We have a high view of the bible - the Word of God nourishes all we think and do. Bible reading and study is one of the things that all Christians are called by God to take seriously.

We do not accept that biblical references to homosexual behaviour in scripture can be fairly applied to the kind of faithful, lifelong relationships we wish to defend. The Sodom story in Genesis concerns gang rape, not a loving, permanent partnership, and its primitive morality (for example, when Lot offers his daughters to be raped instead of the men) means we can hardly take the text as an ethical guide. Similarly, while Leviticus includes homosexuality in its list of 'abominations' we must also note that it condemns a number of activities (lending money for interest; shaving the beard; weaving two kinds of cloth together) which scarcely worry us today.

When Paul mentions homosexual behaviour in Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1, it is highly unlikely that he had in mind the concept of an equal same-sex partnership, but rather homosexual prostitution and pederasty, which were the most visible kind of homosexual practice in his own society. Also, it is clear from Romans 1.26 and 27 which mention men and women 'exchanging' homosexual sex, that Paul, like other Jewish and early Christian writers, believed homosexuality was a free and perverse choice, whereas we now understand that for most gay people there is no choice in the matter at all.

We find it ironic that most of our detractors quote these few, highly ambiguous passages at us, while finding reasons to ignore other much clearer and more numerous scriptural texts - against divorce and remarriage, for example, or against women holding positions of authority. Their highly selective brand of literalism shows clearly that their position is based on prejudice, not on any genuine concern for biblical authority.

adopted from the Changing Attitude Scotland Site, which we fully endorse and support

her·me·neu·tic   (hûrm-ntk, -ny-) also her·me·neu·ti·cal (-t-kl)

adj. Interpretive; explanatory.

[Greek hermneutikos, from hermneuts, interpreter, from hermneuein, to interpret, from hermneus, interpreter.]

At the Parish of S.Thomas the Apostle, you will find an openness to the love of Christ and a willingness to embrace all in a sense of inclusivness.

God wants us to have a long-term, loving and monogamous relationship with Him, and he expects us to have the same with others. Beyond that, the genitals are immaterial. There are plenty of examples of abusive, unhappy, exploitative and uncommunicative relationships around, and God does not wish anyone, Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgendered ro have to put up with that. God wants us to love sincerely, honestly and fully, and will bless any relationship that strives for that.

"I come that you may have life, life in all its fullness"

John 10:10

There are many different ways to interpret scripture, and what God wants us to do is to encounter him within it. To simply say "the bible says..." is to ignore context, meaning and symbol within the holy scriputures. Paul tells us that all Scripture is "God-breathed", meaning inspired, but not written by God. God's word is filtered through human beings and therefore contains human inerpretation, emphasis and concern. This makes our experience of God stronger, but necessitates that we continually ask what God is trying to say to us through the writers of Scripture.

From Is it just me or is everything shit? By Steve Lowe and Alan McArthur

Casting around for the one true path in life, Christians often ask" themselves: 'WWJD?' - 'What would Jesus do?' Apparently, he wouldn't 'make some stuff out of wood' or 'cure the sick', but would he walk up and down the high street with a big placard reading 'GOD HATES FAGS'.

The 'Jesus as uptight, bigoted sociopath' reading of the Bible is proving incredibly popular with the world's rising band of evangelicals. Even the born-again movement's pre-eminent marketing arm The Alpha Course (which has seen over 1.5 mil­lion Brits pass through its doors) has raised heckles after Blairish founder Nicky Gumbel claimed the Bible 'makes it clear' that gays and lesbians need to be 'healed'. 'Although I strongly advise you not to say the word "healed" to them,' he once warned. 'They hate that word!' Sound advice.

Normal people flicking through The Good Book will find anti-gay sentiments quite tricky to unearth. The New Testament's supposed 'No To Homos' message basically boils down to Paul the Apostle's comments in Romans 1: 26-27 on the sins of the Gentiles - 'God gave them up unto shameful affections' - and depends on the translation of the mysterious Ancient Greek word 'arsenokoites' (and I promise that's actu­ally true) which might mean 'special gay friend' or possibly 'male temple prostitute' or even 'gigolo for rich women'. Now there's a solid bedrock for bigotry if ever we saw one.

For others, though, the Bible is just one big old book about hating queers; they're constantly finding startling new chap­ters like when Jesus, after healing the sick and helping the poor, draws together his disciples and tells them how God's vision embraces everyone - prostitutes, paupers, lepers, even tree-climbing tax inspectors ... '.

On hearing this, his disciples pauseth for a moment and said unto him, What about the gays, Lord? Jesus flincheth and spat, Oh no, not the gays. I don't like them, he ranteth. I don't like their white vests or their love of gaudy music. And I have it on the highest author­ity of a man down the tavern that there's a gay mafia running the Roman Empire. A man with another man? No way! Anyway, the lepers ...'

In fact, the Big Bad Son Of God never mentions bum sex or any other gay-related issue even once, not even mutual mas­turbation. It's possible he planned on making his Big Speech Against The Gays right after Easter. We'll never know.