A number of years ago, I produced a news magazine program on the local public access cable station called “The Gay Nineties.” Almost every time I was at the station to edit, there would be some bible thumper in the studio, taping their sunday sermon and ranting on about homosexuals and other deviants. One evening, taking a break from the editing booth, I sat down next to a woman waiting to get into the studio. We chatted for a few minutes- she telling me about the scripture she was using this week, and didn’t I like the new scarf a friend had blessed her with so that she would look good on camera. After a short pause, she looked at me and asked what program, I worked on- that I seemed like a nice boy ( I was considerably younger than she) and she hadn’t seen me around before. I told her the name of my program, and she looked a little surprised, but remained pleasant. I didn’t hear any ranting about gay people coming from the studio that evening!

Too often, the radical religious believe they own the Bible, and equally too often gay and lesbians abdicate participation in the Body of Christ- they hand over this document-the Bible- and allow it to be used as a weapon against them. But can the Bible be like other hateful word-weapons? Can some of the power be drained away, and a greater truth be found in a different interpretation of the meaning?

Since I began this project, my personal views have changed significantly. And with that, possibly some of the reasons why I’m doing this, or what I want this to accomplish. It is a journey- as any theological adventure ought to be.

Thomas C Waters is an artist, activist and blogger whose work has dealt with Religion, spirituality and the intersections of faith and sexuality. In the early 90′s he became interested in the paradoxes that linked the AIDS epidemic and religion, such as blood as giver of life as well as carrier of death. His artwork expressed these relationships as well as the connection of ritual, symbol, sexuality, and gay culture. He has shown work at many galleries including the the Center for Art and Religion at the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC. After the self-study that informed his artwork, he decided to enter the Masters of Religious Studies program at the University of Pittsburgh with an interest in Ritual and the ways religion is used as a weapon in today’s culture. Waters was active in his church, and his pastor encouraged him to become a lay minister within the United Methodist Church where he loved to lead worship and preach, but left when it became clear that he could be denied certification because of being gay. He was a founding member of a non-denominational church start up in Pittsburgh that was called Open Arms Church for several years. At a men’s retreat held at a Buddhist monastery in New Mexico, he was introduced to Buddhist meditation. Then, years later, after a major life upheaval, turned to Buddhist practice as a way to move through the difficult time. Today, Waters’ spiritual life is a combination of Buddhist practice and Christian Faith. He produces a podcast and blog called, A Queer Look at the Bible as well as a blog which is more political in nature. Waters is also the Advocacy Chair for the Delta Foundation, a leading LGBT organization in Western PA.

Header photo: cropped image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jemimus/ as per creative commons license.