Faith based Organizing as a tool for LGBT

One leitmotiv of current political activism is faith-based community organizing and its reeducation of religious institutions.

Integrity, a LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) organization that works in Protestant circles, recently entered into a “partnership” with the Institute for Welcoming Resources to promote training workshops within their congregations. The workshops are called “Faith-Based Community Organizing,” interestingly enough, and it’s no accident. A glance at a sample training agenda makes it clear it’s using many of the same tools as Alinskyian organizing – emphasis on self-interest, one-on-ones, organizing around money and people, and liberationist techniques, that is, the use of scripture to support non-scriptural objectives.

And what are those objectives? According to the Integrity website [www.integrityusa.org/FaithBasedCommunityOrganizing/index.htm], the workshops are designed to:

ƒ{ make their congregation more welcoming and inclusive
ƒ{ start or grow a congregational circle
ƒ{ form or strengthen a local chapter or network
ƒ{ move their diocese forward on LGBT issues

Furthermore, this “curriculum” is “designed to enable local leaders to change hearts and minds…” Change their minds about what?

Resources from the site make it very clear – “marriage equality”, “ordination” “Bible interpretation…” Protestant Christians are being trained to “welcome” people with disordered sexual identities and attractions by “changing their minds” about traditional moral notions.

“Welcoming” in this context doesn’t mean to be “friendly” or “helpful”, or even to be accepting of a person, with all his idiosyncrasies and flaws. It means the Christian community must learn to accept – to embrace and to celebrate, to be “open” and affirming of – the LGBT person’s sexual and political activities.

Integrity is using the most efficacious tool available – that is, Alinskyian faith-based organizing – to achieve its social engineering goals.

Stephanie Block is the editor of Los Pequenos - a New Mexico-based publication. Her columns are made possible by the sponsorship of generous individuals who believe information about the development and dissemination of progressive ideology needs to be more widely understood. Please fell free to share -- acknowledging authorship -- these articles with others. If you would like more frequent publication of Stephanie Block's work, tax-deductible donations can be sent to: Catholic Media Coalition - PO Box 427 Great Cacapon, WV 25422 Attn: Progressive Watch