Center City: Life Through the Lens of an Out Pastor
Inside an Oregon storage unit a few days after their engagement in July, R. Eric Thomas learned something about his fiancé, Rev. David Norse (above), through some old photographs. “We both realized that we were pretty lonely teenagers,” Thomas said. “That is what it is, but I got to see parts of him that I recognized as […]
LGBTQ: ‘There’s a Real Shift Happening’ in Christianity
For Rev. David Norse, he’s seen a lot of change in the last six years. “There’s a real shift happening,” he said, “and it’s really changing in that tradition with younger members. That’s why I find the research so fascinating. If you look at the younger generation, the rate of acceptance is so high. It’s […]
Center City: ‘Come as You are’ at Broad Street Ministry
When Broad Street Ministry opened in 2005, the staff realized quickly the church had to be different. “We knew right away this needed to be a church for this zip code,” said Rev. Andy Greenhow, minister of stewardship, congregational partnership and belonging. “That has to incorporate three blocks from City Hall. That has to incorporate, too, […]
Center City: Valuing the Individual at the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia
For Hugh Taft-Morales (above), the closest he came to a religious experience was “Star Trek.” Taft-Morales, the leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia, grew up in an intellectual home with his father a scientist. He attended an Episcopal church for four years. “I was sent there to get musical training, to develop my ear […]
Pope in Philly: One Faith’s Celebration is Another’s Inconvenience
Hugh Taft-Morales didn’t expect this. “I knew it was going to be big,” he said. “It’s well beyond what I thought it was going to be. Clearly, Philadelphia’s got a lot of Catholic tradition and heritage.” Taft-Morales is not Catholic, nor is he from Philadelphia. The leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia, he […]
The Pope In Philly: “My Spiritual Practice Helps me Figure out Where my Place in the Universe is,” says R. Eric Thomas.
R. Eric Thomas is the program director at the William Way LGBT Community Center, which is holding a “Celebration of Inclusive Family” on Sept 26 and 27 during the papal visit. Thomas may be new to the center—he’s been there for two months—but he’s already contributing to the cause. When did the idea of the papal celebration […]
Religion: Five Houses of Worship Worth Visiting
While the upcoming papal visit draws most of the attention in Philadelphia, another religious leader will soon make his way to the city. The Dalai Lama will be here Oct. 26 and 27, when he’ll receive the 2015 Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center and hold public teachings. The city has an historic religious […]