LGBTQ
How a remnant group of United Methodists is making a new church home
By Yonat Shimron — December 18, 2023
ADVANCE, N.C. (RNS) — Here, in the middle of a bland industrial park that looks like a self-storage facility, a new church is emerging.
Church of England to introduce same-sex blessing, as it faces ‘disestablishment’ bill in Parliament
By Catherine Pepinster — December 15, 2023
LONDON (RNS) — The prayers may be too little too late on an issue that has long alienated the church from politicians and peers.
For this group of trans women, the pope and his message of inclusivity are a welcome change
By Trisha Thomas and Nicole Winfield — November 21, 2023
TORVAIANICA, Italy (AP) — For the marginalized trans community of Torvaianica, it was just the latest gesture of inclusion from a pope who has made reaching out to the LGBTQ+ community a hallmark of his papacy.
Synod on Synodality report is disappointing but not surprising
By Thomas Reese — October 30, 2023
(RNS) — For Francis it was never about the hot-button topics.
Survey: Mainline clergy are more liberal than their congregants
By Yonat Shimron — September 14, 2023
(RNS) — Mainline clergy are more supportive than their congregants of LGBTQ rights, more likely to have opposed the overturn of Roe v. Wade and less likely to believe America is in danger of losing its culture and identity.
Three dozen NC churches have agreed to leave the UMC under approved plan
By Yonat Shimron — September 8, 2023
(RNS) — After a judge dismissed their lawsuit, the 36 churches in the Western North Carolina Conference agreed to leave under the denomination's exit plan. They will formally exit in November.
History tells us that burning sacred texts and other books never ends well
By Anna Piela — August 29, 2023
(RNS) — Those whose books are burned or banned are often erased from a country’s life and history.
Richard Dawkins has abandoned science to justify his transphobia
By Hemant Mehta — August 1, 2023
(RNS) — It’s jarring to see the world’s most famous atheist use his massive platform to downplay or deny trans identities.
Why Pee Wee Herman mattered
By Jeffrey Salkin — August 1, 2023
Paul Reubens, aka Pee Wee Herman, was in the tradition of the great Jewish comedians.
Why the movie ‘Exodus’ still matters
By Jeffrey Salkin — July 13, 2023
(RNS) — On the 75th anniversary of Israel’s birth, the blockbuster movie still raises serious questions.
Geneva College soccer coach fired after expressing support for LGBTQ people
By Yonat Shimron — July 11, 2023
(RNS) — In early April, Kelsey Morrison posted two messages to her Instagram page: ‘Queer people offer precious gifts to the church: Don't miss out’ and ‘Jesus is radically inclusive.’
Nonbinary genders beyond ‘male’ and ‘female’ would have been no surprise to ancient rabbis, who acknowledged tumtums, androgynos and aylonot
By Sarah Imhoff — July 7, 2023
(The Conversation) — People sometimes assume religious traditions’ ideas about gender have always been conservative and unchanging.
Neland Avenue wasn’t kicked out. Now the church has to decide if it wants to stay.
By Yonat Shimron — July 5, 2023
(RNS) — The Christian Reformed Church didn't show any sign it would relent from its new doctrinal stand that homosexual sex is a sin. That puts the Neland Avenue Church in a tight spot.
How the Supreme Court’s conservative majority is making new rules for minorities
By Thomas Reese — July 3, 2023
(RNS) — If the Constitution is what five Supreme Court justices say it is, who controls the presidency and the Senate really matters.
Whitworth University’s new hiring policy will allow LGBTQ faculty
By Yonat Shimron — June 30, 2023
(RNS) —The school in Spokane, Washington, joins a sliver of Christian colleges and universities that have bucked a largely sturdy resistance to hiring married gay faculty.
