A Catholic and his Conscience.

Monday, 10. 19. 2009  –  Category: Get Involved –  4 responses

Jon O'Brien, President, Catholics for Choice

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Jon O’Brien, President of Catholics for Choice. The interview took place first thing on a Monday morning and, I have to say, listening to this activist’s enthusiasm and morally courageous approach to his work was the perfect way to begin my week.

Catholics for Choice (CFC) is an organization that seeks to represent Catholics who “disagree with the dictates of the Vatican on matters related to sex, marriage, family life and motherhood.” Jon states that the goal of CFC is to “be an example of Catholicism as lived by normal people” with “an understanding of the world in which we live.” Jon states the leadership have “misunderstandings about sex that have nothing to do with how people live.”
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Thou shalt not get homosterical: One member’s response to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

Friday, 10. 9. 2009  –  Category: Get Involved –  21 responses

During their 2009 Churchwide Assembly, August 17-23, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) adopted a social statement entitled “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust.” Though the word “marriage” is never used, the statement includes resolutions allowing same-sex relationships to be blessed by individual congregations. Another resolution permits openly homosexual pastors to have committed relationships, while in the past they were only ordained on the condition of celibacy (one-night stands of both the hetero and homosexual kind remain frowned upon).

Predictably, many congregations responded to these gentle nudges towards greater acceptance with anger, withdrawal of financial support, and literal cries of heresy.

The ELCA “has fallen into heresy” said Rev. Paull Spring at the Annual Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Reform) meeting, according to a piece by Ken Kusmer of The Associated Press. The meeting convened soon after the resolutions were announced, and Spring’s statement earned him a standing ovation. He later described the experience as bittersweet. “That’s a very sad thing, to be a church that you belong to your entire life, that now really has fallen in heresy” [there’s that word again!].
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Moral courage champion fights for gay Iranians

Thursday, 09. 24. 2009  –  Category: Get Involved –  97 responses

Arsham Parsi

Arsham Parsi is the founder of the Iranian Queer Railroad (IRQR), an organization that supports Iranians who have fled their country due to Iran’s harsh punishments against gays and lesbians. IRQR provides support ranging from safe houses and funds to education about rights. The organization operates out of Canada, where Arsham settled after escaping Iran out of fear for his own safety.

I chose to write about Arsham because of the impressive way he has taken a stand in his community, despite the backlash that caused him to flee his country of birth. Besides the retaliation he faced from Iran’s government, Arsham has also confronted hostility from some in the Iranian queer community itself.

He explains that many Iranians don’t understand the concept of volunteer work or activism in the way North Americans do.  Many don’t believe that he would strive so hard out of sheer passion. So he’s often accused of trying to benefit himself.
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What do you think moral courage means?

Sunday, 09. 20. 2009  –  Category: Get Involved –  15 responses

During grad school at NYU I had the great opportunity to attend a course taught by Irshad Manji: Public Leadership and Moral Courage. It was a stimulating class that even led some students to complain that their head hurt after each session!

For our midterm we were asked to write a “manifesto” to describe how we will apply the concept of moral courage in our lives. Read more and respond..

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