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4 - THE BARB.March 1976
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INDEPENDENT • NONDENOMINATIONAL • EVANGELICAL
DIGNITY
ATLANTA
Catholic Outreach to
The Gay Com—Ry
Grow by ahadag with
your Brother* and Slaton ia
Itargy, diacaaakm, aoclala,
aad sporting activities Si.
thomas Moore Church 624
Weal Ponce De Loon Ave.,
Decatur, Georgia 30630.
Phot and Third Wed-
naadaya • 7t30 p.n. FOR
MORE INFORMATION
WRITE POB 77013,
ATLANTA, 30309 or CALL
873-2670.
INTEGRITY
for gay
episcopalians
and our friends
701 orange st.
31030
r Dofncjsl
TTXjCaClanGa
•00 n.highland ave. ne (404)072-3346 11
With Qualifications
Bishop Urges Clergy to Work
for Gay Rights
By Rick Caruso
Atlanta gays suffer cruel and
biting discrimination by business
and social communities in the
metro area and churches-have a
responsibility to fight for their
civil rights although they may
not agree with the homosexual
lifestyle.
That’s the ,view of . Bishop
Bennett J. Sims, head of
Atlanta’s Episcopal Diocese,
who urged religious leaders of
theDiocesanCouncil to campaign
for the decriminalization of state
and local laws which
discriminate against gays:
It’s a matter of civil rights, Sims,
told members of the council. He
cited numerous confrontations
during the past year with gay
persons during which Sims said
he learned that they suffer a
cruel discrimination as human
beings.
But the prelate fell short of a
full endorsement of the
homosexual lifestyle. Accepting
homosexuality as normal and
healthy are impossible for Sims
now, he told the group.
At the January meeting at the
All Saints Episcopal Church,!
Sims confronted the civil rights
issue and told council members
that .scripture does not condone
homosexuality but tempered his
remarks with a call not to totally
“slam the door” on gays solely
on Biblical basis.
He doesn’t accept, however,
homosexuality as having the
same power for the expression of
love and long-time commitment
is heterosexual relationships.
Sims said he was:
“wholeheartedly unready” to ;
accept the equality of
heterosexual and homosexual,
,k>ve.
He reaffirmed his belief that
marriage is still the best hope
man has against the diffictdites
of an “unreal world made up of
1 unreal people.”
He pointed to fast changes in'
the society which he blamed for
the breakdown of traditional
supports to life-long
monogamous marriage.
But Sims added that all people,
regardless of their “sexual
orientation” are sisters and
brothers of Christ.
They’re held “in the same
mercy and held in the same
challenge of accountability,” he
said.
Dignity Responds to
Vatican Statement on Gays
The most recent statement
,on sexual ethics from the Vatican
opntinuesto reflect a lackof
appreciation for the broad range
of human sexual expression
among those who follow Christ
and live responsible love.
DIGNITY, an international
organization of gay and con
cerned Catholics, has been
challenging the Catholic Church
to a more sensitive pastoral care
of the homosexual community,
flowing from a more enlighted
understanding of comtemporary
psychological, scriptural, and
theological . data on
homosexuality.
The present Vatican
document, while urging a
“ sensitive pastoral * approach to
the homosexual”, does little
- more than repeat the traditional,
unenlightened condemnation of
homosexual expression, based
on the presupposition that
human sexuality is God-given
and moral only in heterosexual
marriage has been seriously
ehallenged.by a large number of
American Catholic theologians
who recognize the broader
purpose of human sexuality as
an expression of unselfish love
between two people, as a
responsible communication of
their love and shared life.
To- speak of homosexuality
as “intrinsically disordered” is
to neglect current biological and
psychological data on
Continued on page 13.
Gay Episcopalians Organize in
Atlanta
Last August the founding con
vention of Integrity, a gay
Episcopalian organization, took
place in Chicago, Illinois. Thus,
Integrity became the second gay
Christian organization affiliated
with a major denomination to be
organized in the United States
(Dignity, a Roman Catholic
group, being the first). At this
convention the chief goals of
Integrity were delineated: (1) to
provide an open, loving and
supportive Christian atmosphere
for gay Episcopalians and their
friends, and (2) to work within
the Episcopal Church to develop
an environment wherein those of
its gay members who so wish,
both clergy and lay, may openly
declare their gayness without
ostracism or recrimination.
Since the founding convention, a
number of gay Episcopalians
have been trying to organize an
Integrity chapter in Atlanta. The
chapter finally has begun to take
shape th is past month. A meeting
time (2nd and 4th Sundays of
each month at 7:30 p.m.) and a
place (St. Bartholomew’s
Episcopal Church - 1790 LaVista
Road, NE Atlanta) has been set.
The group is still small but very
enthusiastic. A number of
Episcopal priests have volun
teered to take turns celebrating
the Eucharist at each meeting.
The immediate goals of
Integrity-Atlanta are: (1) to
expand its membership, and (2)
to start the process of developing
a dialogue between gay and
straight Episcopalians within the
Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. In
keeping with the goals and spirit
of the national organization, the
members of Integrity-Atlanta
INTEGRITY/Atlanta
For more information contact
Ara Dostourian
3805 Highway 5
Douglasville, GA 30134
(404)942-9813
or
Steven Matthews
(404)351-1943
sec themselves as an integral
part of the Episcopal Church, in
this case the Diocese of Atlanta,
as well' as loyal committed
members of that chjurch.
Integrity-Atlanta members
belong to various Episcopal
churches in the Atlanta area:
Cathedral of St. Philip, Church
of Our Saviour, St. .Bar
tholomew’s Church, St. Luke’s
Church, etc.
Recently (Jan. 28-29) the
Diocese of Atlanta held its
annual convention (Council).
One of the more important
questions before the Council was
a resolution to initiate a study of
the entire area of gayness in
relationship to Christianity, and
specifically to the ministry of the
Continued on page 14.
Fundamentalist Evangelist Says
“Genes and Chromosomes*
Drove Him to Illicit Sex
Funda im.ni a list evangelist,
Billy James Hargis, says “genes
and chromosomes” drove him to
sexual relationships with four of
his male students and one coed
according to the February 16
edition of Time magazine.
According to Time the first of
five students confessed his
relationship with Hargis in
October of 1974, in a discussion
with Hargis aide David Noebel.
Noebel was then vice-president
of American Christian College in
Tulsa of which Hargis was
president.
According to Noebel, Hargis
performed the wedding
ceremony for two students who
on their honeymoon discovered
that both had had sexual
relationships with Hargis.
Hargis, 50, has long been noted
for his ultra-right super
patriotism. In 1968 he published
an expose of sex education in Is
the School House the Proper
Place to Teach Raw Sex which
sold over 250,000. His work in
organizing for. right wing
political and religious rallies has
included such right wing,
notables as Maj. Gen. Edward
Walker and Gov. George Wallce.
When confronted by Noebel’s
accusations in late October 1974,
Hargis did not deny them.
Hargis resigned as president of
American Christian College and
turned the presidency over to
Noebel.
Time magazine said the Hargis
resignation came only after a
cash settlement from life in-
Continued on page 14.
Atlanta Mayor Proclaims
MCC Day
ATLANTA-Atlanta Mayor
Maynard Jackson proclaimed
January 18th Metropolitan ;
Community Church of Atlanta
day in honor of the church’s
fourth anniversary.
The proclaimation cited MCC
Atlanta’s efforts in the com
munity to reach out to all people.
Cheryl Pence, member of the
National Organization of
Women’s board of directors,
■ V OF ATLANTA
WHEREAS the Metropolitan Community Church-of
Atlanta is celebrating its fourth anniversary as a
CHARTER CHURCH OF THE UNIVERSAL FELLOWSHIP OF fcTROPOLITAN
Community Churches; and
WHEREAS the Metropolitan Community Church has
BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY; AND
WHEREAS the Metropolitan Community Church has
REACHED OUT TO ALL PEOPLE IN AN EFFORT TO HELP US BETTER
UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER A|«D OURSELVES; AND
WHEREAS Atlanta is a richer place because of
THE PRESENCE OF THIS CHURCH:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Maynard Jackson, Mayor of
the City of Atlanta, do hereby proclaim Sunday,
January 18, 1976, as
organization continued
made the presentation on behalf
of Mayor Jackson.
Rev. John Gill, former pastor of
MCC Atlanta, was made an
honorary citizen of Atlanta. Rev.
jTroy Perry, founder of the
(Universal Fellowship of
^Metropolitan Community
Churches was similarly honored
by Mayor Jackson last year.
Reverend Elder John W. Gill
/ ^a6,-on//W6b 1st February, & 76
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have
HEREUNTO SET MY HAND AN£^
^^TLANTA TO BE AFFIXED.
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