still allow us to pray to him and walk the streets, then why can't the people of God do the same, are we not meant to follow in the path of Jesus? Copy his words and actions?, well if he lets us into the church, but the people sitting in the pews cast us astray, then who is not following the word of God? because we are trying to get into the doors, there is just an unrightful and unnecessary barrier in our way.

Accepting that the church is changing maybe like a hard to swallow pill, but it is true, the church is indeed changing, and It’s time that the people sanctioned within its walls start changing their ways and beliefs along with it. As no matter how hard you try, we are still going to be here fighting, and if and when you throw us out, we do not turn our backs, we find a chair and we stand and fight, we protest for our rights, and like Rev. Rowland, we bring forth gay churches to fight the unjust ones, we will not leave. We will not back down. We will not hide. Let us in.

Let us pray the way we deserve to pray and let our Gods intertwine. My God is loving and welcoming to all, and your God is blinding you, but our God? Together as a whole, our God is untouchable, he loves and welcomes, but also connects with the original scriptures of the church, while understanding that his home is changing, and welcoming the people that come with the change.

Written by Rebecca Clifton- James