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Hat#2: “I also then work with some ancillary issues to [church-state separation] which are issues of sexuality and spirituality,
which also include gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender rights and issues, and also I work with education in the public schools at that
level and also at the college level.”
Over the past few political years, the LGBT community has been effectively used as a wedge, a fundraising tool, and also a means
by which to separate the nation between red and blue states in order to secure political seats.
Going forward, the LGBT community is continuing to organize so that it is no longer scapegoated by various faith and religious
communities and used as political and religious pawns of power.
To assist the LGBT community on this initiative, Rev. Harmon explains that he serves on “several boards and several advisory
counsels. I work with the Human Rights Campaign and I work the National Lesbian Gay Task force, both of which have fairly
active and growing outreach programs to religious communities.”
He adds that he believes that “the LGBT community has realized that by isolating itself sometimes from religious communities,
they’ve done themselves a disservice. And so we’re getting over that. It’s just like getting the church over talking about sex; it’s
getting LGBT people over talking about religion. Many religious LGBT people have been around for a long time. Not everyone is
an atheist, a humanist or a secularist, so those religious voices are given permission to stand up and say yes I’m gay and I’m
Christian and those two are not mutually exclusive.”
which also include gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender rights and issues, and also I work with education in the public schools at that
level and also at the college level.”
Over the past few political years, the LGBT community has been effectively used as a wedge, a fundraising tool, and also a means
by which to separate the nation between red and blue states in order to secure political seats.
Going forward, the LGBT community is continuing to organize so that it is no longer scapegoated by various faith and religious
communities and used as political and religious pawns of power.
To assist the LGBT community on this initiative, Rev. Harmon explains that he serves on “several boards and several advisory
counsels. I work with the Human Rights Campaign and I work the National Lesbian Gay Task force, both of which have fairly
active and growing outreach programs to religious communities.”
He adds that he believes that “the LGBT community has realized that by isolating itself sometimes from religious communities,
they’ve done themselves a disservice. And so we’re getting over that. It’s just like getting the church over talking about sex; it’s
getting LGBT people over talking about religion. Many religious LGBT people have been around for a long time. Not everyone is
an atheist, a humanist or a secularist, so those religious voices are given permission to stand up and say yes I’m gay and I’m
Christian and those two are not mutually exclusive.”
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Hat #3: Finally, Harmon works with the National Black Church Initiative, which “deals with tearing down the separation between
sexuality and spirituality, a wall that has never truly existed in its origin but has been put in place since the writings of Aquinas and
Augustus.”
By far the Black Church is probably the biggest and most explosive swing vote and hottest political potato at the moment. It was
aggressively courted during the 2000 elections and many well known Black bishops have signed on to anti-gay initiatives in defiance
of comparing civil rights to gay rights.
AU has sought to bridge the divide within the Black Church between spirituality and sexuality by creating two curriculums, one for
adults and the other for young adults, which teach that sexuality is a gift from God with references to Christian Scriptures. This is
done over a three day conference of workshops and plenary sessions where there’re also open discussions about out sexuality and
the celebration of it.
Harmon adds that he’s been “working with these clergy to find a ways to reconnect our spiritual selves and our sexual selves
together, understanding that sexuality is a gift of God in all of its various forms and that we should not be ashamed. As a matter of
fact the scriptures says that we should be naked and unashamed.”
A native of St. Louis, Harmon is an ordained minister and has been preaching since the age of 8. In addition, he has extensive liberal
arts, communications, and producing background and training which fit well with his role of dialoguing, messaging, and elevating
the media images of divergent spiritual voices and activism for separation of church state, LGBT, and minority groups of faith.
He first felt the call to activism back in junior high school when he campaigned for Class President and won and then later became a
Student Government Association regional leader for the state of Missouri.
sexuality and spirituality, a wall that has never truly existed in its origin but has been put in place since the writings of Aquinas and
Augustus.”
By far the Black Church is probably the biggest and most explosive swing vote and hottest political potato at the moment. It was
aggressively courted during the 2000 elections and many well known Black bishops have signed on to anti-gay initiatives in defiance
of comparing civil rights to gay rights.
AU has sought to bridge the divide within the Black Church between spirituality and sexuality by creating two curriculums, one for
adults and the other for young adults, which teach that sexuality is a gift from God with references to Christian Scriptures. This is
done over a three day conference of workshops and plenary sessions where there’re also open discussions about out sexuality and
the celebration of it.
Harmon adds that he’s been “working with these clergy to find a ways to reconnect our spiritual selves and our sexual selves
together, understanding that sexuality is a gift of God in all of its various forms and that we should not be ashamed. As a matter of
fact the scriptures says that we should be naked and unashamed.”
A native of St. Louis, Harmon is an ordained minister and has been preaching since the age of 8. In addition, he has extensive liberal
arts, communications, and producing background and training which fit well with his role of dialoguing, messaging, and elevating
the media images of divergent spiritual voices and activism for separation of church state, LGBT, and minority groups of faith.
He first felt the call to activism back in junior high school when he campaigned for Class President and won and then later became a
Student Government Association regional leader for the state of Missouri.
Copyrighted 2006
Herndon Davis is an author, lecturer, and TV/Radio Host of The Herndon Davis Reports. He can be
reached directly at http://herndondavis.com
Herndon Davis is an author, lecturer, and TV/Radio Host of The Herndon Davis Reports. He can be
reached directly at http://herndondavis.com
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Religion, Sex, and Politics: three things that yo mama told you never to talk about on your job, in public or in delicate social
situations. Well for the Rev. Cedric Harmon, that’s exactly what he has done all day long, for the past ten years. You see Rev.
Harmon is the Religious Outreach Director for Americans United for Separation of Church State, an organization which since
1947, has led the way in defending the legalities surrounding the separation of church and state which has been the cornerstone of
religious liberty in America.
A non-sectarian, non-partisan organization, AU's membership includes Christians, Jews, Buddhists, alongside people with no
religious affiliation plus many others not to mention Democrats, Republicans and political Independents. In his current role as
Religious Outreach Director, Rev. Harmon wears three distinct hats which keep him pretty busy.
Hat #1: “First and foremost, I work to make sure that we engage and elevate the voices of progressive religious leaders on the
issue of church-state separation and that principle found in our constitution. Religious liberty is very important for all religious
people and the constitution guarantees that in the first amendment.”
Well this task sounds a lot easier said than done especially with numerous well funded religious groups with massive cable and
satellite ministries with well paid lobbyists who apply daily pressure upon congress as to the future and direction of the country
but from their own distinct faith based perspective.
So in order to combat this one-directional path and course, AU seeks to provide coverage, interactions, and divergent voices on
spirituality so that congress can hear a more balanced debate versus a monotone voice on religion in America.
Harmon explains that “Be it the Faith based initiative or the Federal Marriage amendment…we bring clergy, religious leaders,
denominational leaders, bishops, rabbis, to Washington to speak to senators and members of congress and let them know that the
religious right is not the only religious voice in the country and that they do not speak for all religious people.
And so elevating the voices of these progressive religious leaders having them speak directly with the members of congress to say
there is another opinion, another viewpoint and one that I would say is more consistent with the Gospel message and with the
Hebrew bible and Hebrew Scriptures is very important.”
situations. Well for the Rev. Cedric Harmon, that’s exactly what he has done all day long, for the past ten years. You see Rev.
Harmon is the Religious Outreach Director for Americans United for Separation of Church State, an organization which since
1947, has led the way in defending the legalities surrounding the separation of church and state which has been the cornerstone of
religious liberty in America.
A non-sectarian, non-partisan organization, AU's membership includes Christians, Jews, Buddhists, alongside people with no
religious affiliation plus many others not to mention Democrats, Republicans and political Independents. In his current role as
Religious Outreach Director, Rev. Harmon wears three distinct hats which keep him pretty busy.
Hat #1: “First and foremost, I work to make sure that we engage and elevate the voices of progressive religious leaders on the
issue of church-state separation and that principle found in our constitution. Religious liberty is very important for all religious
people and the constitution guarantees that in the first amendment.”
Well this task sounds a lot easier said than done especially with numerous well funded religious groups with massive cable and
satellite ministries with well paid lobbyists who apply daily pressure upon congress as to the future and direction of the country
but from their own distinct faith based perspective.
So in order to combat this one-directional path and course, AU seeks to provide coverage, interactions, and divergent voices on
spirituality so that congress can hear a more balanced debate versus a monotone voice on religion in America.
Harmon explains that “Be it the Faith based initiative or the Federal Marriage amendment…we bring clergy, religious leaders,
denominational leaders, bishops, rabbis, to Washington to speak to senators and members of congress and let them know that the
religious right is not the only religious voice in the country and that they do not speak for all religious people.
And so elevating the voices of these progressive religious leaders having them speak directly with the members of congress to say
there is another opinion, another viewpoint and one that I would say is more consistent with the Gospel message and with the
Hebrew bible and Hebrew Scriptures is very important.”
Now, for an entire decade he’s fought tirelessly in this unique arena of separation of church and state while unifying the areas of
spirituality and sexuality, obviously not an easy road to walk. But according to Harmon, his work is actually part of his spiritual
purpose. “It’s the most fulfilling part of my ministry. It is a service rooted and grounded in a message of good news. And I do it
with great interest and enthusiasm.”
He adds that his work is “very broad” and that the “misuse of religion for political purposes is doing great disservice to the
Christian Church, and is doing great disservice to the Abrahamic religions, and to the minority faith groups in the country.”
Extremely articulate and very knowledgeable of the issues, Harmon is never at a loss for words or advice for those straddling the
fence on issues of spirituality, sexuality, and the separation of church and state.
He advises the rest of the country that “we need to realize that at the beginning of the 21st century the intersection of spirituality
and sexuality is the most important area as we find ourselves creating our future society. These struggles within denominations,
within communities of faith are where the rubber hits the road right now. In the Episcopal church, in the Lutheran church, in the
Presbyterian Churches, and in all the major mainline denominations, the struggle over how to deal with human sexuality and yet
maintain a good commitment to spirituality is about to tear these communities apart.
So we need to be mindful that this is something that should not be ignored but it is the crux of our understanding right now. We
can no longer hide and stick our heads in the sand like an ostrich. We must not allow religion to divide us as it has many
countries outside of the United States.”
Finally, Rev. Harmon adds that we must “equip ourselves with study and serious reflection to be able to speak [to] the issues of
the day.”
spirituality and sexuality, obviously not an easy road to walk. But according to Harmon, his work is actually part of his spiritual
purpose. “It’s the most fulfilling part of my ministry. It is a service rooted and grounded in a message of good news. And I do it
with great interest and enthusiasm.”
He adds that his work is “very broad” and that the “misuse of religion for political purposes is doing great disservice to the
Christian Church, and is doing great disservice to the Abrahamic religions, and to the minority faith groups in the country.”
Extremely articulate and very knowledgeable of the issues, Harmon is never at a loss for words or advice for those straddling the
fence on issues of spirituality, sexuality, and the separation of church and state.
He advises the rest of the country that “we need to realize that at the beginning of the 21st century the intersection of spirituality
and sexuality is the most important area as we find ourselves creating our future society. These struggles within denominations,
within communities of faith are where the rubber hits the road right now. In the Episcopal church, in the Lutheran church, in the
Presbyterian Churches, and in all the major mainline denominations, the struggle over how to deal with human sexuality and yet
maintain a good commitment to spirituality is about to tear these communities apart.
So we need to be mindful that this is something that should not be ignored but it is the crux of our understanding right now. We
can no longer hide and stick our heads in the sand like an ostrich. We must not allow religion to divide us as it has many
countries outside of the United States.”
Finally, Rev. Harmon adds that we must “equip ourselves with study and serious reflection to be able to speak [to] the issues of
the day.”