"I challenge African Americans to critically engage the relationship between Christianity and homosexuality in the same faithful way that a critical engagement of Christianity and race is offered. In the inheritance of the black church as the center of black people's lives, black pastors, as heirs and keepers of this sacred canopy, can lead others in dismantling its sin of homophobia and heterosexual supremacy.

"Many black heterosexuals have not heard the stories of pain and discrimination that their own fellow black lesbians and gays experience because of black homophobia in churches and families. If there is any possibility for change to occur, that change must begin with the voices of black gays and their heterosexual allies.

"The black church has stood as a model of the gospel, opposing slavery and emphasizing black liberation. If Christians today in the black church ever plan to live into this historical witness as a Christian body committed to black people's liberation and the liberation of all oppressed people, they ultimately must stand with lesbians and gays as equal members in God's church and world. The gospel of our Lord calls us into community, to live in mutuality, to witness the beauty of our differences.

"Homosexuality is part of human sexuality, just as African Americans are part of the human race. Thus there always will be African-American lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered persons within and outside of our faith communities. The question then becomes whether African-American heterosexuals are going to do justice toward their sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers, and other relatives, friends, colleagues and fellow Christians who are lesbian and gay.

"Our acceptance and celebration of lesbians and gays and their relationships, along with those of heterosexuals, will allow us to appreciate the beauty of God's diverse creation. In doing this, in affirming the erotic in all of us, we will proclaim a true black liberation theology. And in doing so, we will honor God."

Not so, says Dr. Michael Howell an orthodox African-American layman resident in the Diocese of Southwest Florida and a Deputy to General Convention. Writing in response to Griffin's claim that race and gender issues are qualitatively the same, Howell blasted the professor's position saying that when he testified before the Lambeth Commission during their second meeting at Kanuga, he stated that the acceptance of homoerotic behavior was not analogous to the struggle against racial discrimination within the church. "I am therefore disappointed to read the Rev. Dr. Horace L. Griffin's essay, "An Ironic Tragedy", where he attempts to establish an antithetical relationship between advocacy of racial equality and the rejection of homoerotic behavior (as an appropriate and holy lifestyle) by Black Christians.

"Dr. Griffin's attempt to draw a moral and theological equivalence between the civil rights struggle of blacks and the acceptance of homosexual behavior, is based on an erroneous assumption that the concepts of Christian (i.e., biblical) and secular/civil justice are practically identical and therefore interchangeable. In this respect, Dr. Griffin's opinion is not unique, as apologists of homoerotic behavior in the Episcopal Church have used this line of thought to justify their actions and views.

"First, there is a presumption that Christian justice is based on a set of inalienable rights, including the right to have an interpersonal relationship which involves sexual intimacy. Church proponents of homoerotic practices frequently use the term 'full inclusion' to as a clever cover for their efforts to these acts accepted as being holy and blessed, especially when the parties involved are in 'committed' relationships. Yet, scripture provides no support for this line of reasoning, and our baptism does not magically bestow on us a status by which we can dictate to God the terms of how we live our lives. The full trajectory of scripture clearly supports God's will for a created order in which sexual activity is 'set apart' for the marriage of one man and one woman. Marriage is a blessing, not a 'right' and for those whom God has not called into that estate, a chaste and celibate lifestyle remains the only option for holy and righteous living. Friendships can be developed and nurtured under a variety of circumstances, including cases where someone is struggling with same-sex attraction.

"In reality, the presenting issue has little to do with being allowed to join and participate in the life of a parish and therefore, is radically different from the discrimination that blacks (and other ethnicities) experienced in the church for so many years. Those individuals were barred from full and equal participation in the church on the basis of WHAT they were, rather than HOW they lived their lives. Being Black, Native Indian, Latino, Asian, etc., are NOT behavioral patterns or ways of life.

"I know of no orthodox rectors who will bar someone from entering or joining their parish, SOLELY on the basis of having a same-sex attraction (for whatever reason). I would not want to be a part of such a church and that practice should not be tolerated. The problem is that the goal of full inclusion by proponents goes far beyond sexual attraction and membership, in that they seek to have this behavior accepted by the church as being holy and worthy of God's blessing. That is a VERY different matter and is usually the reason why advocates of homoerotic behavior have found themselves at odds with rectors and parishes that reject such false teaching.

"Holy Scripture speaks on why parallels between racial equality and acceptance of homoerotic behavior cannot be made. The Hebrew noun tsÄ*daqah is frequently translated as 'justice' in the Old Testament. Yet, this word is also often translated as 'righteousness' in those same scriptures. We must remember that the ancient Hebrews often thought of things and concepts as being interconnected (e.g., nephesh or 'soul'), in contrast to our inclination to view certain things as separate entities. To the Jews, righteousness and justice were inextricably linked, almost like two sides of a coin. God's justice can only exist within the framework of His righteousness, and therefore things that contradict His will, including homoerotic behavior and other unrighteous acts, cannot receive His blessing.

"In the New Testament, an exegesis of 'justice reveals a more complex set of possibilities. However, one of the Greek words frequently used by translators to denote justice (krisis), is can also be rendered as 'judgment'. This is not surprising, as God's judgment is always within the framework of His righteousness and it would be erroneous to conclude that somehow, by our own feelings and actions, we could declare this truth to be 'null and void'.

"Holy Scripture's most powerful witness on why efforts to end racial discrimination can never be considered in the same light as the acceptance of homoerotic behavior, stems from the fact that the Bible is clear that from the beginning of time, God's will has been that ALL peoples of ALL nations would be reconciled to Him.

"In the 15th chapter of Acts, James does not resolve the dilemma of Gentile inclusion solely on the testimonies of Peter, Paul and Barnabas, but instead, he appeals to Holy Scripture as the authority under which their experiences should be evaluated. Anyone attempting to argue that various well-known homoerotic practices (including those practiced under the guise of committed, non abusive or exploitative relationships) would have been unable to make such an appeal, due to the clear and consistent condemnation of such acts in the scriptures the Jews considered as authoritative.

"The trajectory of Holy Scripture calls us to understand that true Christian justice cannot exist apart from the framework and foundation of God's righteousness. The rhetoric of 'just inclusion' that has dominated church discussions continues to be misleading and the notion that such justice must be balanced against the Word of God is a false dichotomy. We are all sinners and all sins separate us from the God who loves us. Through His divine grace, He gave His only and unique son Jesus, the true Christ unto death on a cross, so that our sins could be crucified with him, so that we could become transformed into new and holy creations through the power of the Holy Spirit. The church therefore, must be the place that welcomes all peoples of all nations and yes, even those who are experiencing same-sex desires.

"But the Church must also be a place where everyone can be fed and nurtured in God's truth through word and sacrament, rather than a place for where personal desires and wishes are affirmed, simply because they 'exist'. Only then can the Church fulfill its mission, because only then will people be able to hear, accept and understand the true message of salvation through the death and resurrection of the Jesus, the one and true Christ for people of all races and nations."

END