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 Other Sheep eNews
January 6, 2009
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| Dear Other Sheep Reader,
2008, for Other Sheep, was a remarkable year with two Coordinators joining us in Latin America, four in East Africa, a committee formed in Uganda, and a Coordinator joining Jose Ortiz for all of Africa. We ended the year on a high note with networking at ILGA in Vienna, Austria, and speaking engagements in England; see articles below.
May 2009 further the cause of human rights for LGBT people worldwide.
Steve Parelli, MDiv
Executive Director
New York, New York
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 56 Activist Leaders from around the world receive the book The Children Are Free at the 24th worldwide conference of ILGA, Vienna, Austria, November 2008
by Steve Parelli, January 1, 2009. Bronx, NY
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Other Sheep Executive Director Steve Parelli (MDiv) distributed 110 complementary copies of the book The Children Are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-sex Relationships (authors Rev. Jeff Miner and John Tyler Connoley) at the 24th ILGA Worldwide Conference, Vienna, Austria, Nov. 3 - 6, 2008, to 56 pro-LGBT activists/leaders/attendees from the following countries: AFRICA: Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe; ASIA: China, Korea, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Thailand; CARIBBEAN: Dominica, Haiti, St. Lucia; CENTRAL AMERICA: Nicaragua; EUROPE: Belgium, England, France, Italy, Norway; MIDDLE EAST; PACIFIC ISLANDS: Tonga; SOUTH AMERICA: Brazil; and the USA.
In some cases, where an immediate use of extra copies of the book was advisable, individual activists were given two to ten copies for the distribution of the book back home. For example, a former Bible college student (name withheld) of a Baptist institute in Southeast Asia (place withheld) received ten copies to distribute to fellow Bible college students and professors to whom he had come out as a gay Christian. Within a month or so of his return from the ILGA conference, the gay Christian activist wrote Other Sheep sharing the contact information of seven fellow students to whom he had given a copy of the book. These fellow students had requested follow-up with Other Sheep and expressed interest in dialogue to learn more on the topic of homosexuality and the Bible.
Other Sheep expresses its deep appreciation to Jesus MCC, Indianapolis, Indiana, for its contribution of the copies of the book The Children Are Free and to the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation who provided the funds for the Executive Director to attend the ILGA conference. We are grateful, too, to our many individual donors whose gifts are vital to sustaining the ministries of Other Sheep.
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Above Photo: Vienna City Hall where a reception was given by local officials for ILGA attendees.
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 Rev. Kimindu and Steve Parelli give talks in England on Other Sheep and LGBT concerns in East Africa, November 2008 by Steve Parelli, January 1, 2009. Bronx, NY
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Following the ILGA Conference in Vienna, Steve Parelli met up with Rev. Michael Kimindu (Anglican priest of Nairobi, Kenya, Other Sheep Coordinator for East Africa and MCC pastor) in Birmingham, England, where they participated in the MCC (Metropolitan Community Church) Region 4 Conference. Each gave a workshop on East Africa. Both participated in a late afternoon discussion group made up of conference attendees who labor on behalf of Africa. At an African benefit breakfast, Rev. Kimindu, among others, spoke about the work and needs of Africa.
Above Photo: Rev. Jane Clark, MCC pastor in the U.K., giving a gift of books to Rev. Michael Kimindu of Nairobi, Kenya, who is an Anglican priest, Coordinator for Other Sheep East Africa, and MCC pastor, at MCC Region 4 conference, Birmingham, England, Nov. 2008.
Following the MCC Region 4 conference, Rev. Kimindu and Steve Parelli traveled together to Manchester where both fulfilled different and unrelated commitments.  Rev. Kimindu spoke before a group of ministers and lay people of Changing Attitude, the Anglican voice for full inclusion of LGBT Anglicans, at the Manchester Cathedral, Monday evening, November 10, 2008. Steve Parelli attended. Rev. Henry Mayor led the meeting.
Photo at Right: Rev. Kimindu with Anglican priests, Manchester Cathedral
 Steve attended a four-day MCC (Metropolitan Community Church) class on Introduction to Sexuality taught by Rev. Andy Braunston and Rev. Jane Clark. The classes were held in the Chapel Howard Suite of the campus of Sedgley Park Police Training Centre. Because of the expressed interest of some, an evening session was scheduled for Steve to show his PowerPoint presentation on Other Sheep in East Africa. Photo at Left: Jenny-Anne Bishop, a transgender person, taught two sessions on transgender issues.
 Following the four days of classes, Steve spent an evening and night in the home of Rev. Clive Larson, Anglican priest of St. Agnes Church of North Reddish (Manchester), who had opened his home to Steve and Jose Ortiz (Steve's spouse) in August (2008) while hosting a Changing Attitude meeting in his church which featured Steve and Jose as guest speakers on Other Sheep and East Africa. Photo at Right: Rev. Clive Larson and Steve Parelli, St. Agnes Church of North Reddish, taken August 15, 2008.
 For an excellent article on Rev. Kimindu and his involvement in the Anglican church as a pro-LGBT priest, see Changing Attitude Anglican LGBT News article "Revd Michael Kimindu ejected from Nairobi clergy chapter meeting" by Colin Coward, dated Friday, October 10, 2008. The article includes a short chronological sketch of Rev. Kimindu's involvement with LGBT concerns as an Anglican priest.
Above Photo: Jose Ortiz, Co-Coordinator for Africa, in front of the Anglican All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi, Kenya, where Other Sheep initiated contact that led to "finding" Rev. Michael Kimindu. Photo taken July 2007.
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 The newly-released The Peoples' Bible is gay-friendly on Romans 1: 26 & 27
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While exploring the SBL Exhibit Hall . . .  The Peoples' Bible (NRSV, with Apocrypha), released November 2008, was on sale at the SBL Fortress Press book table. The publishers, in a flyer, were advertising The People's Bible as "the only study Bible to seek insights from ALL [their emphasis] the people. "The People's Bible, true to their claim, gives the following study note at Romans l:26 & 27:
"Romans 1:24-27 [heading in bold] -- Heterosexual men should not exchange their nature for homosexual practices . . . On the same principle, we might infer that homosexuals should not exchange their nature, or orientation, for heterosexual practices."
On a much different note, see the following article on the Africa Bible Commentary: A One-Volume Commentary Written by 70 African Scholars.
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 Zondervan's Africa Bible Commentary features an article on homosexuality by Nigerian author, Yusufu Turaki: There is "no distinction between a homosexual person and a homosexual act . . . both are sinful."
A Critique by Steve Parelli, MDiv
Other Sheep Executive Director
January 2, 2009. Bronx, NY
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The Zondervan Session at SBL, Boston, November 2008
Jose and I first viewed a copy of the Africa Bible Commentary in July of 2008 at the Anglican Cathedral of Nairobi, Kenya, where it was available for purchase and on display at a book table at the entrance of the church. At the November 2008 Society of Biblical Literature, I purchased a copy in the Exhibit Hall of book publishers.
What follows is a critique of the Africa Bible Commentary article entitled "Homosexuality"
In the section on Romans chapter 1, on page 1355 of the Africa Bible Commentary, an article entitled "Homosexuality" by Yusufu Turaki, occupies two-thirds of the page. (1) Unlike the evangelical "ex-gay" leaders of the Western world, Turaki totally denounces the homosexual as essentially sinful.
Turaki refers to homosexuality as an "alternative lifestyle." He does not make use of, nor does he define, the term sexual orientation. He refers to homosexual "relationships" as "abnormal, unnatural and a perversion."
He makes no "distinction between a homosexual person and a homosexual act, as if the latter is sinful and the former is not. Both are sinful," he asserts. He argues for this on the basis that "homosexuality has deep roots in our sinful nature" and that "sin has affected all aspects of our inner being" so that it should not be "surprising that some people show a biological disposition towards homosexuality" in that "sin has warped every aspect of life."
At the outset of his article, Turaki shows that homosexuals believe they are a minority and that, according to the homosexual, society's "condemnation of homosexuality represents a denial of human rights." "In defense of this position, they [homosexuals]," he writes, "argue that homosexuality is a biological condition . . . genetically determined" (as if only homosexuals argue for this biological possibility).
It appears that Turaki is arguing that even if homosexuality were a "biological condition" or "genetically determined" or "a biological disposition" that the Christian church must reject the homosexual person as sinful even if this person never engages in same-sex activities. Even the evangelical "ex-gay" leaders of the Western world of the 1990s, that I have read, do not adopt this view. For example, Joe Dallas, Bob Davies & Lori Rentzel, and William Consiglio would make a distinction between the person who experiences "the temptation" to homosexual acts, and the person who actually engages in same-sex sex. The homosexual is not sinful because he or she experiences temptations to same-sex acts. Turaki does not make this distinction.
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Chris Wright spoke at the Zondervan SBL session in which the Africa Bible Commentary was featured. Chris spoke on the topic "Post-Graduate Theological Education in Africa: Evangelicals Coming of Age."
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(2) How the homosexual may hope to be delivered according to Turaki: Sectarian counseling, sexual denial, and isolation within the Christian community.
Turaki's saving hope for the homosexual's same-sex attraction is "only Christ can provide deliverance." This "deliverance" must happen through "biblical counseling," the "surrender [of] their sexuality to Christ" and "to accept the help of fellow believers." Or, in other words, counseling that refuses to take into consideration secular studies on homosexuality, a complete denial of ones' sexuality as a gay person, and an isolated community experience of "fellow believers."
(3) Turaki, an evangelical Bible scholar, openly rejects any secular studies on homosexuality that would challenge his foregone conclusion of what the Bible "clearly" teaches.
Turaki, in forming his view on homosexuality, has judged all "human resources" on the study of homosexuality as invalid on the basis that "the Bible clearly [my emphasis] defines homosexuality as a sin." "Our views [on homosexuality]," he says, "should not be derived from human resources but from the Word of God." To support his view that homosexual "relationships are abnormal, unnatural and a perversion," Turaki feels he has only to quote passages from the Bible. Turaki cites Sodom and Gomorrah, two passages from Paul (I Corinthians 6:9-10; Romans 1:24-27), the male-female one-flesh principle as an example of the body of Christ (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:28-32), and that only heterosexuals can reproduce and therefore provide for a father-mother (adult male-female) home (Gen. 1:28; 9:7). What is clearly biblical to Turaki is becoming less and less clear to his evangelical counterpart scholars in the West like Jack Rogers, author of Jesus, The Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church (2006). And Turaki's use of Sodom and Gomorah, an account of attempted rape, has long been rejected by American evangelical "ex-gay" leaders themselves as a proof text against homosexuality. See Bob Davies & Lori Rentzel in their Coming Out Of Homosexuality (1993), p. 184, where they say "pro-gay theologians are correct in saying that this passage does not provide a strong argument against prohibiting all homosexual acts." (4) Turaki is silent on the intolerance of homosexuals in Africa and without critical remark when using the quote "homosexuals are worse than beasts."
Turaki discusses the fact that the issue of homosexuality "has sparked much controversy in Africa." On one side of the issue there are "some politicians" who "have stated that homosexuals are worse than beasts." On the other side of the issue there is "Archbishop Tutu" who "has called for tolerance and an acceptance of homosexuality." Turaki observes that the "Anglican churches across the continent" have rejected Tutu's position. (Does Turaki mean to say that Anglicans should reject tolerance as well as acceptance?) It is striking to note that Turaki has no comment as to the response the Anglican churches should be giving, as well as himself, to African political leaders who say "homosexuals are worse than beasts."
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Stanley Gundry presided over the SBL session in which the Zondervan book Africa Bible Commentary was featured.
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(5) Happily, it appears that Turaki would not subscribe to the idea common in Africa that homosexuality is imported from Western civilization.
His article begins by defining homosexuality as "sexual attraction to or sexual relations with members of the same sex." In his opening sentence, he says homosexuality "has been around for a very long time in all societies." Evidently, Turaki would not subscribe to the idea which is held by many of his fellow Africans that homosexuality is an imported idea from the West and therefore, very un-African.
(6) Only with negative examples of "coercion" does Turaki support his statement that "African tradition" is "varied" in its "practice of homosexuality."
Turaki states that "African tradition" is "varied" in its "practice of homosexuality," that some African communities accept it, and other communities reject it. As if to illustrate, he immediately follows with a lengthy comment (relatively lengthy for such a short article) on "homosexual acts" that are entered upon by African "politicians, soldiers, prisoners and some professions" in order "to gain certain spiritual powers" as well as "political and social power." He categorizes these same-sex sex acts as a "quest for power" which "sets aside morality and ethics" and describes these as "coercive sexual relationships [that] are wrong." One could argue that Turaki is actually describing, in some cases, if not most cases, heterosexuals who compromise their own heterosexual orientation for some kind of personal gain. This is hardly a description of homosexuals. Without his stating it, Turaki is actually describing, in principle, what occurred in Gen. 19, that is, "a quest for power" and "coercive sexual relationships" which, of course, has nothing to do with same-sex loving relationships. Also, for illustrating varied African practices of homosexuality, is there nothing remotely positive? Why elaborate only with "coercive" practices?
Conclusion: Turaki's Bible-study article on homosexuality serves to further the African church's homophobic intolerance of gay people, confirming and reinforcing already existing hateful and hurtful attitudes towards LGBT Africans. Turaki's article, "Homosexuality," in the Africa Bible Commentary, only enlarges the gap between the need for tolerance in Africa and the African church's failure to speak out against homophobic intolerance which often erupts into physical brutality, murder, unlawful imprisonment, loss of employment, estrangement and isolation from family, hate speech and hate crimes. The African evangelical community needs, at the very least, to speak out for tolerance and humane treatment of homosexuals. To summarize, because of the very volatile African context in which his article will be read and understood, (a) Turaki's use of the words "abnormal, unnatural and a perversion" along with (b) his uncritical use of the quote that "homosexuals are worse than beasts" tied in with (c) his statement of the African Anglican church's rejection of Archbishop Tutu's call for tolerance, as well as (d) his one-sided account of African "coercive sexual relationships" as his example of "varied" African same-sex sex (Where is his account, under "African tradition," of same-sex African loving couples? -- this writer knows of some personally!), not to mention (e) an uncritical censorship of all views of homosexuality that are not in keeping with his views ("Our views of homosexuality should not be derived from human sources but from the Word of God"), and, finally, with (f) his expressed theological view that to be homosexual is sinful, this evangelical-Christian article can, therefore, only encourage the already strong, homophobic, hateful and dangerous rhetoric of the church in Africa where civilian and police brutality towards homosexuals is not uncommon.
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 About Yusufu Turaki: Nigerian. Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA). BTh in Theology (Igbaja Theological Seminary, Nigeria), MATS in Theology and Ethics (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Mass., USA), PhD in Social Ethics (Boston University, Mass., USA). At the time of publication of the Africa Bible Commentary, Turaki was Translation Consultant, International Bible Society.
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 Presbyterian minister Albert Barnes' (1798-1870) statement on the church and slavery makes an appropriate commentary on Proposition 8
by Steve Parelli, January 3, 2009. Bronx, NY
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"There is no power out of the church that could sustain [discrimination against the gay community] an hour, if it were not sustained in it." -- Adapted from Albert Barnes (1798-1870). The foregoing statement is adapted from the following quote which was attributed to Albert Barnes, American theologian and pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia from 1830-1867, by Frederick Douglass in his 1852 address "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?": "There is no power out of the church that could sustain slavery an hour, if it were not sustained in it." (Source: Wikipedia.)
Above Photo: Steve Parelli, left, and Jose Ortiz holding their Califronia Marriage Certificage, August 25, 2008.
Albert Barnes could have just as easily been talking about anti-gay sentiment in today's America. Proposition 8, which amended the California State Constitution to read Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California, is prime example of the church sustaining anti-gay sentiment based on private, religious constructs.
"Proposition 8 was enacted by a vote of 52% to 48%. Those identifying themselves as Evangelicals, however, supported Proposition 8 by a margin of 81% to 19%, and those who say they attend church services weekly supported Proposition 8 by a vote of 84% to 16%. Non-Christians, by the way, opposed Proposition 8 by a margin 85% to 15% and those who do not attend church regularly opposed Proposition 8 by a vote of 83% to 17%.
"What this tells us, quite strikingly, is that Proposition 8 was a highly successful effort of a particular religious group to conscript the power of the state to impose their religious beliefs on their fellow citizens, whether or not those citizens share those beliefs. This is a serious threat to a free society committed to the principle of separation of church and state."
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 Other Sheep is an ecumenical, multi-cultural, Christian ministry that works worldwide for the full inclusion of LGBT people of faith within their respective faith traditions.
" . . . connecting people with people and people with resources . . . "
Photo: Barn, bridge and stream in the Upper Delaware region, Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River, upriver from Callicoon, New York. Taken December 24, 2008. | |
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Photo at Left: Christopher J. H. Wright, 
