What about homosexual people

What about homosexual people?

The first record of a homosexual ordinand in Church of the East was in c. 48AD. His name was Xenephon, presumably a foreign delegate of the Roman court to an Indian kingdom on the West coast. A letter of recommendation

Were there any other homosexuals in the early Church? Perhaps some of the Apostles? Maria Magadhalene? We don’t really know. The Lord knew, and St. Thomas knew, and it did not stop them from admitting people from the fold. There is no record of anyone ever been denied fellowship in the early Church.

A person’s interpersonal sensuality may go through many developments during the course of a lifetime. If procreation, or to be a vessel to bring babies into the world, played an important role in The Way, surely then Yesu and the Apostles would have performed that duty. Acts of Thomas relates a rather humorous scene where the Lord appears to a recently married couple about to consummate their marriage. He ask them to consider why they did get married, and why they are about to procreate and add more children to a world already unfriendly to little ones, a world already dumping children on the trash. The couple comes to a deeper understanding of marriage and decides to be best friends to one another rather than act in culturally conditioned ways and simply perpetuate the mistakes of the past. This incident leads to another situation where a king’s anger toward St. Thomas causes him to flee for his life.

The Lord teaches loving-kindness and unconditional positive regard (agape (G)), among other things as ideal qualities to be cultivated by devotees. A person marginalised by society because of discrimination on grounds of sensual orientation or occupation is a person in need of love and acceptance The Saviour teaches. These are the first people the Church should reach out to in her love, and these people, having suffered society’s cruelty; usually make for excellent counsellors, teachers and ordinands.

A homosexual or same-sex couple desirous of contracting their relationship –for better or worse, ‘till death do us part—and who desire to share common property—can surely not be refused the blessing and assistance of their community. A Church of the East minister will be very happy to assist such a couple to make their vows before the community in a sacred ceremony.

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