FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: A queer rendering of Galatians chapter 2 by Rev. Steve Parelli

An adaptation of  chapters 1 and 2 of Paul's letter to the Galatians for the queer Christian by Rev. Stephen Parelli; an alternative queer interpretation, a verse-by-verse amplified paraphrase.

The full verse by verse rendering of Galatians 1 and Galatians 2 is posted on the Other Sheep Exec Site.  The queer rendering is set in parallel form, verse by verse, along side of the text of the Authorized Version of King James (KJV).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (January 30, 2010):

In an adaptation of chapters 1 and 2 of Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, Rev. Stephen Parelli gives an alternative queer interpretation of the apostle's letter, rendering and amplifying the text verse by verse.

Today, Parelli posted his rendering of Galatians chapter 2 to the Internet via his website, Other Sheep Exec Site.

In the first half of the second chapter of Galatians (verse 1-10), Parelli parallels his personal beginnings in queer justice work with Paul's beginnings in Antioch and Jerusalem. In the second half of the chapter, Parelli relates Paul's confrontation with Peter over circumcision and hypocrisy with the evangelical church's failure to maintain inclusivity within its community of believers, especially the inclusivity of queer believers.

Parelli gives the following subheadings to his rendering of Galatians chapter 2: Personal beginnings (verses 1-10); The evangelical church's closeted queer ministers (verses 11-12); The evangelical church's problem of artificial inclusion (verses 13-14a); The problem of the "down low" queer Christian (verse 14b); The evangelical church's need to live the message it knows it has received (verses 15-16); Christ is not the minister of discrimination (verses 17-19); Here is the way of Christ (verse 20); and Laws without love cannot produce a just society (verse 21).

Last October (2009), immediately following his participation in the Equality March in Washington, D.C., Parelli, inspired by the March, wrote his queer rendering of Galatians chapter 1. On his website he says he had memorized and studied Galatians during his freshman year of Bible college filling five notebooks with personal study notes with the purpose of applying his studies to himself as a Christian struggling with his same-sex attractions. Now he reads the Bible as a queer Christian.

The subdivisions of his verse by verse rendering of Galatians chapter 1 are: To live as he lived (verses 1-5); That the church has mistaken the "good news" as something else (verses 6-8); You see how important it is to keep the message in focus (verses 8-9); We know what we are about (verses 10-12); Sadly, we have destroyed our own daughters and sons (verse 13); A religion of "living-by-the-Bible" for profit (verse 14); What a "calling" - to reveal the rejected and despised Jesus (verses 15-16); A time to grow in knowledge and a time to speak out from that base of knowledge (verses 17-20); and That the LGBT Christian might see Jesus, the friend of the oppressed (verses 21-24).

Rev. Parelli is the Executive Director of Other Sheep. His ordination credentials are with the Metropolitan Community Church. He is a member of MCCNY and The Riverside Church of New York City.

Can Rev Tim Keller of NYC Redeemer Church (PCA) have it both ways? Can he be considered a true Christian and ostracize gays? Not if he listens to himself.

by Rev. Stephen Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director, Bronx, NY

[Recently, Tim Keller's statements on homosexuality as reported by Joseph Hooper in the New York News & Features, Nov 29, 2009,  became the subject of on-going back-and-forth comments over the Internet during the weeks that followed the article's publication. Tim Keller is pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in New York City and author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. * * * *  Personally, in 1997, as a gay evangelical Christian in reparative therapy with Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, I attended a couple sessions of Redeemer's church-sponsored support group for dealing with issues around human sexuality. You can see my paper on my personal experience and evaluation of reparative therapy on the Other Sheep website.]


In his 2001 statement on "The Need for a 'Missional' Church," Tim Keller wrote that when "Christendom" dominated society, culture incorporated certain Christian morals [such as sex only in marriage and the condemnation of same-sex sex – Keller's own examples]. He goes on to say, the problem with "Christiandom" is that it is "morality without gospel-changed hearts" ["changed hearts" is the essence of true evangelical conversion, or true Christianity]. 

Keller asserts it was "Christiandom" over the centuries and not true Christianity that

"often led to cruelty and hypocrisy. Think how the small town in 'Christendom' [wrongly] treated the unwed mother or the gay person [for lack of a 'gospel-changed heart']. Also, under 'Christendom' the church was silent against abuses of power of the ruling classes over the weak."

It would appear to me, then, that Uganda, an evangelical country by all accounts (see Miranda K. Hasset, Anglican Communion in Crisis; see Mark A Noll, The Shape of World Christianity), is pseudo-evangelical, not having that essential evangelical mark-of-conversion, a "changed-heart." As per Tim Keller's descriptive example of the real, genuine evangelical Christian heart, Ugandans, if truly converted, would not treat gay Ugandans with the "cruelty and hypocrisy" of execution and life imprisonment, as their current Anti-Homosexulaity bill provides, and similarly would not be "silent against abuses of power of the ruling classes over the weak [in this case, the marginalized homosexuals]." Evidently, according to Tim Keller's overview of Western church history as "changed-hearts" verses unchanged-hearts, Uganda has never been converted to true Christianity, and is, instead, a product of mere "Christiandom."

So then, being consistent with Tim Keller's example of "cruelty and hypocrisy" towards a "gay person" as indicative of the unbeliever, it would appear that in our own part of the world, as in Uganda, evangelicals fail at true conversion. Many evangelical gay Christians, here in the United States, have suffered "cruelty and hypocrisy" within their own evangelical families, churches, schools and colleges.

The Ugandan brand of evangelical "cruelty and hypocrisy" is but one kind of brand of "cruelty and hypocrisy." Here in America, the evangelical "cruelty and hypocrisy" is ostracism. David G. Myers and Letha Dawson Scanzoni, in their book What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage, show how ostracism is an "emotional abuse" and "a terrible, terrible weapon to use," whether by society-at-large (civil unions, a form of ostracism) or smaller unites like familes and churches (family reunions and holidays denied a gay family member; opportunities of service denied, or excommunication of the gay church member).  

Marc Adams, in his book The Preacher's Son, shows how a gay student at Jerry Falwel's school, upon dismissal for being gay and acting upon it, committed suicide when his church and family totally ostracized him. Marc Adams lays the blame of the suicide squarely at the feet of Liberty University for failing to counsel the parents or pastor against ostracism prior to dispelling the student.

Again, according to Tim Keller, none of this "cruelty and hypocrisy" of ostracism should be happening within the evangelical world, not if they've really had a "changed heart." And that's just what my non-evangelical gay Christian friends tell me: "How is that Christianity?" I guess evangelical Tim Keller would agree with them.

And so then, who is Christian? What is Christianity? Who needs a change of heart? Evangelicals in Uganda and America? Or, is there even really such a thing as a "change of heart" evangelical-gospel-wise-speaking? Or, is it more about enlightenment, and our common humanity that calls us to consider our actions as just or unjust towards one another, gay or straight? Is that the good news? Is the situation more about our lack of understanding cultural norms and social conditioning, that hinder and hold us back? What really drives us in one direction or the other? Keller's evangelical "gospel-changed hearts" doesn't seem to be working. Not in Uganda, not at Jerry Falwel's university, and not in the untold stories of the silenced minority of evangelical gays who suffer "cruelty and hypocrisy" at the hands of their own God-fearing parents, siblings, churches and schools.

On Rev Kong Hee of Singapore mega church: Like so many evangelicals, his "pro" homosexual stance is a sham

by Rev Dr Yap Kim Hao, the retired Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore
Source:  Yawning Bread, September 16, 2009

A personal note: Jose Ortiz and I had the privilege of meeting Rev Dr Yap Kim Hao, author of this article, when we visited the Free Community Church, Singapore, Sunday, August 2, 2009. I preached in the morning service (audio recording of sermon at this web page). - Rev. Steve Parelli

Original Title: Church welcome hides rejection by Rev Dr Yap Kim Hao
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Excerpts:

Kong Hee has cleverly crafted his response that can mislead readers that he is sympathetic to LGBTQ people unless one is aware of his background and the purpose of his writing in the manner that he did.

Kong Hee focuses in a general way on salvation and dismisses sexual orientation. The assumption is that once a person is saved according to his terms of reference the work of truth and sanctification will take over. He posits the simple equation that once a gay person is saved, the sexual orientation will turn from homosexuality to heterosexuality. If not, LGBTQ will be given grace to suppress same-sex feelings and become celibate. Salvation leads to eradication of the practice of same-sex acts. Unless you are saved you will remain a homosexual.
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The article in full:

The founder and senior pastor of [the Singapore mega church] City Harvest Church, Kong Hee, an evangelical pentecostal, has posted in his blog his response to Singapore Prime Minister Lee’s National Day Rally Speech 2009 on Racial and Religious Harmony.

The following is what the prime minister said on the issue of Homosexuality:

PM: [Concerning the recent AWARE controversy:] On homosexuality policy or sexuality education in schools, there can be strong differences in view; but government’s position on these issues is clear.

Kong Hee wrote:

KONG HEE: My position on this hot button issue is this: gay or straight, heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual, we want to introduce everyone to the love of Jesus Christ. But how are they going to encounter that if gays and lesbians perceive the Church as hostile toward their community? As the shepherd over my flock, I don’t want my members exposed to any unwelcome, predatory sexual advances made by anyone —- be that person straight or gay. But if he or she doesn’t pose a direct, negative influence over the congregation, we should indeed adopt a “live and let live” attitude. We are all sinners saved by grace. I want City Harvest Church to focus on the issue of salvation, not sexual orientation. Once someone is saved, I trust the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth and sanctification.

Kong Hee has cleverly crafted his response that can mislead readers that he is sympathetic to LGBTQ people unless one is aware of his background and the purpose of his writing in the manner that he did.

He has dissociated from Derek Hong of the Church of the Savior who openly and vigorously opposes LGBTQ persons and in his “Choices” programme attempts reparative therapy. However, Derek Hong too claims that he welcomes them to his Church and that his congregation should [not] be hostile to them. LGBTQ will be enlisted to “Choices” and undergo a therapy which is regarded widely as being damaging. Success stories are few and far in between.

Kong Hee has lumped the homosexuality issue to that of sexuality issue in general to avoid giving attention specifically to homosexuality. His response hides the fact that the teaching of his church is against homosexuality which is regarded as a sin or fallen nature. His welcome is for the LGBTQ people to come to his Church, stay in the larger closet and offer themselves to be saved. That is his conditional welcome for the purpose of changing their sexual orientation or forcing them to refrain from same-sex acts.

I know that when a member of the musical team in his church was known to be gay, he was summarily removed from serving in the team. I presume that gays and lesbians cannot assume leadership positions when they come out as gay. They are to hide their sexual orientation from the rest of the congregation.

Despite his statement that he does not want his members exposed to any unwelcome, predatory sexual advances made by anyone—be that person straight or gay, he is directing the message more to gays who are often stereotyped as predatory. LGBTQ are providing a greater negative influence. The so-called “live and let alive” attitude is leaning more towards the straight then the gay.

Quite intentionally but subtly there is the affirmation of the straights even though he is not saved but condemnation for the gays who practice homosexuality.

Salvation is for all and we are all saved by grace. Kong Hee focuses in a general way on salvation and dismisses sexual orientation. The assumption is that once a person is saved according to his terms of reference the work of truth and sanctification will take over. He posits the simple equation that once a gay person is saved, the sexual orientation will turn from homosexuality to heterosexuality. If not, LGBTQ will be given grace to suppress same-sex feelings and become celibate. Salvation leads to eradication of the practice of same-sex acts. Unless you are saved you will remain a homosexual. There is no way literally for a homosexual to be saved until he becomes heterosexual. Heaven therefore has no room for the gays and even for those who dare to support them but only for people like him and those who align themselves with his teaching.