Christian orthodoxy is a broad umbrella, but there is no room therein for hatred, diminishment, or rejection of lesbian, gay, trans, bi, queer, asexual, or other people whose lives and bodies are neither cis-gendered nor heterosexual, but are definitely “fearfully and wonderfully made” in the image of a Divine Self who is most certainly more than we can imagine.
Additionally, it can only be a false and self-serving religion that would release a statement of such unimaginative and narrow theological falsehood in a time when voices are shouting choruses of white supremacist hatred, anti-Semitic drivel, and narrow, nationalist notions.
Houston is under water, China and Macau recovering from a typhoon, Venezuelans are starving to death, Syria is reduced to rubble, and all the side-eye is on Pyongyang and Washington, D.C. Christians have no shortage of opportunities to speak and act in love, toward the clear Divine goals of community, hope, inclusion, and resurrection.
Instead, the signers of the “Nashville Statement” have chosen to speak a word of hatred and death to people who already face increased statistics in that area. This is not Christian. This is not prophetic. It is patriarchal and white supremacist self-gratification, done because it makes those who do it feel good, but it bears no recognizable fruit. The consequences of this will be borne by those who can least handle another blow.
There is no place for that kind of hate in our Facebook group or in any situation that happens under the auspices of RevGalBlogPals. Our position is clear. We stand with our LGBTQIA+ siblings, as with our siblings of all races.
The “Nashville Statement” is to be grouped with all the forces that oppose God and wholeheartedly renounced.
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Rev. Julia Seymour, President
Rev. Sarah Howe Miller, Ph.D., Vice-President
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Rev. Amy Haynie, Treasurer
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I’m from Nashville but I haven’t seen the statement you are talking about – when did it come out and where did you find it?
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It was shared on social media yesterday. Try Googling “Nashville Statement.” We are not going to link to it directly.
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I’m from Nashville and I haven’t seen the document you’re talking about. Where did you see it?
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I googled it and found it. You’re absolutely correct. It is VILE. The article says 150 evangelicals pastors signed it. Well, the south is full of evangelical pastors but NOT all evangelical pastors think like those who wrote the manifesto. Think Jim Wallis of Sojourners – he is evangelical and there’s no one in the world who would put him with those who wrote the Nashville Statement. Also, IT IS NOT ALL OF NASHVILLE. I know that for sure. Vanderbilt Divinity School is here and you’re not going to find any more compassionate faculty than those at Vandy…I am so upset they made it sound like this is how Nashville feels. IT IS NOT!
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Agreed. We have member pastors in Nashville who are speaking out against it, too.
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Thank you for the clarity and timeliness of your statement. I had not heard it either and it is appalling.
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Beautiful and so needed! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
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I tried to find out who these 150 pastors are and I’ll tell you who they are, they are cowards because only the nationally known names are listed and none of them reside here! I am furious, but I’m certainly glad this was brought up here because I’m going to rally the troops in my circle and we’re going to do something…don’t know what. BTW, remember the Women’s March???? Well, there were 20,000 + here who marched and many of us wore our clergy stoles. It was the largest gathering of any kind for a demonstration here in Nashville.
Here’s something I found about our wonderful, first woman mayor of Nashville: Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, who as a councilwoman officiated at some of the city’s first same-sex marriages when they became legal in Tennessee, took issue with the statement’s moniker. In a tweet, she called it “poorly named.” Turns out it was named “Nashville” because these people met here. Thing is, I really don’t want to give them publicity and if I put it on my FB page, that’s what it does. I’ll have to think on that one.
So glad to be here, though I mostly read and don’t write much. Pat
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Amen. Thanks be to God for such leadership at RevGalsBlogPals.
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AMEN. Thank you. Well done.
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Thank you. This badly needed to be said.
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Today is so different. There are clergy from many denominations condemning the Nashville Statement. However, the local WTN is condemning us saying how we are not the kind of clergy God wants.
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Thank you, sisters!
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