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  1. Video Update from Sharon Ferguson, Chief Executive

    20 August 2010


  2. The Body’s Grace

    10th Michael Harding Memorial Address

    Rowan Williams outlines his theological position on same-sex relationships

    “If we are looking for a sexual ethic that can be seriously informed by our Bible, there is a good deal to steer us away from assuming that reproductive sex is a norm, however important and theologically significant it may be.”

    “If we are afraid of facing the reality of same-sex love because it compels us to think through the processes of bodily desire and delight in their own right, perhaps we ought to be more cautious about appealing to Scripture as legitimating only precreative heterosexuality.”

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  3. The Faith and Sexuality Education Resource

    9 August 2010

    (extract from LGCM’s Magazine, All God’s Children, Volume 2.2, 2010)

    Learning about religion:
    Pupils should be taught to:
    a. investigate and explain the differing effects of religious beliefs and teachings on individuals and communities and societies;
    b. explain the reasons for diversity in religion;
    c. discuss and evaluate how religious beliefs and teachings inform answers to ultimate questions and ethical issues.
    Learning from religion:
    Pupils should be taught to:
    a. reflect on the relationship between beliefs, teachings and ultimate questions, communicating their own ideas and using reasoned arguments;
    b. evaluate the challenges and tensions of belonging to a religion and the impact of religion in the contemporary world, expressing their own ideas;
    c. express insights into the significance and value of religion and other world views on human relationships personally, locally and globally;
    d. express their own beliefs and ideas using a variety of forms of expression.


    For the first time in its almost 35 year history LGCM has been awarded external funding – in the form of a Government grant – to produce an educational resource to challenge the religious roots of homophobic bullying in schools.

    LGCM was awarded the Government funding in late 2009 to produce an educational resource for use in lower secondary school (Key Stage 3). The resource is intended to look at the three monotheistic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and the more positive thinking and attitudes within these traditions, which can be employed to challenge homophobia.

    Because the focus of the resource is religion, it will be used in Religious Education rather that Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education or Citizenship where much anti-homophobia work is now carried out. That this is a resource that moves beyond these more obvious areas of the curriculum has been welcomed as broadening the effectiveness of anti-homophobia education.

    The funding was awarded by the previous administration and came from the Communities and Local Government department rather than what was then the Department for Children, Schools and Families (now the Department for Education). It is intended to further the ‘communities and social cohesion’ strand of (ex-) Government policy. This has now become a feature of the curriculum, an entitlement for all pupils.

    Sharon Ferguson, Chief Executive of LGCM was of the opinion that the religious dimensions of homophobic bullying are not being adequately addressed in work already taking place in schools. Perhaps because teachers are wary of how to tackle head-on religious homophobia and uncertain how to do so without disparaging children’s personal faith and family and cultural values. Sharon gained a positive response to this concern in the form of the grant from Communities and Local Government. The money will enable the research, writing, design, print, promotion and distribution of this resource to schools who express an interest.

    The Faith and Sexuality resource aims to address its subject matter in a constructive way. All three monotheistic faiths (the focus of this resource) promote, in their essence, tolerance and acceptance of people even when lifestyles are not in accord with faith principles. All have clear teachings which are anti-violence and anti-discrimination in their tone.

    So what’s the brief? The resource will:

    • Enhance the notion of cohesion within school and outside in the wider community
    • Target Lower Secondary pupils (Key Stage 3, ages 11-14) who are beginning to be aware of, and explore questions of, their own and others’ sexuality
    • Examine the three monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
    • Explore positive teachings/attitudes within these religions with regard to human sexuality and homosexuality in particular
    • Focus on challenging homophobia, homophobic bullying and hate crime rather than endorse or promote same-gender relationships

    At this age it is not yet too late to engage pupils in a positive consideration of the issues around gay people, homophobia, prejudice and the role that religion in particular plays in this – as well of course as the role religion can play in overcoming prejudice and hatred and so on.
    National Guidelines for RE encourage the exploration of faith principles in the light of contemporary living. General guidelines for Key Stage 3 contain the following strands: knowledge, skill and understanding (see sidebar).

    So you see, there is much there that enables the kind of work we want to see taking place in RE. One does not have to fully endorse same-sex relationships to reject homophobia and seek positive approaches and attitudes towards gay people. This resource starts and ends with an assumption that many people in faith communities are not going to overnight change their basic thinking on these matters. But one does not have to accept everything about homosexuality and same-sex relationships in order to fight prejudice, bigotry, hatred and violence, and indeed to affirm, from a religious perspective, the human rights and dignity of all people, the right to protection, the rejection of violence and hatred and so on. Even in faith schools, where unsurprisingly the problems are greater, there are pockets of truly enlightened thinking.

    The project is in its early days (Spring 2010). Tony Green an ex-RE teacher is putting the resource together, with support and advice from Colin Midlane. Next issue we shall report on the nitty-grity of the process, the many very interesting groups and individuals that LGCM is working with as a result of the project and details of the launch which should likely be towards the end of the year.