Once again I spent the major part of the week in Germany—this time in a ‘seminar-hotel’ in a small village called Hassenroth, at about 50 kilometers from Frankfurt. The theme of the conference, that was organized by representatives of the Kinship organization, was: Building Safe Places. The Kinship organization offers support to (mostly) Adventist men and women who have a ‘different’ sexual orientation. These people are often referred to as the ‘alphabet’ people: LGTBI – Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals, Bisexuals and Intersexuals. The invitation for this three-day seminar was extended to a group of people, from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, who are regarded as ‘allies’ of Kinship. The purpose of this think-tank-like meeting was to share the most recent scientific information about the issue of alternative sexual orientations, and to search for ways in which local Adventist churches may became ‘safe places’—in other words: places where gays and lesbians and others in the LGTBI-group may feel safe and fully accepted as they are.

My own share in the program was limited to a (sermon-length) worship, in which I talked about the meaning of serving/loving God with all our mind. It means, I believe, among other things, that we should always continue to ask questions and that, from time to time, we may have to change our minds. And also that we must always guard our intellectual integrity—whatever the price that we may have to pay for this.

I listened with particular interest to two lectures of dr. Dr. Arlene Taylor, a brain specialist from the USA, who provided fascinating up-to-date information about the hardware of our brain and referred to some small differences between the way the brains of straight and of gay people are constructed. One of the topics that was also touched on was the impossibility to ‘heal’ gay people. If there are at time people who exchange a gay lifestyle for a straight lifestyle, we can almost be one hundred percent sure that these people are in fact bisexual, who, in popular terms, may choose to go either way.

Also after this meeting, I continue to have lots of unanswered questions. The biggest underlying problem, of course, is that as a straight man I cannot imagine how it would be to feel attracted to someone of the same sex.  But I also still have some questions about the biblical/theological aspect. Some so-called anti-homo texts clearly do not apply to monogamous loving en enduring same-sex relationships. They often rather concern other abuses, such as prostitution, or deal—as in the case of Sodom—with issues that are not primarily related to same-sex relationships. I have read extensively on this topic and I would love to attend, some time in the near future, a study conference where homo-theologians and hetero-theologians can discuss together what Scripture does say and what it does not say—and how we should apply any conclusions that would be arrived at in our circumstances in 2015.

But, whatever the result might be of such a process, I am absolutely convinced that all men and women with a ‘different’ (that is: non-hetero) orientation must be (and must feel) welcome in our faith community and must be able to participate fully in church life. Therefore, Building Safe Places remains a big priority. And I shall be happy to do the little I personally can do, to help realize that ideal. (The date for the 2016 Building Safe Places conference is already in my diary.)