JENSEN. HE’S THE HEALTH RISK
It’s too easy to write off Archbishop Peter Jensen as a dinosaur.
We can all laugh and call him irrelevant, or we can listen to his seemingly calm reasoning and his soothing voice and feel ourselves lulled into a sense of submission. He seems like a very nice man.
But he is the head of a church whose teachings make young people feel like they want to kill themselves.
He’s not an irrelevant dinosaur. He’s dangerous.
Same goes for the Catholic Church, were homosexuality is regarded a sin, and the Australian Christian Lobby, whose leader Jim Wallace says a homosexual “lifestyle” was hazardous to one’s health, like smoking.
Last night on the ABC’s Q&A, Archbishop Jensen did not resile from Wallace’s stance. In fact he welcomed the “opportunity to talk about something significant, namely the question of health risk.”
What do they think is going to happen if homosexuals accept their assertion that their “lifestyle” is indeed a health risk? Give it up?
The most serious health issue for homosexuals is suicide. Witness this question to Archbishop Jensen from the beautiful and courageous Alistair Cornell from Payneham in South Australia:
“I was born and bred Anglican, but at the age of 15 I tried to take my own life. What advice would he give to a 15 year old suffering almost to the point of death, from the rejection of his community about being gay?”
Statistics about youth suicide in the LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex) community are frightening. They are 3.5 to 14 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general community.
At the heart of this issue is the spurious notion of “lifestyle choice”.
Deciding to work only three days a week is a lifestyle choice. Deciding to move to the country is a lifestyle choice. Deciding not to have children is a lifestyle choice.
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44 Responses to this article
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The Huntress September 11, 2012
Organised religion has a lot to answer for. How can they continue in such ignorance, knowing that their teachings cause profound distress upon so many people’s lives (I have a personal friend who, as a young, gay Christian, really struggled when coming out and being rejected by his church). How in the world is this supposed to be Christian? I am not religious, however I have studied theology so have a vague idea of how it should work. And from what I understand preaching such ridiculous ideas about gay people is not Christian. Love and acceptance of all people is Christian.
I don’t see what is so complex about this issue at all. What is there to debate? All we want is for people who love each other to be able to marry. What is so bad about bringing more love into the world?
Compassion left Christianity a long, long time ago. Time to bring it back.
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Shell September 11, 2012
I grew up Anglican too but when I came out as a lesbian i had to choose one or another. They say you can’t be both. So you lose you family and friends and feel truly alone – it was a shitty time of my life.
Homophobia is a real and it’s deadly.
I found this on the Internet it looks interesting…
http://www.indiegogo.com/drownthemovie -
Stehen Wilson September 11, 2012
We must not let Jensen et al grow this myth that there’s a taboo against discussing the health problems that tend to be more prevalent amongst gays. There is no such taboo.
On the contrary, in Australia we’ve enjoyed full and frank and till now largely unprejudiced discussion of sexually transmitted diseases. And so the entire community has benefited from HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, condom awareness and acceptance, sex ed in schools, needle exchange programs, safe injecting rooms and so on.
Nobody can seriously believe that Jim Wallace’s foul comparison of being gay with smoking was made with any genuine interest in public health.
There is not a lot that Jensen and the church can add to the topic. The gay community and the broader community have done great public health job. The only taboo here is the church’s inability to see homosexuality as other than a moral issue of the church’s own making.
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Geoff September 11, 2012
More Applause
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Kerri Sackville September 11, 2012
*applauds*
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Susan September 11, 2012
There is something systematically wrong that allows Mr Jensen and Mr Pell to get to their level of public standing if they cannot fundamentally understand the causes of suicide and mental health issues arriving from their stances and statements on these subjects.
Denial is the strongest fundamental that allows these cases of abuse to go on. It is abuse.Both of these men and Mr Wallace , by their ignorance, have blood on their hands.
I believe that the media airing their views give cause to some discussion but probably not enough for those who are suffering and indeed being injured by these systematic abuse being metered out. Who can we get to take them aside and discuss the damage they are doing and why they are causing it before they destroy more lives? Any takers? -
Julia September 11, 2012
Yes, the ‘lifestyle choice’ is used by all the zealots, even Jehovahs Witnesses that knock on my door believe this crap. By making it a ‘choice’ it can then be morally judged as good or bad behaviour and the individual is then easily condemned, and if (they) are very vulnerable, convinced that this ‘condition’ is curable through therapy that is proven NOT to work, it only causes extreme distress and confusion….and worst case scenario….suicide.
Peter Jensen, i wish somebody could sue the pants off you and your church for the damaging rhetoric that you and your ACL cronies spin. You are a blight on humanity. Your calm demeanour doesn’t fool me, you are as you like to describe all ‘real men’…..arrogant. -
Kirrily September 11, 2012
Hi Lucy, I agree with all you have said.
Although I don’t think we should write off people like Jensen. It’s a big step forward that ultra conservatives like Jensen are even willing to look at the issue. Their current opinions might be misguided or poorly informed but it is a massive shift in mindset that they are willing to invest time into the topic rather than just having people thrown in gaol or hung, drawn and quartered.
The self-esteem of gay and lesbian people is a community based issue in which we all have a role to play. We need cultural change to be a major part of the solution. Culture change isn’t easy and it is complex.
How about we start working with people like Jensen to support their learning process rather than automatically switching into an adversarial mode.
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Jules September 11, 2012
What alarms me is the hoards of youth lining up to be part of these christian “mega churches” which preach intolerance and seek substantial monetary contributions used to largely line the pockets of the ‘leadership’. It concerns me kids are being attracted to these churches at the very time in their lives they are discovering their true selves. It’s a recipe for disaster as they may discover they are different to what is publically accepted by these groups. I often wonder deep down inside, do these ‘leaders’ actually believe what they are preaching, or are they so vested into the church machine that they can no longer think rationally. Saying something is wrong doesn’t make it wrong. I think the catholic church has alot to answer for as well regarding contraception, which is encouraging hoards of people in developing nations to procreate when they do not have the capacity to support such large families. If being christian means being so ignorant and intolerant, I’ll pass thanks.
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stella burnell September 11, 2012
These religious leaders have blood on their hands. My friend’s brother, a young, intelligent and beautiful man, killed himself because of homophobic bigotry , which stemmed from the church. Young people need understanding, not bigotry.
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Ro. Watson September 11, 2012
Oh, mm~~~as a smoker and a lesbian~I still reckon I am less toxic to other people, than Jensen….
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Debra September 11, 2012
People keep missing the point. The Anglican & Catholic churches welcome homosexuals,. They believe however that the ‘practise’ of homosexuality is a sin. They also say that having pre-martial sex is a sin. Apparently it seems there will be hords of premarital sex sinners out there who are also suicidal??
I don’t like the teachings of Islam for many, many reasons. But it seems everyone is so PC about attacking this religion but it’s ok to attack Christian religions for their beliefs.
You don’t have to like it, you don’t have to accept it. Isn’t attacking Christians the same as attacking homosexuals? Everybody just do what ever the hell you like, but stop condemning people for whatever they choose to practise or believe!!!! -
Liz September 11, 2012
@ Debra
The Difference is very few people in Australia would listen to the muslims but people do listen to people like Jensen. We are not suidicidal if we have premarital sex because it is accepted by the wider community, whereas homesexuality is not. -
Debra September 11, 2012
@ Liz. I disagree. I think homosexuality is now (thankfully) accepted. We all have a family member or a friend who is gay.
But thank you for your respectful thoughts. -
shelley September 11, 2012
The Christian and Catholic churches seem to me to preach about sins and punishment in life and then how Jesus and God will welcome you when you die. In my mind this makes no sense. Where is the love that ‘Jesus’ supposedly had for all? Young people are hungry for a meaning in their lives and so turn to the church because our culture does not offer much of an alternative. And this man Jensen, when given a chance to engage in conversation with these people, managed to avoid answering any question directly on Q&A, he squirmed and avoided and basically talked himself around in circles all the while failing to justify the Churches beliefs about alternative sexuality. It was sad to watch. In my opinion, if there was a God like this he would not judge people for the way they loved. Plain and simple.
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Heather September 11, 2012
Beautifully said and spot on.
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Heather September 11, 2012
People like Wallace and Jensen love to bleat that they are being bullied by the gay lobby, whenever THEY say something totally unacceptable and get called out for it. What irony.
What they teach, both directly and indirectly bullies and promotes bullying of the gay community.And Stehen, you are right. As far as I am aware, there are no taboos out there preventing people from discussing sexually transmitted diseases affecting either the gay or non-gay community. Several excellent articles were published online immediately after Jim Wallace’s outburst that are sensible and compassionate and respectful. The one published by “Crickey.com” was a case in point.
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Annie Also September 11, 2012
Marriage equality cannot come soon enough. With it will come the ‘ho hum’ attitude of our gay citizens to have loving long term relationships and the right to raise a family. With it will come a sense of being at one with the Australian community and a sense of acceptance and be ‘all right’. With is will come all the lawful rights including say in partners medical interventions/donor rights/visitation rights, superannuation and inheritence rights.
Just like in days of yore when people from differing colours and creeds could not intermarry we look back on it and say how pathetic and how inhumane it was..( even in early Australia people of differing CHRISTIAN faiths were discouraged from marrying)…So I hope Jensen and his ilk live long enough to hang their heads in shame at their stupidity and lack of inclusion..or even better still live long enough to see the power of the Church in money, land, tax free donations and oratory ( aka fear and threats of hell) be relegated to the quaint past. -
Janet Georgouras September 11, 2012
With repect to Archbishop Jenson, he is merely stating the tenets of his religion which is based on the Old Testament reading of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the subsequent writings from that text. That is his belief.
What is unfortunate is that his beliefs are given authority through being invited onto a media forum where there is a more secular worldview.
Also, it could be said that parents who send their children to religious schools, yet their children are feeling outside what is considered normal behaviour within those religions, should carefully assess whether they are doing the best for their children.
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Lau September 11, 2012
I can’t find anywhere in the transcript where Jensen says that being gay is a choice or a lifestyle (though wallace certainly did!). He even agreed with Tony Jones that there might be a gay gene. I think this article is presuming his meaning.
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Matt September 11, 2012
I don’t understand why homosexuality is in any way controversial these days. It just seems a waste of news air time to me.
People are born gay, gay people are people too, let them get married and adopt kids etc etc. I thought we’d moved past this.
As for the Church, well as a Catholic apparently I don’t believe in contraception, homosexuality or eating meat on Fridays during Lent. We all know that organised religions the world over struggle to keep up with society on most issue. Not only Christianity but Islam, Judaism and any other ism you can think of. -
Stephen Wilson September 11, 2012
Getting a little off topic, but I just don’t get why a gay gene is important either way. If you have no inherent objection to people having sex with the same sex, then what does it matter if it’s an innate preference, or a choice, or an experiment? I am not sure we want people who are squeamish about same-sex sex to be taking pity on gays on the basis they cannot help it. Their underlying attitudes will still be that what gays do in bed is distasteful. Instead, surely we want more unqualified acceptance, otherwise the prejudice will remain that gay parents are somehow handicapped. Real equality and real understanding will not come if bigots think being gay is predestined for some.
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Geoff September 11, 2012
This is MY response to Jensen….
Proverbs 6:16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
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Catherine September 11, 2012
Religion is the dangeruos life choice – it teaches bigotry, hatred & the adherance to social values thousands of irrelevant years old. We Must stop allowing these superstitious monsters from “educating” our children & abusing the vulnerable.
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Debra September 11, 2012
@Catherine
Your statement about religious teaching -
“We must stop allowing these superstitious monsters……& abusing the vulnerable”
Wow….this sounds to me like the “bigotry” and “hatred” you so abhor in those that practice religion.
Why doesn’t everyone just relax and let everyone believe and practice what they want to, without condemnation and judgement. -
amd September 11, 2012
You are absolutely right Catherine, and fortunately your view is far from a minority one.
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Carolyn September 11, 2012
What a great response from most! I heard something the other day that I’d like to share. “If heterosexuals stopped procreating, there’d BE no homosexuality..” A life style choice? NO! That is all…
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royce September 11, 2012
Okay…’gay’ is not a lifestyle choice…. so it’s okay.
Are any other sexual preferences ‘not a choice’…. therefore acceptable?
Just asking….
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Rhoda September 11, 2012
It is time that people like Peter Jensen were properly educated about homosexuality. He is not only a dangerous man but an ignorant one. Does he want people to validate their homophobia with the bible?
Evangelicals seem to be obsessed with sins of the flesh. I often wonder why.
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liza September 11, 2012
I guess that I am obsessed with the church attitude towards their own. Pedophiles have a disease which appears to require that they Defrock and change parish.
Homosexuals should frock up and change sex. Am I going mad ?/ -
Colin September 11, 2012
Nice article, Lucy. I think it’s also high time we stopped asking the Church what it thinks, full stop. It’s irrelevant – unless, perhaps for Christians. And in that case, the Church really needs to look at what true Christianity means, and stop deviating from the love and acceptance its ‘God’ prescribes.
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Benison O'Reilly September 11, 2012
It always seems to me that organised religion is obsessed with sexual morality. How about Jensen and his ilk focus their attention on the liers and cheaters and thieves? These are the people who cause pain and damage to our society, not the people who are sexually attracted to people of their own gender.
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Rollu September 11, 2012
I am gay, and i am a Christian, the two can co exist!
I’m afraid the conservative right, and the Christian Lobby, forget that Jesus himself said nothing about homosexuality. God made me who i am, Im perfect in his eyes, and they are the only eyes that matter to me!
I wish the Australian Christian Lobby, could put more effort into things that matter in our world. Supporting our assylum seekers, the marginalised, the lonely and the sick.
Unfortunately, the anti gay and holier than thou only alienates the church from the mainstream community. This is not the way Jesus behaved!
thank you to the Metrolitain Community Church for showing me its OK to be gay! -
Cornelia Burless September 11, 2012
You are absolutely right- where is the tolerance, the love, the inclusiveness we want from any type of community particulary faith based ones. For churches to ostracized sections of the community who want to belong- it is incomprehensible.
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Matt September 12, 2012
The issue is not intolerance, ignorance or obsession with sex in the church. It is one of Biblical authority. Jensen and Wallace both have an evangelical understanding of “Scripture alone”. The Bible is the foundational authority. @Rollu accepts the teachings of Jesus but chooses to ignore Paul’s comments on homosexuality. Most churches do make statements, demonstrate compassion and support the poor, the weak and the helpless. This is just not newsworthy. What organisations do the work of welfare in this country – the Salvos, Centacare, Anglicare, City Missions. There are many ministries to street workers, homeless, Aboriginal communities, asylum seekers. We are happy for the churches to do all this as long as they shut up when we don’t agree with them.
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Tom September 12, 2012
I would prefer that Jensen keep his nose out of the relationships of people in the community and perhaps turn to address the very real mental health risks that the acts of some clergy impose on youth through inappropriate physical contact. Jensen actually can do something about that but the church chooses to keep quiet and deal with it in house- no let’s not have a conversation about that!!! Hypocrite who Jesus would be ashamed of.
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susan stanford September 12, 2012
I am stunned by the ignorance and intolerance of the supposed representatives of the church.
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Matt September 12, 2012
Tom, I venture to say you have no idea what Peter Jensen does with his day. You know him only through one statement that the press chooses to highlight. Who will cast the first stone?
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Rhoda September 12, 2012
The churches do indeed fulfil a role in the community and their tax exempt status reflects that. This does not also exempt them from scrutiny or criticism and nor does it give them permission to wave their ‘Biblical Authority” about.
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Matt September 12, 2012
@Rhoda, “this does not also exempt them from scrutiny or criticism” – I couldn’t agree more. The view that a homosexual lifestyle is a perfectly natural and healthy aspect that Australian society should universally affirm is also not “exempt from scrutiny or criticism”. If the church stands for the authority of the scriptures and Jesus Christ, then not only do they have permission, they must teach it openly and clearly. Even if it is abhorrent to the overwhelming majority of people.
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Rhoda September 12, 2012
@Matt. One might ask Peter Jensen what he associates with the term ‘homosexual lifestyle’. It isn’t code for lewd, lascivious and morally degraded.
Homosexuals wait at the checkout with us, teach, nurse and officiate at weddings. They join us for dinner. They stand for election and they vote. They are our neighbours and our children.
And they have feelings too – need to be in a loving and reponsive relationship as much as any heterosexual. To deny them that is to deny their humanity.
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Rollu September 13, 2012
your right Rhonda, @Matt, i wasnt ignoring what Paul said, but talking about what Jesus didnt say. Not every gay person is out looking for the next sexual encounter.
@AJ the bible should always be read in context, and in light of the times it was written. Ultimately, as Christians, and not Jews, Jesus said he was the new covenant, thats why we can still eat shellfish and pigs flesh. Like it or lump it
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AJ September 13, 2012
I hate no one. I accept the good in people, no matter who they are. I don’t care if they are white, black, brindle or purple with orange polk-a-dots!!! Everyone has the right to believe in what they want to. Even Peter Jensen. However, like Matt said, Christianity’s authority comes from the Bible. Like it or lump it. You can’t have Christianity without it. 1st Corinthians 6:9-11.
