Human rights group provide gay Bible insights

By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk • August 29, 2006 - 0:00

The debut of the site marks the first and only major online preaching resource devoted to assisting clergy in planning their sermons and spiritual discussion groups

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The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has announced the launch of Out In Scripture, a free weekly online resource for clergy and lay people.

The website will provide distinct insights into the Bible, week after week, from a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and straight-supportive perspective.

The debut of the site marks the first and only major online preaching resource devoted to assisting clergy in planning their sermons and spiritual discussion groups.

"Ministers around the country have been asking for a resource just like this to help them prepare sermons that are faithful to the authentic lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their families while also true to the biblical text. This resource will offer them the tools to do just that. It will also be an empowering resource for people in isolated situations or for those who belong to unsupportive congregations," said HRC president, Joe Solmonese.

The resources on the site are developed, written, and reviewed by teams of skilled and reflective scholars from leading theological schools around the country and across a variety of Christian congregations.

Each weekly entry is conceived as a dialogue between LGBT and straight-supportive scholars who represent a rich cultural, racial and theological diversity.

"The Bible should not be used to beat up our community, but as a tool to lift us all up. Inside the Hebrew and Christian texts there are messages of liberation and justice. We hope Out In Scripture provides inspiration and insight to a broad array of people and will help change the conversation we've been having in our churches on Sunday morning about GLBT people," said Harry Knox, HRC's director of the religion and faith programme.

Out In Scripture is part of the Human Rights Campaign larger religion and faith programme. It seeks to assist religious leaders in speaking out for equality and inclusion, and to examine how religion can be a positive resource for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people of faith.

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