By Liam Ballinagar

I remember a time when the word gay was referring to a person’s mood. In this period of time it means something different. Naturally, this new meaning posed quite a conundrum for the current hierarchy of the Catholic Church. In 1987, enter Reverend Michael Piazza. He had recently been elected pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Dallas, and was concerned about the future of this particular church – the direction it would go on its theological path.

During a time of heavy persecution and overall abandonment by the Christian and Catholic churches of homosexual parishioners, Rev. Piazza, after a discussion with some 300 members of his church and the church administration, decided on a very different direction. Rev. Piazza’s main goals for the new church were to change the way the world thought about homosexuals, to change the way homosexuals thought about God, and to redefine Christianity as a religion of inclusion, instead of exclusion. The Cathedral of Hope was born.

As the Cathedral of Hope does, the Basis of Being seeks to include everyone, but without the spin on accepting Jesus as savior. This, of course, is up to the individual, but the Basis of Being doesn’t condone one religion over another, it condones all religions as a whole. The five Core Values of the Cathedral of Hope reflect this hope; Compassion, Inclusion, Liberation, Hope and Faith in Jesus. In the words of the Cathedral of Hope: “At the Cathedral of Hope, every member is a minister of the church. We believe we are here to serve, not to be served. To that end, we embrace five core values.”

The Basis of Being garners each person to be their own - A vessel for their own beliefs and faiths. “We are a people of Compassion. We are ministers who embody the tangible love of a savior who fed the hungry, healed the hurting, and told us bluntly that what we did to the least we did to him.” The Basis of Being teaches that we are all capable of compassion; irregardless of where we feel that compassion stems from, it is rooted in the basics of humanity.

“We are a people of Inclusion. This is a value Jesus held. We believe Jesus came to include, not to exclude. All are welcome around God’s table.” Again, the Basis of Being includes everyone; all beings, irregardless of belief or faith; as long as no harm is brought to oneself or others… “We are a people of Liberation. We seek to challenge all oppression, particularly the oppression of queer people. By embodying grace we live out our liberation until all are set free.”

The Basis of Being holds no animosity towards the chosen path that anyone chooses to travel; as long as those he/she travels with accept the companionship of those who they are traveling with for a time. “We are a people of Hope. We are people filled with joy and unrelenting optimism because we believe God is good. With God, all things are possible. God can use us to transform the world.”

The Basis of Being teaches hope and teaches that all people are inherently good. We teach that all things are possible and we can transform the world if we put our minds, bodies, and souls into the transformation. “We are a people of Jesus. We believe Jesus was the incarnation of God’s grace. Jesus was the ultimate liberal, who resisted the status quo of oppression and showed us the way to the abundant life God intends for all people.”

The Basis of Being is just that – THE Basis of Being. It is us; we who blaze the paths that lead to an abundance of this life and more… Another belief system that goes hand in hand with the Basis of Being, as all do, The Cathedral of Hope puts forth the message that all are equal regardless of creed, religion, or sexual preference. There is no prejudice, no exclusion – all are welcome and there is a fundamental understanding that we must care for and understand those around us to succeed in making the world a much better place.

The Basis Of Being supports all beliefs that lead to a prosperous and peaceful lifelong pursuit of happiness for not only ourselves, but those around us.

What is the Basis of Being?

The Basis Of Being is a groundbreaking book broken down into 13 Chapters of 28 Maxims each. Written by Liam Ballinagar & Gamble Leidolf; edited by Corine San Crainte, this wonderful pocket sized guide will change your life forever. With 364 Pearls of Wisdom, you can make but one alteration a day and by the end of 12 months, you might not recognize yourself. But of course your good deeds will have been rewarded and come back to you tenfold. Thank you for considering the Basis Of Being. If you are ready for the Future: CLICK HERE