Spirituality

Maine theologian calls transpeople a blessing

Anytime I touch on religion or spirituality as related to transpeople or the transgender community, I tend to get some pushback in the commentary, but spirituality is a part of our lives, if only because the people who are the most offended by our existence tend to view themselves as highly religious and use religious themes to denigrate us.

So bear with me, okay?

The Reverend Marvin M. Ellison wrote an opinion essay for the Bangor Daily News on Friday, entitled Transgender people are a blessing.

The essay begins with…

Thank God for transgender persons and their families, who exemplify the amazing beauty of the divine creation in all its complexity and rich diversity.

It is a blessing to share community with our transgender sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and fathers and mothers and to work alongside them to assure that each and every person, including each and every transgender person, has what they need and deserve: respect and a secure sense of personal dignity and worth, a fair share of resources, a life without fear, and the freedom to live in the world as one’s authentic self.

Those are not words we transpeople hear often from religious folk.

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There's a New Sheriff in Town......New Pope Chosen

          After hours and hours of deliberation, the Catholic Church has a new Pope. In the Catholic Church's mystical version of 'Survivor', the Argentine born Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been elected as the Church's next Pope. His election is a surprise in that it was generally believed the next Pope would be younger and European. He is 76 and a Jesuit.

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Hello, Goodbye

Hi everyone! Capt. Underpants here, from Great Orange infamy, reporting for duty. Thanks to aigeanta for the invite and for putting together this awesome site! I already like the improved sense of community here and the quality writing from lots of you. I only wish the timing of my invite was a bit better!
 

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North American Old Catholic Church to ordain transman as priest

I tend not to cover too much on the religion front. There are no doubt deep psychological issues involved with that.

I have written about my own spiritual journey at my pretty much forgotten blogspot site.

One of the reasons I don't cover religion much, although I do acknowledge that many transpeople find it to be an integral part of their lives, is because writing about religion on the internet tends to be a magnet for disagreement, name-calling, and disrespect. It is my sincere hope that will not be the case with this article. Adults can disagree without being disagreeable.

And people who can't participate in an amiable discussion are free to find something else to discuss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I have assembled a compendium of three stories drawn from religious sources for your perusal. It should never be forgotten that every theme of life is tinged with difference by the transgender perspective.

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The Islamophobia Industry Feeds Off of the Christian-Right

There is a symbiotic relationship between the Christian-Right and the Islamophobia industry. Each needs the other in a mutual way. The Christian-Right needs reassurance that it’s fears are real and the Islamophobia industry needs money (as all industries do in order to survive), and gets this cash by selling this reassurance.

Look no further than the recent Values Voter Summit for evidence of this relationship. Michelle Goldberg of the Daily Beast reports:

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