To Ron: I did not know that you used to be a minister. I was the organist at my church in Washington,DC, when one Sunday, the leader of the church came up to me and said: "It has come to our attention that you are a homosexual, that is not in keeping with the membership, and we request you withdraw your letter of membership." (At Right: The Presbyterian Church now allows gay people to be ministers if they are celibate, their equivalent of the Catholic priest.)

I just looked at him, folded up my music and started to walk off. He asked: "Where are you going?" My response was that he told me to get out and I'm leaving. "But what about this afternoon service." I just looked at him again and said; "Sounds like you got a f**king problem, you told me to get out and I do what I'm told, good-bye." I don't know what they did, but I do remember them calling me up in two months and asked me to return as the organist. -Richard

From Ron: Many gay people, who have served faithful in their churches and without sexual offenses, have stories like yours. When I decided that I could not take organized religion any longer, I was sent to a minister for confidential consultation. He revealed what I had told him in confidence to the head of the ministerial committee, a man who was the minister of the largest church in the city. That minister demanded that I quit the ministry immediately without any charges against me. Two years later this same minister was dismissed for trying to seduce a member's teenage son in the church building.

These days, there are gay "accepting" churches, and some gay people are finding a home there. Bless them. Whatever it takes. For my part, one can be spiritual without connections to buildings.