'As for attitudes towards those seen as being on the dirty outside of the tribe, especially if their difference is frightening in some way, especially if their difference has to do with sexuality: oh my. It is of course an illusion to imagine that the dykes and the queers and the trannies are all safely locked out there in the outer darkness rather than being in here with us, in fact being us, but that's what the corrupting little map of virtue suggests, and quite a lot of those who are conducting my own church's stumbling rearguard action against gay rights seem to feel that they are defending a fortress of traditional behaviour against hordes of drag queens on crack.
The record of the church here is, frankly, rubbish. We are supposed, always to be trying to love what we don't like or understand or want to touch; we are supposed to be taking as little notice of boundaries to love as we believe God does. We are supposed to be looking at each other in guilty brotherhood and sisterhood. We are not supposed to be assigning guilt according to who does what with whom.'
Taken from Unapologetic by Francis Spufford
Published by Faber & Faber 2012
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