I respect Father Prendergast for trying to do something about the language the church utters which has become offensive in modern times.
Language, adapting to new ideas and concepts, is dynamic and normally adjust to new times.

Whatever Paul or John said, or whoever used the ‘offensive’ language in the past, would not have used the same language today as they have used thousands of years ago.

Jesus might even revise some of his old ideas if he still lived today ;)
I say that because toughts and ideas are naturally dynamic.
Through communication people exchange ideas and opinions. Opinions are changeable when people get more informed about things.

Father Prendergast, for a pastor anyway, seems to have a good perspective on changing times, language, opinions through communication.
Shame that such a small number of people pay attention to what he is saying.

PS did you know that ostriches are amongst the dumbest birds in the world? So don’t stick your head in the ground; instead, face the reality of today, not of thousands of years ago. The times, they are achanging!

W,

You are making a problematic conflation between different types of organisations. You say "Do you want to send them off to non-straight churches... Would you like to force all gay people to stand up for straight people on buses, too?"

Private institutions should not be compared to public institutions, for the very reason that private institutions are set up by a group of like minded people who want to achieve what I would call a "private goal". For example, a private school, while adhering to certain basic standards (such as the curriculum set by the state), is normally set up to achieve something over and above basic education. It may be the teaching of particular beliefs, or the achievement of a certain standard. Therefore, private schools should be free to choose students as they see fit. A public school, on the other hand, while serving the same underlying function, has a different rationale for coming into being. Public schools are set up for the sole purpose of providing education to those who choose, for one reason or another, not to go to a private school. Therefore, while it is appropriate for private schools to select their students, it is not appropriate for a public school to exclude students on any basis.

Similarly, the Church is a voluntary organisation. It can exclude those that it wants to exclude. If I turned up to the company who organises the Mardi Gras, and insisted that I be accepted and participate in the decision making process, despite being oppossed to the Mardi Gras, would my position be seen as reasonable? Would I receive the backing of the public and sections of the legal system?

I think that the push by certain sections of the community to "secularise" the church is not about their desire to become part of the church community, but rather a hangover of the Marxist notion that all institutions (and all actions) are political, and that therefore, all institutions must be changed to suit an ultimate aim.

"It seems generally accepted that asking individuals to live in a state of denial about their sexual orientation is unhealthy and destructive. Such denial is contrary to full human development and the journey toward holiness. The church needs to be a partner with those searching for such holiness."

The only 'generally accepted' part is where people like this ignore everyone who disagrees with them. The 2000 year old change doesn't change it's moral stance to the whims of some of it's congregation? Poor baby.

It is unhealthy and destructive to encourage people to live in such lifestyles. Perhaps this 'priest' should do a better job of trusting the whole bible, not simply the parts he currently likes.

2000 year old church even

Yes, churches are like special interest social clubs. But, unlike other special interest groups, they enjoy tax-free and rate-free benefits.

And they form pressure groups which are often successful in influencing so-called democratic governments, out of all proportion to the numerical membership of the pressure group.

And the unelected foreign dictator who runs one of the most powerful pressure groups in the world threatens excommunication [big deal!] to those representatives who do what they know their constituents want, rather than what the dictator wants.

And some of the more extreme church members get elected into parliament and, if they're fortunate enough to hold the balance of power, use this situation to force their beliefs onto all Australians. EG Brian Harradine and RU486.

lol @Gekko, if you join the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras as a member, and if you are voted in at the AGM to Join their Board of Directors, of course you would have a say at the Mardi Gras. You have to be on their management board silly.

The Reverend Fred Nile wouldn't miss Mardi Gras for the world, attends every March. He prays to God: please! rain on their Mardi Gras. But alas, he selfishly forgets the farmers or the water crisis.

lol @ Citizen: the "church bashing" to the Anglicans from the "girls" or "gay men", lol, that is funny. The wife and kids think this stupid statement is hilarious. Did I say I was gay? I would look as silly as Aunty Jack as a girl. What do you mean by "plain chicks also have a right", bla bla bla. Plain chicks? Mate, isn't that a tad sexist?

In my previous postings, it was clear that the Catholic Church in Poland and Russia were violently attacking gay people, the gay people were running for their lives. How could you possibly say this is church bashing? Sorry if they got in the way of the Christian fists and boots, and if their blood stained their nice brown shirts of their neo Nazi collegues.

The conservative Christians equate gay people to the end of civilization, to paedophiles, even those into bestiality. This is going to be their next tactic, as the Nazi Christians did in Poland. You guys are as predictable as a clock, and we have to disprove this garbage again. They are conspiracy theories that are relentlessly incorrect.

Yet when I join the dots it is dismissed as fantasy or a "conspiracy theory". I gave solid media coverage there is even video footage in my previous posting.

Actions speak louder than words, but these actions were caused by the Vatican's words. Yes they were crazy people in the Catholic church. So were the Nazis. The Vatican must be held accountable for its actions.