RECENTLY, MY wife and I attended a humanist wedding between two young women, one of whom is a family friend. My daughter was a witness for this friend and injected the only piece of religion in the ceremony by reading a few verses from the Epistles. My granddaughter was a ring bearer. I do not […]
Church of Ireland Gazette: Suicide among gay people
As the Director of Cara- Friend, an LGBT mental health organisation, it was with particular interest that I noted the recent letters of the Revd Andrew Rawding and the Revd Patrick Burke (Gazette, 8th and 22nd November). In May 2013, I gave a presentation to a well attended fringe meeting of the Church of Ireland General Synod in Armagh which discussed the particular evidence for Church influenced poor mental health amongst many LGBT people. [Continue Reading]
Church of Ireland Gazette: Suicide among gay people
I attended the ‘Suicide Prevention and Pastoral Care’ seminar organised recently by the Irish Churches Peace Project in Londonderry. For the panel discussion, I asked how the Churches intended to prevent suicide among people who don’t feel accepted by Churches, like gay people. [Continue Reading]
Church of Ireland Gazette: Church cool over demands from Changing Attitude Ireland
The group, Changing Attitude Ireland (CAI), which describes itself as “a network of persons, gay and heterosexual, working for the full affirmation of gay and lesbian persons in the church of Ireland and other Christian denominations”, has welcomed the introduction of civil Partnership in the Republic of Ireland at the beginning of this month, but has also called on any new Irish Government to upgrade the Act to match what has been available in Northern Ireland since 2005. [Continue Reading]
Church of Ireland Gazette: Down at St. David’s
By Ted Woods
‘Im gay …I actually don’t want to be gay, but I can’t help it. It’s the way I am… it’s nature not nurture’ [Continue Reading]
Church of Ireland Gazette: Bishops’ Listening Process and Hard Gospel Project challenged by ‘Changing Attitude’ official
A co-founder and the Secretary of Changing Attitude Ireland, the Revd Mervyn Kingston, has expressed trenchant criticisms of the bishops’ Listening Process regarding gay and lesbian people in the Church, and has voiced similar criticisms of the Hard Gospel Project’s dealing with the subject. [Continue Reading]