Sex Versus Religion

sex versus religion: what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object

What:
A discussion on the role religion plays in the formation of views related to human sexuality

Who:
Mariann Aalda, actress, author, humorist, motivator
Carl W. Kenney II, minister, writer, activist, speaker

Where:
Ideas Coffee House, 2105 E. Highway 54, Durham, North Carolina 27713.

When:
Saturday, February 3, 2007 at 1:00 p.m.


Sex.. a small word that stirs so many emotions. For some it’s embraced as part of what it means to be human. For others it serves as a reflection of all that is wrong with American culture. That little word, sex, is credited for destroying lives, ruining families, and is recognized for the death of the good ole days. So, “What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?” That force (lust) walks and talks among a rock solid object (faith traditions).

The life of faith when juxtaposed against the lure of sex produces a world of confusion. It’s has taken an actress from Hollywood, Mariann Aalda and a minister living in the heart of the Bible Belt, Carl Kenney, to engage in a discussion on how sex and faith can produce a variety of responses. Why do we cringe when the word is lifted in our places of worship? Kenney and Aalda decided to tackle the intersection of these constructs because of the rise of HIV/AIDS in the black community. “We can no longer keep our mouths shut when it comes to sex,” Kenney says. “Far too many have died because we are afraid to deal with how we feel when the lights are turned off in the presence of a person who doesn’t share our last name.”

Aalda was last seen in North Carolina at the Black Theatre Festival (2004) as part of the trio in the hit 3 Blacque Chix. The production described as sexistential comedy celebrating the sexual vibrancy and vitality of women over 40…and those planning on living to be-was tagged by one reviewer as “the emotional cousin to the Vagina Monoloques and Menopause: The Musical. “Actually, it more closely resembles a stage version of Sex & the City,” says entertainment executive Steven Cooper.

As one of the few African-American actors in a contract role on daytime television in the early to mid-eighties, Mariann -- who played the feisty, young criminal attorney, DiDi Bannister, on the ABC soap opera, Edge Of Night -- was lauded as a trailblazer. Today, as an author and motivational speaker, she continues to blaze trails, this time, taking up the cause of the baby-boomer women of her generation who are now in the throes of mid-life.
"The greatest challenge in getting older is learning to deal with loss," says Mariann, a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a degree in communications and a professional member of the American Counseling Association. "And I've experienced a lot of them, myself: the death of a parent; an empty nest; the end of a long-term marriage, and diminishing career opportunities. But that doesn't have to lead to a loss of self-esteem or excitement about the future. As some doors close, we need to remember that we can exercise an option to open new ones."

Having most recently appeared as a guest-star on the UPN hit sitcom, THE PARKERS, Mariann Aalda launched her acting career with OFF-CENTRE THEATRE, in a summer job for the N.Y.C.Parks Dept., doing street theater "...for seventy-five bucks a week and all you could beg in the street...it was a tough audience," says Aalda. "Having rotten produce thrown at you from the rooftops of tenement buildings in Hell's Kitchen, propels you into warp speed at thinking on your feet. You've gotta get 'em laughing and on your side pretty quickly so they'll stop thinking of you as a moving target." On a more auspicious note, the OFF CENTRE gig also introduced Aalda to actress Annie Korzen (YENTA UNPLUGGED), who went on to become one of her best friends and years later co-starred with her in the female version of Neil Simon's THE ODD COUPLE at the 1500-hundred seat La Mirada Playhouse in Los Angeles.
After her daunting introduction into show business, Aalda was accepted into the prestigious Negro Ensemble Company theater training program, where film actor Laurence Fishburne and comedian Robert Townsend were among her classmates. Along with Townsend, she made her first major theatrical appearance in Woody King's New Federal Theater production of TAKE IT FROM THE TOP, opposite Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.
Later, she embarked on a two-year national tour with the acclaimed improvisational comedy group, THE PROPOSITION, along with award-winning RUGRATS actor-director, Charlie Adler. It was with "THE PROP" that she developed her yen for comedy. "I love walking that tightrope of making it 'wacky' while keeping it real," says Aalda. "The funniest characters have absolutely no idea that they're funny...that's for the audience to decide."
Aalda then came off the road for what was supposed to be a three-month stint on the ABC soap opera, EDGE OF NIGHT, and instead ended up staying for three years, earning an AFTERNOON TV award as "Outstanding New Female" for her portrayal of feisty, young attorney, "DiDi Bannister." When the show went off the air, she moved to Los Angeles and gained attention, first as "Ellen Parker," the long suffering wife of football coach, "T. D. Parker" (played by O.J. Simpson) in HBO's first adult hit series, FIRST & 10; and then as "Lita Ford," Meshach Taylor's "yuppie-from-hell" girlfriend on CBS' DESIGNING WOMEN.
She reunited with Taylor several year's later as "John and Julie Pinderhughes," the clueless parents in the Warner Bros. teen cult-comedy, CLASS ACT, opposite rappers Kid 'N Play. Other Films include co-starring in NOBODY'S PERFECT with Chad Lowe and Gail O'Grady, and featured roles in BEACHES and PRETTY WOMAN for Garry Marshall.
Aalda was also one of the stars of CBS' THE ROYAL FAMILY, the sitcom that was destined to be Redd Foxx's "comeback" series, until he met with his untimely death after suffering a heart attack on the set. After numerous guest-star appearances (VERONICA'S CLOSET, CHICAGO HOPE, FAMILY MATTERS, KENAN 'N KEL and GRACE UNDER FIRE, among others) it was back to daytime, again, with a recurring role on NBC's SUNSET BEACH as "the tragically disfigured Lena Hart."
After more than twenty years as an actor, Aalda says she can usually guess a person's age from what they remember her from. "Boomer's and up are a fan base from all my TV appearances in prime-time...teens and twenty-somethings know me from film -- CLASS ACT, and occassionally NOBODY'S PERFECT. But I get stopped most often by thirty-somethings who tell me how much they enjoyed watching me on EDGE OF NIGHT...when they came home from (junior high) school!"
Affectionately known as “Kenney the voice of many”, Kenney grew up in Columbia, Missouri. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He obtained graduate degrees at Duke University and Princeton Theological Seminary. His journalism education paved the way for many opportunities in broadcasting, reporting and writing. When he’s not out “saving souls”, Kenney is preparing his commentary for The Independent Weekly. Prior to the Independent Weekly, Kenney was a columnist for the Durham Herald-Sun, the News & Observer-The Durham News, and Tribes Magazines. His columns have addressed controversial topics such as Homophobia and human sexuality.

Kenney’s novel entitled, “Preacha’ Man” was published in 2003. The sequel to this work, “Backslide”, is near completion. The story of Preacha’ Man, which is loosely based on Kenney’s life, details the life of a minister that is besieged with demons from his past and conflicts of his present. It addresses the affects of how “being called by God” can make a seemingly ordinary life very complicated.

Kenney’s messages to people include spirit-churning declarations that transcend race, gender, ethnicity and lifestyle. His ministry is comprised of people who want solutions, not rhetoric; people who want change, not pacification; people who want alternatives, not darkness. Kenney is challenged by the often self-imposed limitations that occur when people use the word “normal”. “Who has the right to define what normal is?” says Kenney. “We bind ourselves to irrational thinking when we start comparing our lives against unreasonable standards.” Founded by Kenney, Compassion Ministries in Durham, North Carolina is dedicated to instilling the importance of spiritual, emotional and financial growth and enlightenment to its parishioners.

Kenney’s work in ministry and journalism has garnered him recognition nationally. Melissa Lacewell-Harris, Political Science Professor at the University of Chicago, featured him in her book Barbershops, Bibles and BET. In her book, Lacewell-Harris argues that Kenney, the once popular minister of the Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Durham, NC, was terminated because of his views on sex. “Reverend Kenney left Orange Grove because of sex and controversy,” Lacewell-Harris wrote. “For all its exceptionalism, Orange Grove is still a Southern, black, Baptist church.”

Craig Keener, New Testament Professor at Eastern Baptist Seminary in Philadelphia, PA, has featured Kenney in two of his books: Women, Wives and Paul and Black Man’s Religion. In 1993, he was featured in Emerge Magazine for his work to fight domestic violence. He was interviewed as part of a documentary on gangs that appeared on Court TV. The host and producer of the documentary is Al Roker. He has been interviewed as a source for stories by the press from coast to coast. His remarks have appeared on BET News, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Christian Science Monitor, and the national syndicated Radioscope.