The article below is one of seven contributions, representing a variety of viewpoints, given at the “Bible Listening Day” organised by the Irish Peace Centres in November 2011. This is part of an effort both to take Scripture seriously and to engage in respectful evangelical dialogue. [Continue Reading]
Report: Holding the tension wisely
November 1, 2011
Even before a conversation about LGBT lives and stories begins, there can be felt-tension about the perceived intention of another. There is tension when a conversation is experienced as being coercive. There can be tension when one person perceives that another’s engagement may cloak a particular agenda. Intentions can sometimes be judged incorrectly. Where one individual may be seeking to understand, their intention may be judged as destructive. This requires a deep and caring communication – speaking and listening, speaking and listening. Language is more than words. Even the most carefully chosen words cannot mask a hurtful intention. [Continue Reading]
Report: LGBT Communities’ Experiences of Faith and Church in Northern Ireland
September 1, 2011
Irish Peace Centers
This is the seventh paper in the IPC Experiential Learning series and it contains the personal stories of up to 20 members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community who responded to a public call from Irish Peace Centres for stories. The paper is a conversation about diversity and a conversation which wider society frequently finds difficult to engage in. It should be read with care and the respect that any first person reflection deserves. I salute the commitment and courage of the respondents who told their stories for the purpose of investing an often controversial discussion with real life stories of their faith, their life and their hopes. [Continue Reading]
