Sarx

HE MOVEMENT “Community” is a Finnish ecumenical organisation that seeks to include members of sexual minorities (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer, etc) in the full life of the Church. I found out about them reading a report against them from a conservative group within the Finnish Orthodox Church, the Brotherhood of St Kosmas of Aitolia. That report is here (largish PDF file).

Here is the website of the movement, Community. They also have a Facebook group.

All these resources are in Finnish (note to self, time to learn Suomi?) but the Brotherhood of St Kosmas has unwittingly done a pro-gay favour in translating many documents into English. Perhaps they wish to enlist (like the Anglicans in Africa) the help of conservative Americans and the IRD.

As I noted earlier – the Brotherhood, like Orthodox COnservatives in England – seems actually to be some kind of Pro-Kremlin (and/or Proto-Tsarist) political movement, siding with Russia against “the west”. The theo-fascists in the IRD should both love and hate that…

The Brotherhood provided two very good English documents for us:

The Community Declaration and a side statement from Orthodox members of same organisation. Both are included below…

The Declaration from Yhteys-liike

COMMUNITY is an open forum for all the members of Christian churches and communities, who believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ also embraces sexual and gender minorities, such as gays, lesbians and bisexuals, as well as trans-gender individuals as full-standing people and Christians. They have the right to participate as themselves in the life and management of Christian parishes.

WE ARE a group of Christians, individuals with a variety of backgrounds, who work to materialize the above-mentioned right in practice. We invite new members to look for ever-deepening concept on community and courage to work for our goal.

AS PEOPLE committed to Community, we are active members of our Christian churches and communities, both office-holders and lay people. In our work related to pastoral care, education and administration, as well as in the everyday life of Christian parishes, we have faced the often painful reality of the lives of people who belong to sexual and gender minorities.

WE CALL TO Community people in Christian churches and communities ready to serve as friends, pastoral caregivers and supporters of those who belong to sexual and gender minorities in various parts of our country.

WE ALSO LOOK for people, who want to promote the debate on the rights of those in sexual and gender minorities both in Christian churches and communities and society on the whole. We try to make sure that no-one will be left alone in his/her internal struggle or under pressure of public attacks and prejudices. Silence and lies are a destructive burden for all those involved. We want to create in our Christian communities an atmosphere, in which it is possible to be hones and to live according to one’s conscience, with no need to fear that one is rejected or insulted for it.

AS CHRISTIANS, WE are bound by responsibility, respect, confidence and reciprocal commitment in inter-personal relations, including sexuality. The Bible doesn’t contain any part, which would condemn a faithful marital relationship based on respect and commitment between people of the same sex. The parts in the Bible interpreted in this way are chiefly related to rejection of sexual abuse and irresponsibility. We know that the Bible is interpreted in light of various traditions and with a variety of emphases. At the same time, we have confidence that open debate and new research can help us to get out of old and biased interpretations based on a fear of deviation. Many questions are difficult and answers are still open. However, we have confidence that, in accordance to the promise given by Jesus, the Holy Spirit will guide us towards the truth.

COMMUNITY REQUIRES that the principles and practices, which constantly cause anxiety among the people who belong to sexual and gender minorities and function in Christian churches and communities, should be re-evaluated. Those complicate the lives of these people as Christians and may also restrict their participation in the sacraments of the church. Moreover, valuable work of many employees is lost.

IN CHRISTIAN FAITH, the most crucial thing is God’s mercy, granted in Jesus Christ. This gospel of forgiveness and conciliation calls from isolation into community and from alienation into mutual confidence between Christians with different sexual orientations. The gospel provides the back-ground for reciprocal respect and cooperation both in office and the life of Christian communities in general.

At the moment, we are especially concerned about the fact that employees, elected officials and other people bearing a responsibility in the parishes, who belong to sexual and gender minorities often cannot but keep silent about their sexual orientation or resign from their work and even their entire Christian community.

Homosexual employees who live in stabilized and committed same-sex unions also give Christian churches and parishes an opportunity to provide positive examples for their members, who belong to sexual minorities. This would strengthen the right of everyone to have sacraments, pastoral care and Christian unity.

Subsequent Statement from Orthodox members of the movement, “Community”

We, the undersigned members of the Orthodox Church are involved in the movement Community, because we believe that it promotes the ethical teaching of gospel. Christ accepted all kinds of people in his company. He set as examples people, who were despised, rejected and held in contempt. The Kingdom of God calls for integrity and penance. Integrity is a fruit of love, which teaches us to respect all people. Christ forbids us to condemn each other.

Sexuality doesn’t determine the whole of a person. Homosexuality is an innate tendency, not a choice. We hope that the Orthodox who belong to sexual minorities will find their spiritual home in their own parish and that they will be able to participate in the divine services, prayers and sacraments of the church in full.

The teaching of the church about sexuality, family and the equality of man and woman meets various challenges, in which homosexuality is only one. In our opinion, homosexuality is, above all, a pastoral question, not a dogmatic one. We work for the values of the movement Community within the framework of the sacred tradition and canonical tradition of our church. We are not bringing new practices into the life of the church, nor are we draw parallels between matrimony and same-sex unions.

On the basis of the Orthodox view on people, we consider that all kinds of discrimination are a sin. We hope that an open and objective discussion on issues related to sexuality will promote tolerance and love for one’s neighbour in our church.

Copyright Information:

This text is free to be distributed in any form, unless commercially sold. Publisher’s name Pyhän Kosmas Aitolialaisen Veljestö, or any of its translations (for example “The Brotherhood of Saint Kosmas of Aitolia”), or the publisher’s official main internet site address http://www.kosmas.fi should be mentioned, when using parts which are not directly and obviously taken from other, primary sources. Also, the Publisher’s name of the compilation should be mentioned if using citations of this compilation that are translated from Finnish to English. All other rights are reserved by the Publisher, unless permitted in writing by authorized representatives of Pyhän Kosmas Aitolialaisen Veljestö ry, Joensuu, Finland.