Inclusive Orthodoxy: the Best of Both Worlds, the Bridge for Both Worlds

I’ve noticed a widening gap happening between Christians and gays.  The churches most likely to welcome them are less interested in orthodoxy, and gays are less and less interested in anything that has to do with organized religion, which has been, in the past, little more than organized hatred.  And for closeted gays who are part of orthodox churches—I’m talking to you, Mr. Baptist, as well–the thought of leaving church doctrine behind when they change to a more accepting church–is as difficult as coming out.  Gays shouldn’t have to come out of Orthodoxy, too.   And yet, the refuges are set up on the outskirts of doctrine.

Naturally, it’s done this way because doctrine was the scourge used to whip us.  So, as my MCC pastor once said, “we give people what they can handle right now.” And she believed that the scarring was so thick in the gay community that anything smacking of rules was going to be too stringent.  I agree partially.  We have to re-emphasize love–even over-emphasize it–because it has been de-emphasized in favor of judgment in most evangelical churches.  For those running from scripture-heavy bludgeons, some inclusive churches are choosing instead to either debunk regular orthodoxy, emphasizing a circus tent of interesting theories, played merely for their challenges to conservative, normative theology {God as Woman, Jesus as Gay, The not-so divine Jesus, the less-than-miraculous God, the Error-Filled Bible}, or churches play the melody of love as often as they can, as a soother for pain, while ignoring any regulations or doctrinal beliefs.

Inclusive Orthodoxy, a website started by Justin Cannon, hopes to bridge that gap by giving churches who preach orthodoxy the skills and knowledge to be inclusive, and to give churches who are inclusive some understanding of how to keep or preach orthodoxy.  Mostly, though, it helps people like me who want to keep my beliefs and my sexuality intact.  I’d like to go to a Baptist church that values me as a gay man.  They also list links for finding inclusive orthodox churches in your area, have topics on Bible and Homosexuality, women in the church, how to preach orthodoxy, how to practice inclusion.

Really, this website is the needed bridge between these two ideologies.  We can’t afford to exclude gays from knowing Christ–even if that image has been tarnished over time; and we can’t allow churches to exclude gays any longer.

Gays can make great, orthodox Christians–whatever brand of denomination that is!  We’ve been your true believers when we were closeted.  We’d like to be your true believers when we’re  Out.