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Are Queer People Truly Accepted in ‘Open and Affirming’ Churches?
Maybe, but not always…
Earliest archeology shows that humans have always searched for something beyond themselves. You can look at the great monuments and art of ancient times and see how they deal with religious themes. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, art (and wars, sadly) speak of the importance of religion in the lives of people. There are still wars with religious overtones in our day.
Of course, there are exceptions to this interest in things religious. In modern times, people such as Bertrand Russell — a prominent 20th-century scientist, mathematician, and philosopher — was well known as an atheist. His , A.N. Whitehead, also a famous philosopher, laid the foundation for a type of theology taught in many seminaries. (I have written about it here.)
While Whitehead was not so orthodox, he seemed to think there was Something. In our day, the likes of Christopher Hitchens or Richard Dawkins strongly object to the whole notion of something bigger than what can be observed.
But most folks, so surveys say, think there is Something or Someone. People look for that Something in a lot of places. Often they look to churches for guidance, fellowship and friendship. (maybe because it’s familiar??)
