Minister of Justice signs appeal to defund organisers of anti-gay campaign
31/03/2011
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ILGA-Europe
Originas source: http://www.hs.fi/english/article/...s+of+anti-gay+campaign/1135265031429
Online appeal addressed to Lutheran Church Board
Minister of Justice signs appeal to defund organisers of anti-gay campaign Tuija Brax
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Minister of Justice Tuija Brax (Green) has signed an online appeal urging the Church Board of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church to stop funding organisations in the church that take negative views toward the ordination of women and the rights of homosexuals.
The open letter was launched in Helsinki’s Kallio congregation on Monday evening.
The signatories find that it is problematic that the Church Board authorises collections, and gives economic support to organisations which cause “discord and bad feelings with their divergent opinions” on issues such as female clergy, homosexuals, divorced people, and those who live alone.
The organisations in question are behind the Älä alistu (“Don’t Acquiesce”) campaign calling on homosexuals and bisexuals to use their faith to live a heterosexual life.
By Tuesday the online appeal had been signed by more than 200 people.
Tuija Brax signed the appeal as a former member of the Foreign Affairs Council of the Lutheran Church, and as the former deputy chair of the Church’s committee on human rights.
Signatories include other politicians and candidates in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.
Under a schedule set up by the Church board, proceeds from collections in Lutheran churches this Sunday are to go to the Finnish Lutheran Mission (FLM), one of the organisations behind the controversial campaign, and on April 17th, money is to go to benefit another one, the Finnish Bible Institute.
Meanwhile, a complaint has been submitted to the Helsinki Cathedral Chapter on the activities of six clergymen working in the organisations behind the campaign.
In his complaint, student Jaakko Weuro sees the campaign as putting “severe pressure on children and young people while wearing a Lutheran clerical collar”.
The campaign was launched by the young people’s magazine Nuotta, which is published by a number of conservative Lutheran youth organisations.
Online appeal addressed to Lutheran Church Board
Minister of Justice signs appeal to defund organisers of anti-gay campaign Tuija Brax
print this
Minister of Justice Tuija Brax (Green) has signed an online appeal urging the Church Board of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church to stop funding organisations in the church that take negative views toward the ordination of women and the rights of homosexuals.
The open letter was launched in Helsinki’s Kallio congregation on Monday evening.
The signatories find that it is problematic that the Church Board authorises collections, and gives economic support to organisations which cause “discord and bad feelings with their divergent opinions” on issues such as female clergy, homosexuals, divorced people, and those who live alone.
The organisations in question are behind the Älä alistu (“Don’t Acquiesce”) campaign calling on homosexuals and bisexuals to use their faith to live a heterosexual life.
By Tuesday the online appeal had been signed by more than 200 people.
Tuija Brax signed the appeal as a former member of the Foreign Affairs Council of the Lutheran Church, and as the former deputy chair of the Church’s committee on human rights.
Signatories include other politicians and candidates in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.
Under a schedule set up by the Church board, proceeds from collections in Lutheran churches this Sunday are to go to the Finnish Lutheran Mission (FLM), one of the organisations behind the controversial campaign, and on April 17th, money is to go to benefit another one, the Finnish Bible Institute.
Meanwhile, a complaint has been submitted to the Helsinki Cathedral Chapter on the activities of six clergymen working in the organisations behind the campaign.
In his complaint, student Jaakko Weuro sees the campaign as putting “severe pressure on children and young people while wearing a Lutheran clerical collar”.
The campaign was launched by the young people’s magazine Nuotta, which is published by a number of conservative Lutheran youth organisations.
