While the news headlines have been filled with stories of potential scandal as talk show hosts debate back and forth (a by-product of our need to fill a 24/7 program slot), another group, the Supreme Court of the United States, is privately debating two legal cases: the future of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California's Proposition 8. The result is sure to spur many more conversations once their decision is made known later in June.
Locally, another conversation I think will be of interest to members of our region, given our strong religious roots, will take place at Wealthy Theatre this Thursday: 'Gay and Christian: Believers Speak.' The three speakers include Dr. Matthew Clark, psychologist; Daniel Dobson, writer and pastor's son; and Dr. Stephanie Sandberg, a Calvin College professor and playwright.
The program was inspired by Dr. Clark, a popular guest on our local television because of his counseling work with children, including teens at risk of suicide. Clark believes that the time to begin discussing those seven passages in the Bible that have often been quoted to the gay community -- and often without much thought about their real context -- is now.
"While I always knew I was gay and Christian, it wasn't until college that I felt suicidal after discovering the seven allegedly anti-gay verses in the Bible," says Clark. "After college, I began to read several books that showcased how these verses have been misinterpreted and misused. This information saved my life."
Clark hopes that with the aid of Sandberg, who authored the play Seven Passages, and Dobson, who grew up as the son of the locally beloved minister Ed Dobson, that this open platform for discussion will help someone having difficulties understanding the gay believer.
In addition to the panelist and a Q&A after the event, Gays In Faith Together's Rev. Jim Lucas and Ruth Bell Olsson will also be joining the discussion.
And while we have rarely ventured into religion on the pages of G-Sync events, in light of the upcoming Supreme Court decisions, this might be a good time to make an exception given the topic presented and how it impacts our region.
Admission: $10
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