Brazil's First Gay Church
What do a young gay Brazilians do when theyre devoted to God but told by their church that enjoying physical intimacy with people of the same sex is an express ticket to hell? If theyre Marcos Gladstone, they fight back against the bigotry by founding their own, homophobia-free, congregation. Today, Marcoss Igreja Cristã Contemporânea (Contemporary Christian Church) is firmly established in Rio de Janeiro, taking a Bible-without-prejudice approach to sermons and advocating old-timey family values to a growing group of Brazilian gays.
My first encounter with Marcoss house of worship was an ad on the inside of Rios premier gay magazine, nestled next to rent boy ads and phone numbers that supposedly offered home deliveries of Viagra. Thats our gay church, said my friend. Theyre really pissing off mainstream Christians.
A few days later, I'm surrounded by an ecstatic crowd belting out religious anthems at one of Marcoss services. So far, everything is as it should be at a celebration of God. There are the rousing anthems about mastering life with the aid of the Almighty, lots of clapping, tears and quivering lips, sermons about traditional holy stuff like gratitude, various interjections (Amen! Thats what Im talking about! Oh yeah, baby!), and credit-card machines on the literature table.
All of this surely pleases the Creator, but what would He make of the two men singing arm in arm? Or the distinctly butch female lead singer? Or Marcos himself, who shares his bed with a partner of the same gender?
"God loves all of us equallyhe holds no prejudice, Marcos told me in his office. Dressed in a smart suit, the 37-year-old looks every inch the successful lawyer, which he is. "What the Bible condemns is sinful behavior, such as drunkenness, drug-taking, and promiscuity. But for a man to love another man and be faithful to himor a woman to love another woman and be faithful to heris not a sin in the eyes of the Lord. You can read all about it in our pamphlet, 'The Bible Without Prejudice.'"
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