Newcastle Cathedral is being confronted over a weekend-long LGBT festival that includes a panel discussion on “Queering the Church”.
Coinciding with the city’s pro-LGBT march, the Cathedral is hosting four panellists including a Church of England curate who identifies as ‘non-binary genderqueer transgender’.
Colin Hart, The Christian Institute’s Director, said such festivals lead people away from the good news of the Gospel.
Between Friday 19 and Sunday 21 July, the Cathedral is hosting six LGBT events.
These include a communion service with an LGBT emphasis, marching with others in the city centre and “LGBT History Telling”.
The Pride Panel will see C of E curate Bingo Allison, Proud Catholics founder Isabel Hill, bisexual Revd Rae Caro and Bi Pride UK’s Karen Pollock discuss how the church can go “beyond tolerance to inclusion”.
Colin Hart said: “The message of the Gospel is that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. Instead of repenting of sin, this festival celebrates it.
“Anglican doctrine is that homosexual acts must be repented of. The Cathedral authorities and the Bishop of Newcastle don’t seem bothered.
“In a place of worship, and even at a Holy Communion service, there is to be what amounts to a blasphemous celebration of sexual activity outside marriage.
“The event seems designed to mock the orthodox Christian belief that sexual activity is exclusively within the confines of marriage.”
