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ILGA-Europe conference, Torino

28-10-2011

The Spirit of Human Rights

How to foster constructive dialogue

between LGBT groups and tradition based faith communities

organized by

European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups

Dr. Michael Brinkschroeder (Germany, Male Co-President of the European Forum)

Joseanne Peregin (Malta, Drachma Parents Group)

Dr. Karen Badalyan (Armenia, We for Civil Equality)

Contact:

1. Differences between religious traditions

1.1 Sources of theology

Scripture / Protestant Churches
Scripture & Reason / Liberal Protestant Churches
Tradition / Orthodox Churches
Oriental Orthodox Churches
(compared to ritual, scripture is of secondary rank)
Scripture & Tradition / Roman Catholic Church
Scripture, Tradition & Reason / Anglican Church

1.2 Culturally embedded vs. pure religion (Olivier Roy)

Culturally embedded Religion / Pure Religion
with invented tradition
in a liberal society /
  • Liberal Protestantism in Western Europe
  • Anglican Church in UK
  • Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe
/
  • Evangelicalism in USA
  • Pentecostalism
  • “Catholicalism”

in a homophobic society /
  • Russian Orthodox Church
  • Lutheran Church in Lettland
  • Armenian Apostolic Church
  • Anglican Church in Nigeria
/
  • Evangelicalism in Africa
  • Pentecostalism in Africa

1.3 Theological discourses behind “traditional” Christian homophobia

Homophobic TheologyNon-Homophobic

Denomination / Dominating Discourses
of Theology / Structure of Homophobia
Liberal Protestantism (Western Europe / USA) / Historical discourse of liberal theology / overcome
Fundamentalist/
Evangelicalist Protestantism (USA) / Apocalyptic discourse / radical
Roman Catholic Church
(Western Europe) / Natural law discourse
+ Christian Platonism / strong
Russian Orthodox Church / Christian Platonism
+ Apocalyptic discourse / strong + radical

2. Conflicts between human rights and traditional religious values

2.1 What is the highest set of norms?

Human Rights
e.g. UN
Council of Europe
ILGA-Europe
... /
Tradional Religious Morality
e.g. Roman Catholic Church
Russian Orthodox Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
...

2.2 Conflict between two human rights

Non-discrimination because of sexual orientation and gender identity / Freedom of religion

2.3 Conflict between human rights and political / moral opinions

Freedom of opinion, press, gathering, demonstration / Obligation to privacy for LGBT people

3. Challenging the Christian spirit of human rights

3.1 Dignity and human rights in church doctrine

Roman Catholic Church / Acceptance and support of human dignity and human rights in society
  • Pope John XXIII.: Pacem in terris (1963)
  • II. Vatican Council: Dignitatis humana (1965)
  • Pope John Paul II.: Redemptor Hominis (1979)
/
  • Inside of the RCC no human rights are guaranteed in canonical law.
  • Holy See has not signed UN-convention of human rights

Russian Orthodox Church / “The Russian Orthodox Church’s Basic Teaching on Human Dignity, Freedom and Rights” (2008)
accepts unalienable human dignity. / Human Rights are acceptable only insofar as they are congruent with traditional moral values.

Thesis: Human dignity is a common basis between churches and LGBT people where a constructive dialogue can start.

Human rights are a common basis for dialogue with the RCC.

3.2 Theological reasons for human dignity

1. Creation: Human beings are made in the image and similarity of God (Gen 1,26f.)

2. All human beings are children of God (equality of dignity).

3. Incarnation: In Jesus Christ God has become a human being and that has dignified mankind forever.

4. Teaching of Jesus: Jesus identifies himself (“Son of Man”) with every suffering person and explains that the final judgment will be according to the recognition of the needs of deserving people (Sermon of the Judgement (Mt 25,31–46))

5. Death and resurrection: Crucifixion was the attempt to destroy the human dignity of Jesus, but resurrection was God’s confession to the absolute value of human dignity in Jesus (e.g. Redemptor Hominis).

3.3 Theology and human rights for LGBT people

1. LGBT people are people – with unalienable human dignity which must be protected by human rights.

RCC and ROC officially accept the unalienable dignity and protection against discrimination and criminalization of LGBT people.

2. Sexual orientation and gender identity are core elements of the personal self. They are not voluntarily changeable. The churches must accept this as the starting point for their further reflections on human dignity of LGBT people.

3. Protection of people against homophobic violence – both physical and verbal – is an important task for all Christians. It has a biblical base, which can be read against traditional interpretation.

  • The story of Sodom (Genesis 19) should be read from the perspective of the same-sex couple of strangers.
  • Sermon of the Mount: Jesus says that verbal attacks with a homophobic and sexual content are not acceptable, because they include hate and anger and are equivalent to murder.

Textcritical and philological research shows that Matthew 5,21f. can be translated: