Although same-sex marriage in the Netherlands has been recognized in law, many churches that still refuse to marry homosexual couples. The book "Coming Out Churches, Dutch Edition" provides guidance on the go who want the church to marry gay couples.
Church that recognizes same-sex marriage was given a sticker with the words 'Coming Out of this Church'. In the guide book but there is a list of addresses that the holy places gay friendly, there is also footage of interviews with prominent people.
"That way we hope to give an overview of developments in the church in the last ten years. There are so many people who devote themselves to gays and lesbians, "said one author, Tom Mikkers.
Gay Emancipation
Mikkers, coauthor of the book, is the church secretary Broederschap Remonstrants. The Church considers same-sex marriage parallel to hetero marriage. He wrote a book together with Wielie Elhorst, which had long been steeped in the relationship between the church and sexuality.
According Mikkers, the most interesting findings is that the churches themselves who actually started the first step to accept gays.
"Clearly, the gay emancipation movement had a strong impulse from the church in the '50s and '60s. The former pastor who suggested that homofiel sorry, they're called first. They certainly do not talk about same-sex marriage, is still far away. Gay people into thegroup of people who have embraced, such as prisoners, child physical or mental disabilities and homosexuals. "
Coming Out
Currently in the Netherlands there are some churches that align with heterosexual homosexual marriage. Besides Remonstranste Broederschap, another church was Doopsgezinden, het and de Vrijzinnige Apostolisch Genootschap Geloofsgemeenschap NPB. Protestant churches in the Netherlands also has its own rules, but same-sex marriage is not considered equal.
Currently more churches have specific rules for same-sex marriage. However, now comes the dilemma, for example, de Evangelische Broedergemeente. The church is fixed by international agreement because they have a worldwide network that does not recognize the marriage of a kind.
According to board chairman of the provincial de Evangelische Broedergemeente Nederland, Christoph Reichel:
"On the other hand we have here is under pressure from members to give recognition. All we can do only at the level of pastoral course, be respectful and willing to discuss. But we can not take further steps such as weddings or perform the service of blessing for gay couples."
In the closet
Inside this guide, the Roman Catholic Church received special attention under the heading 'still in the closet' (the term in the Netherlands for the people who cover their homosexual identity, red). Homosexual marriage is not recognized by Mikkers but in practice there is little movement underground.
"There is a priest and monk who wanted to marry the partner of its kind in the Roman Catholic Church. It's happened several times. I have a relationship with the parish who mated pair similar, but they do not want to go to the manual, so it is still in the closet. I think the Roman Catholic Church does not will quickly change. headquarters are quite old-fashioned today, the Pope and the Archbishop did not want to admit. But the most interesting are the followers of this church would take a direction that may interfere with their leader. "
Dutch edition
The book is deliberately entitled 'Dutch Edition' or the Dutch edition. Mikkers explained, the themes raised this book certainly does not only happen in the Netherlands. Other countries are also experiencing the same problem, where discussions raged again. For example in Spain, hundreds of people marched against same-sex marriage.
A similar situation occurred in the Ukraine. An orthodox parish church there recently strongly criticized the Christian and Catholic churches in the Netherlands. According Mikkers, they put on a medieval term meaning humans were left to rot in hell. Thus, the discussion is still hot. He hopes the book will be accepted in other countries. Maybe then will appear the Spanish edition. (Rnw.nl)
