Zebulon Robbins Sr.

Anthony Scott 
Jan. 16, 1994 
Anthony C. Scott, Of Floral Park, N.y., Died Jan. 16 In New York.

Sunday, January 30, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1 &amp; 16A QUICK WORDS: TAKING IT ON
FAITH: RELIGION AND GAYS 





Taking it on faith: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Religion and gays &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An inflammatory remark is heard at a City Council meeting, and suddenly
people all over start talking -- and fighting -- about homosexuality. How much
of our passion comes from our religious creeds? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By CECE TODD &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Staff Writer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A Wilkes-Barre city councilman spews the venom: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gays dying of AIDS are getting what they deserve. "Half of them anyway"
should be shot, Al Boris says. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 His words set off a frenzy of anger and fear. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Boris' business is vandalized, his reputation as a public official
tarnished. Police escort the council out of a public meeting that threatens to
boil over with rage. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In a valley served by more than 300 churches, synagogues and mosques, the
sentiment "Love thy neighbor" seems lost. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 How much do the houses of God influence public opinion of gays? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think we are a major force," says Monsignor Neil J. Van Loon, chancellor
of the Diocese of Scranton. "The Roman Catholic Church and all churches and
synagogues in our community are significant leaders in establishing and
maintaining values." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But, sometimes, values can turn to venom. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I guess to some degree, I've been like, `Wow~!' I couldn't believe the
level of animosity, intolerance and hatred that's come forth," says the Rev.
Don Lyon, rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He was shocked by Boris' statements, which were followed by hateful
comments from others and threats of violence on both sides. "There is no hope
in intolerance and hatred, anger and fear. That's not conducive to building
community. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Homosexual persons are persons of God. Homosexuality needs to be dealt
with care, concern and compassion." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For some religious groups, homosexuality is a moral issue: God, they say,
approves of sexual behavior only between a man and woman who are married to
each other. Gay sex is wrong. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Other religious groups have answered the morality question by affirming gay
lifestyles, and still others have left it unanswered. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "This issue with Al Boris has gotten out of hand because of the statements
he made, some of which were inaccurate," says Rabbi Moshe Yeres, of the
Orthodox Ohav Zedek Synagogue in Wilkes-Barre. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "But the statement about homosexuality being wrong is supported by
(Orthodox) Judaism." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Al Boris, a Roman Catholic, refused to comment on whether religion
influences his view of gays. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But the Roman Catholic Church, whose membership is the largest in
Northeastern Pennsylvania, calls homosexuality "a more or less strong tendency
ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil" and teaches that gays should remain
celibate, Van Loon says. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Unitarian Universalists, Unity church and Reform Judaism, however, are
among the religious groups that affirm the gay person's lifestyle. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Other churches and synagogues fall somewhere in the middle: They do not
pass judgment on gays, but they also do not condone their behavior. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "While we recognize homosexuality is forbidden in the Torah, and therefore
we cannot give it sanction, we nonetheless reach out and welcome people of all
different lifestyles into our congregation," says Rabbi James Michaels, of the
Conservative Temple Israel Synagogue in Wilkes-Barre. "We do not judge." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But the Bible, orthodox Rabbi Yeres says, is explicit in its judgment of
gay behavior. Yeres cites the Old Testament book of Leviticus. "Do not lie
with a male as one lies with a woman. It is an abomination." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Lutheran view &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Lutherans do not follow such a literal interpretation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We believe very much that the Bible is the word of God, but you have to
look at all the word of God and not just one part," says the Rev. Lynn
Rothrock, associate of the bishop of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Lutheran Church is in the process of determining its view of
homosexuality. Congregations are considering three different responses: one
that calls gay behavior a sin and opposes gays being sexually active; another
that tolerates gay behavior, but considers it an imperfection in God's
creation; and a third that openly affirms gays and lesbians and their
"committed relationships of fidelity" as "another expression of what God has
created." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 All three Lutheran proposals stress "love our neighbor." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But once a position is adopted, Rothrock maintains that within
congregations, members' views will differ. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Martin Luther felt people should be free to choose," he says of the church
reformer. "One can be free to disagree." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Catholic view &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Roman Catholic Church recently reaffirmed its position on homosexual
activity. Just last fall, the Vatican sent a letter to American bishops that
had been sent before in the 1980s. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It is only in the marital relationship that the use of sexual faculty can
be morally good," the letter states. "A person engaging in homosexual behavior
therefore acts immorally." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Roman Catholics view homosexuality as an "objective disorder." Gay
parishioners are welcomed into the church but are expected to abstain from
sexual activity. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We are to stand strong in our teaching on this issue," Van Loon says.
"Others are trying to change their ways of looking at it, but we need to stay
true to our beliefs." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Roman Catholic Church, he says, is "a church of sinners striving to be
saints. ... We accept sinners of all stripes. We are telling homosexual
people, `We love you as a person, but we cannot abide by your lifestyle.' " &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gays, the monsignor says, are part of the Catholic Church family. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The worst thing that can happen is for them to stay away. We never want
them to leave." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A hot potato &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Growing up as a Roman Catholic, Lonny McLaughlin, at one time, wanted to
become a priest. But today, the Wilkes-Barre businessman, who is gay, refuses
to step inside the church that views his behavior as immoral. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The church's view on homosexuality is that it's OK to be homosexual as
long as you don't do anything about it," McLaughlin says. "I can't reconcile
the church's position with my heart." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McLaughlin, who initiated a petition seeking Boris' resignation, says the
recent furor has presented religious leaders with an opportunity to teach
understanding and compassion. "It's an important role that the church can
take." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Several ministers and church leaders agree. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ann Marie Acacio, minister of the Unity Center for Positive Living, hopes
good will come out of the fracas. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The teaching of Jesus includes everybody," she says. "As Jesus was
performing his ministry, he never asked, `Are you straight or gay? Black or
white? Rich or poor?"' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In the Wyoming Valley, she adds, "Someone needed to stir the pot. I'm
grateful to Al Boris for playing the part of Al Boris." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Phyllis Belk, president of the board of trustees of the Unitarian
Universalists Association, agrees. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think Al Boris has done us all a great favor by putting this issue on
the front page of public agenda." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Religious leaders and gays say an open community dialogue is needed, but
they acknowledge the task will be difficult. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "When you're talking about human sexuality, I don't know if there's another
subject more complex," says the Rev. Lyon. "This is absolutely the hottest of
hot potatoes that we could discuss at any level." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While there is agreement that violence is wrong, there is disagreement on
what is moral and immoral. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Things are different here," says Robert Steele, a professor of French at
Wilkes University and adviser to the university's organization for gays and
lesbians. "People are more sheltered, more prejudiced. Gays are in the closet
here like they were in the '50s. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I don't think religion is anti-gay. I just think people here are
narrow-minded." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Van Loon prefers to describe them as "traditional." He says, "If you get
into larger metropolitan areas, you find something different ... But our
people are more traditionally minded, and they're less inclined to reach out
and embrace other ways of looking at things." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Rev. James A. Baker, district superintendent for the United Methodist
Church, agrees. "This is a valley that does change slowly," he says. "We're
deeply ingrained in our past, our heritage, our history." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Still, religious leaders are hopeful most Wyoming Valley residents can see
the difference between expressing values and expressing hate. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I don't know Mr. Boris, but I was appalled by his statements," says the
Rev. Robert Zanicky of the First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre. "Whether
you agree with their lifestyle or not, (gays and lesbians) are human beings
and deserve basic human respect." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/BOB ESPOSITO &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wilkes-Barre City Council member Al Boris reads a handout on AIDS at
Thursday night's meeting. A member of the audience supplied council members
with folders of information on AIDS. Last month, Boris said people who had
AIDS got what they deserved. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/BOB ESPOSITO &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lonny McLaughlin speaks to Wilkes-Barre City Council members during
Thursday night's meeting

Taking It 
On Faith: 
Religion 
And Gays 
An Inflammatory Remark Is Heard At A City Council Meeting, And Suddenly 
People All Over Start Talking -- And 
Fighting -- About Homosexuality. How Much Of Our Passion Comes From Our

Taking It On Faith: Religion And Gays An Inflammatory Remark Is Heard At A City Council Meeting, And Suddenly People All Over Start Talking -- And Fighting -- About Homosexuality. How Much Of Our Passion Comes From Our