A friendly church

[RikkiOfLA]

OK, I admit it. This is my own link. To my own church. Of which I'm the pastor. So this is a shameless plug.

But it's a great church! (if I do say so myself).

As far as we know, it's the first church in the world that was started by transgender people (crossdressers and transsexuals) and their families, for transgender people and their families.

We're a Christian church, too. We have services every Sunday, a Sunday school, a Bible study for adult members, and family-oriented social activities.

We don't try to change anyone. Specifically, we believe God created us the way we are, and loves us the way we are. We have no desire to get anyone to stop being transgendered. We haven't stopped being transgendered.

It used to be that to experience this church you had to live in Los Angeles or at least visit L.A.

But now we have a Yahoo! Group that captures a lot of the flavor of the church and what we're all about.

You're invited to come look at the group, read the messages and see what goes on here, and participate if you like.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nacc1/

Thanks for reading this!

[CJ]

Hi Rikki,

I wish the NACC much success; hopefully, with a lot of effort and not a little grace, it may become a model of tolerance and inclusiveness. Though not a religious person myself (despite a Catholic upbringing), I find it extremely important to remain open to both the possibilities of others as well to the possibility of the Wholly Other.

Much has been written on how God (or those men and women who've taken on the arduous task of interpreting the will of God)) considers the lot of outcasts and the downtrodden. If God is anything like most people imagine Him to be, I find it hard to believe that He would turn away anyone from His love merely because of, among other things, their gender variance or their atypical sexual orientation. The whole point of wanting people to feel their connection to the divine is to give them greater freedom in their souls and greater peace in their hearts. Bringing people into the fold cannot be done whenever you make them feel unworthy of such freedom and peace--regardless of what the holy books say (and no matter what spin you put on, say, Deutoronomy 22:5). By exiling from the realm of God's love and mercy those people that are different, the religious officials of the major faiths have committed the sin of pride--and that's not something to be proud of, I think.

I'll always welcome efforts such as yours and the NACC's, Rikki, to include, rather than exclude, people with variant lifestyles in the worship of divinity, however you conceive it to be. It makes for stronger, healthier people. It makes for more open and tolerant communities. It makes for a better world.

I'm reminded here of Kahlil Gibran (a Christian Lebanese writer). In his marvelous book, The Prophet, he spoke of many things, religion included. At some point, he had this to say about it:

And he to whom worshipping is a window, to open but also to shut, has not yet visited the house of his soul whose windows are from dawn to dawn.

Love and Respect back to you, Rikki.

CJ

[LeftyRainbow(SO)]

WOW, Rikki....I think that is totally cool!

I was thinking of joining a Unitarian Church for our family because of the theories and acceptance for different religions ,cultures and lifestyles seem to fit in a place where we can all worship together.

I think what you are doing at your Church is fabulous.

[Charlene]

I think it's great also.

[Beauty]

I'm in!

I agree.. thanks Rikki!!!

Beauty

[RikkiOfLA]

Thank you everyone!

(I just bumbled back across this thread after a couple of months).