Yet through history gays have always dominated religious life and churches.

However one might pray - in any verbal way or completely without words - is unimportant to God. What matters is the heart's intent.

Real answers need to be found in dialogue and interaction and, yes, our shared human condition. This means being open to one another instead of simply fighting to maintain a prescribed position.

Our essential differences from the norm are both huge and deeply offensive to those among us who wish to be quietly integrated into society without particular reference to our nature.

By my definition, prayer is consciously hanging out with God. Being with God in a deliberate way.

Jesus is an example. We have other examples, including many of our ancestors as role models who understood the inner meaning of our orientation.

I feel that I communicate best when I am not deliberately being linear. Along this same line, I feel some of the best sermons I've ever heard were in the theatre rather than the pulpit - as, for example, in the Theatre of the Absurd.