Volume 13, Issue 1
Freedom
Cover Stories
The Paradox of Freedom
By Rev. Candace Chellew
It’s a paradox — we think we want freedom so we can do anything we please — but when we put God first in our lives, those pleasing things of the world don’t seem so attractive after all.
Want Freedom Fries With That?
By Lori Heine
No one can place a price on what God has freely given. All we need to do to claim that freedom is to obey the primary order ever given us by the God Who Is — and that is, quite simply, to be.
Where the Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is Liberty
By Rev. Suzie Chamness
The freedom found in the relationship with God is the Spirit of truth guiding us through our lives. Through the freedom to follow God and to learn, we can help others build a place on earth that is safe and full of Christ’s love for all.
Reason for Celebration
By John H. Campbell
For some, the very thought of that kind of freedom — to be precisely and shamelessly the person who a Loving God Created them to be is nothing short of terrifying.
Features
Stop Arguing About the Bible and Homosexuality
By Rev. Candace Chellew
We should not be spending our energy arguing the Bible or even worrying if the Bible condemns us as gay and lesbian people.
The Pastor Behind the Gay Marriage Ruling
By John Dart
Little noted in the history behind the California Supreme Court decision that gives the “right to marry” to same-sex couples are the bold steps taken over four decades by onetime Pentecostal minister Troy Perry in trying to establish legal and religious rights for gays and lesbians.
Gay Bashing: The Politics of Religion
By Rev. Dr. Jerry S. Maneker
Most of the institutional Church, through its rhetoric and actions and/or its silence and inaction in the face of the oppression of LGBT people, has provided “justification” to others to view and treat LGBT people as second-class citizens who are not allowed to live in a manner consistent with the very souls that God has given them.
Target Michelle Obama
By Dr. Robert N. Minor
Get ready to observe a woman of color treated in ways that no man and no white person in the political arena will be treated.
Transgenderism and Religious Narratives
By Melissa Conroy
As a scholar interested in religion and gender, I did not find the controversy at all surprising. The implicit dimorphism of the story of Adam and Eve deeply conditions our understanding of the possibilities of our species.
Stumbling Blocks to Gay Liberation
By Dan Charles
Stop giving heterosexists the right to interpret religious texts, and stop pretending religion has no place in the Gay Rights movement. It should have a very prominent place! Bibliolatry is a major tool of LGBT oppression. Combating it is a necessary task for all of us, no matter what our belief systems may be.
Letters to the Editor
From the Pulpit
We’re One, But We’re Not the Same
By Rev. Candace Chellew
The world is a frustrating place to live. We’re never told that we’re one or that we have no choice but to get along. Instead, we’re told it’s us against them.
Disturbing the Peace
By Rev. Candace Chellew
What Jesus is calling us to do is be outrageous — to challenge the status quo of our world. If we truly follow Jesus’ example, we will be disturbing the peace too.
May I Have This Dance?
By Rev. Micah Royal
Whatever your calling is in life — whatever God’s answer for your struggle is — you cannot find it until you accept God’s love for yourself and choose to love him first.