Transgender London

Home

Articles

In The News

Opinion

Resources

About Me

More On Religion

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with the Rev. Paul Whiting of London's Metropolitan Community Church.  To say this encounter was anything but revealing would be an understatement.

What I came to understand was the he and I have similar attitudes toward religion; well not religion precisely, but rather, toward the mainstream religious institutions.  Of course the position I have always held has been that the churches generally discriminate against the LGBT community.  That this discrimination against the LGB portion is founded in scripture is undeniable.  However, what is also undeniable is that we hold the belief that the focus of faith is that love of God and in return, God's love of us.  This is and should remain the overarching purpose of any religious thrust.

To quote the great Mahatma Ghandi: "I like your Christ.  It is your Christians I do not like."  This would certainly be a majority of opinion within the LGBT community; and rightly so.  We see churches and congregations openly discriminate against the LGBT community without any repercussion.  If such commentary were to come from the business sector, the companies and individuals within would be held liable for discrimination.  However because it is a religious institution it is "hands off".

So the paradox is that on Sunday we can go to church and praise God, run down the Gays, Lesbians and Transgender as being abominations before God then on Monday go to work beside the LGBT members and say nothing because the law says we have to treat everyone equally; well almost everyone.  There are still no solid protections for discrimination against transgendered people in Human Rights Acts in Canada or the US; at least that would withstand a challenge before the Supreme Courts.

The good news is that the Metropolitan Community Churches do not hold to these discriminations.  Their doors are open to all without exception.  Rightly so.  They are devoted to celebration of the life of Christ, not to discriminatory dogma.  Christ devoted his life and ministry to helping the poorest of society, the indigent, the sinners. 

Christ was also prone to anger at the established religious institutions of his day for their hypocrisy.  He was one to enjoy food and drink with friends and celebrate his devotion to the Father.  His was a life that was supposed to change the errors of the past.  It was a message cut short.

So, the fact remains that there is a welcome mat for your Christian beliefs and that mat is at the door of the Metropolitan Community Churches.  They want you to celebrate with them, not sit in judgement of your life or lifestyle.  God will do that; they will help you celebrate and grow in your Christian faith and love of God.

It is as it should be.

Kimberley

May 2010