Are "Religious" People Morally Superior?

Columnist and activist Wayne Besen takes a crack at that question in his latest column:

If 2008 taught the world one lesson, it is that religious people are not morally superior to those who are non-religious. Indeed, faith often shelters the shameless and provides cover for the most corrupt among us.

This is not to say that religious people are necessarily more corrupt. But, the myth that faith makes one less fallible and more pure must be punctured. This fable comes at a great cost to the holy who keep getting hosed. Charlatans are acutely aware that when religious institutions confer credibility, it is easier to con the credulous. Needless to say, churches, temples and mosques are often a refuge for reprobates. As escaped slave turned abolitionist Frederick Douglas noted in his tome “Autobiography,” the most devout Christians made the most brutal slave owners.

I'd love to send Wayne an e-mail ripping him a new one for such a negative view.

I would too if I didn't think his observations correctly reflected what's going on in today's soecity.

Much of Wayne's essay was about the Jewish faith, but his points are just as applicable to those who portray themselves as Christian. I put it that way because the only exception I take with this essay is replacing the phrase "faith" with "those portraying faith." People with true faith ARE different.

Those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and receive the Holy Spirit go through a process of "sanctification," defined in this excerpt from the website Bible-Knowledge.com.

The different Bible dictionaries and commentaries define the word "sanctification" as follows:

• The state of growing in divine grace
• To set apart for holy purposes
• The process of being made holy resulting in a changed lifestyle for the believer

Noted Bible scholar Jack Hayford, in his excellent book titled: " Hayford's Bible Handbook," defines sanctification as follows:

"The work of God's grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God's righteousness. Accomplished by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, sanctification results in holiness, or purification from the guilt and power of sin. Sanctification is instantaneous before God through Christ and progressive before man through obedience to the Holy Spirit and the Word."

If you can't sort out Christians from non-Christians, then those professing faith with their mouth are NOT walking it out with their life. Unfortunately, this type of failure makes it much more difficult for those who ARE sanctified to make a difference in the world since people can understandably be very skeptical of good intentions these days.

If Christianity looks a lot like not being a Christian, why should someone bother?

Sadly, a lot of people don't these days.

Happy New Year!

What a difference a year can make!

When Brenda and I began 2008, we were struggling in several areas. She was fighting some serious health issues, had become recently unemployed, and was facing one roadblock after another in searching for a new home for us to rent. I was angry, frustrated, and at times resentful of my work situation.

As 2009 opens, Brenda's health is significantly better, she is settled into a new job close to home that she loves, and we are in a huge, beautiful home in a very nice neighborhood that as I write this is full of lovely Christmas decorations. I found a new job which has afforded me opportunities I had long since resigned myself to never having in my career.

There is some really good stuff going on in our lives, and as we ended 2008 with a lot of positive momentum, Brenda and I have expectations that we will continue to build on that and make 2009 the best year of our lives.

We both feel very strongly that this is only possible through the blessings of our Lord. We stayed faithful even when we were dealing with some serious issues in early 2008 and before. I'll never forget literally feeling my blood run cold when Brenda told me the year before that the growth in her breast was cancerous. Fortunately, it was caught very early and, even though she had to endure three procedures, there was not a need for chemo or radiation and she is completely clear of cancer today.

It is critical to remember in tough times that the Bible tells us we will be tested. Just because we accept Christ and are willing to serve in His ministry doesn't mean there will not be adversity in our lives:

1 Timothy 3:10 And let them also be tried and investigated and proved first; then, if they turn out to be above reproach, let them serve.....

I now understand why I had to wait until my 50th year to be presented with the career opportunity I have now--I wasn't ready. I was tested and came up short. Now, being stronger in my faith, having a deeper relationship with the Lord, and having developed a character more pleasing to Him, I'm ready. I must be or else he would not have pointed me in this direction.

I share this with you today to not only tell you how blessed Brenda and I are, but to remind all of my readers that this is available to you too. We haven't done anything special, only sought out the will of the Lord, stayed obedient, and kept our faith strong even when it wasn't easy.

Anyone can do this. If you need to change the direction of your life, I hope our story helps you consider turning to Christ, taking His hand, and letting him lead you in a better direction--toward Him. If you're not sure how to do that, drop me a note and I'll be glad to help.

Have a blessed 2009 everyone!

Who Needs a Savior?

So, who needs a savior anyway, and why?

Every living human being needs a savior. No living human being can measure up to God’s standards on their own. Even if someone lived a perfect life and never did anything wrong they would still require a savior. Why? Well, it goes back to the beginning……………………..

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God it started a chain reaction that would require divine intervention to fix. Disobedience became part of human nature. It was passed from generation to generation in the blood line; in the genes – the “sin gene” became a reality. Also, God had said that if this should happen, death would come out of it. But God didn’t mean a physical death. God was referring to eternal death.

You see, God created us to be eternal beings. Things only got messed up when Adam and Eve disobeyed. Gradually, they started to get old and sick and show the signs of age. The earth started growing weeds and pests. Everything got very difficult. It would require someone who did not possess the “sin gene” to make things right again. So, God decided to make it easy.

First God decided that since only one person caused the “sin gene” in the first place, that it would be acceptable for one person to stand in on behalf of everyone. But, there wasn’t any human being who could do it. That’s why God decided to turn into human form and be born as a human being, from a virgin, not born of the seed of man, but of the power of a perfect God. And they called him Jesus.

Then God decided that if anyone believed in Jesus and what He came to accomplish that it would count for them as if they did not have the “sin gene” any more. Pretty good deal, eh?

So, Jesus was born and lived a perfect life, and then was falsely accused and put to death in order to complete the process of fixing the blood line. Well, it wasn’t enough that God took care of the “sin gene” and then took care of the death penalty. God wanted to be able to give us the ultimate victory; the victory over eternal death. So, God raised Jesus from the dead to prove that everything was fixed and made right again once and for all.

Now, God gives each of us the opportunity to choose whether to believe in Him or not. We can choose eternal death, or we can choose eternal life.

Who needs a savior anyway? WE DO!!

If you would like to tell God that you believe in Jesus and what He did for us then just say this prayer.

God, I believe that Jesus is the Savior I need. I accept Him now and receive the eternal life that you promised. Thank you for making it so easy. Amen

If you prayed this prayer and believe it in your heart, please get in touch with us so we can rejoice with you!

Research Shows the Harm Done By Rejecting LGBT Kids

This sounds like a story from the annals of DUH, but there are far too many people who need to see cold, hard evidence of the harm they can do to kids to dismiss this research. From Bilerico:

For the first time, researchers have established a clear link between rejecting behaviors of families towards lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adolescents and negative health outcomes in early adulthood. The findings will be published in the January issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in a peer-reviewed article titled "Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Young Adults." The paper, authored by Dr. Caitlin Ryan and her team at the César E. Chávez Institute at San Francisco State University, which shows that parents' rejecting behaviors towards their LGB children dramatically compromises their health, has far reaching implications for changing how families relate to their LGB children and how LGB youth are served by a wide range of providers across systems of care. The study and development of resource materials was funded by The California Endowment, a health foundation dedicated to expanding access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities.

"For the first time, research has established a predictive link between specific, negative family reactions to their child's sexual orientation and serious health problems for these adolescents in young adulthood--such as depression, illegal drug use, risk for HIV infection, and suicide attempts," said Caitlin Ryan, PhD, Director of the Family Acceptance Project at the César E. Chávez Institute at SF State and lead author of the paper. "The new body of research we are generating will help develop resources, tools and interventions to strengthen families, prevent homelessness, reduce the proportion of youth in foster care and significantly improve the lives of LGBT young people and their families."

"This study clearly shows the tremendous harm of family rejection, even if parents think they are well-intentioned, following deeply held beliefs or even protecting their children," said Dr. Sten Vermund, a pediatrician and Amos Christie Chair of Global Health at Vanderbilt University.

If anyone you know is in a family situation where there is a struggle to accept a GLBT youngster, please make sure they read this story so they can understand the consequences of not finding a resolution.

Click here to read the rest of the detail of this study at Bilerico.

"Is Gay the New Black?"

That's the title of an essay African-American GLBT activist and journalist Keith Boykin wrote a few days ago. Among the issues he discussed were the level of homophobia in the black community and how best to get more of them to support same-sex marriage. Here are a couple of excerpts: (hat tip to Freedom to Marry)

Homophobia:

The issue is not whether blacks are homophobic or not. Of course we are. We all live in the same racist, sexist, classist, misogynist, homophobic, heterosexist, culturally imperialistic society. Everyone is affected by those prejudices at some level. The question, though, is whether blacks are more homophobic than others, and that depends, of course, on how you measure homophobia.

On the personal level for many black gays and lesbians, the black community certainly feels more homophobic for those who face the slings and arrows of insult from their friends, family, church members and co-workers. But on a political level, it's hard to prove that blacks are any more homophobic than whites.

Even back in the 1990s, when I wrote my first book, polls showed blacks were more supportive than whites of outlawing employment discrimination against gays, but blacks were still far less supportive of same-sex marriage than whites. How do you explain that?

Same Sex Marriage Support: Many critics of black homophobia fail to grasp the difference between the politically progressive and the socially conservative streaks in the African American community. To communicate effectively to blacks, you need to know how to frame these issues.

If you can figure out how to frame the gay question as a political issue for basic rights instead of a social issue about acceptance, then blacks are much more likely to support it. That's a hard sell for same-sex marriage because many blacks see marriage as a religious structure, not a civil institution. But it creates opportunities to learn effective messaging.

It's important to remember the messenger is just as important as the message. Straight black people are not likely to sympathize with white people preaching to them about the evils of gay discrimination. That's a message that can most effectively be delivered by other blacks, straight and gay. Until the white LGBT movement learns this obvious point and implements strategies to include many more LGBT people of color in positions of visibility and responsibility, they are doomed to repeat the same tragic mistakes of their past failures.

It's also not helpful for gays to equate one movement with another. The civil rights movement is not the same as the gay rights movement, racism is not the same as homophobia and blacks are not the same as gays.

Although there are similarities between the two movements, there are also major differences. But why do gay activists feel the need to prove the struggles are the same in the first place?

I think Boykin's point about the need to raise up black LGBT leaders to mobilize the black community is dead on. Let's face it, any minority will respond more to someone that looks like them and has a similar cultural heritage. Where are those black leaders, either gay or straight, with enough courage to go against the tide and help push their people into becoming stronger allies in the fight for equality?

Click here to read the rest of Keith Boykin's essay.

Another Convert in the Fight for Same-Sex Marriage

Caifornia Attorney General Jerry Brown has changed his mind. The former governor (once known as "Governor Moonbeam") and presidential candidate originally supported the legality of Proposition 8 which added discrimination against GLBT people to the state's constitution. He has recently changed his mind. From Time magazine:

With an 111-page legal brief that has surprised legal scholars, Brown reversed course and repudiated his previous statements indicating he'd likely support the legality of Prop 8. Instead, on Friday, he urged the state's Supreme Court to overturn the vote, a move that would infuriate conservatives who are still white-hot mad over the court's historic 4-3 decision that earlier this year prohibited all forms of discrimination against gays, and mandated the state issue marriage licenses to gay couples. In a wide-ranging interview, Brown told TIME that his view of the legal merits of the case had evolved over the past several weeks, and explained why he now thinks the right to gay marriage in California is as fundamental as such bedrock principles as the right to property and to liberty itself.

"Right from the beginning, it looked like the only question was whether the vote was an amendment to the state constitution or something more, a revision," Brown told TIME, explaining his original stance in favor of Prop 8's legality. "But the precedents for saying that the vote was a revision were very few. Based on that, I didn't think we could call it a revision, and therefore Prop 8 looked valid."

But as his staff of more than 30 lawyers began researching the case, Brown said a few urged him to look at the question from a much broader perspective. "Some of the staff said 'wait a minute, there is another way of looking at this.' The idea was that gay marriage involves a basic liberty interest, rights that formed a foundation for our Constitution, that we enjoyed even before California became a state. That was a new way to look at this." Rights like that, he came to believe, can't be taken away, at least not by something as simple as constitutional amendment by popular vote. Instead, those rights he said, are "inalienable" in the same sense that the Declaration of Independence speaks of inalienable rights.

"The issues raised here go far beyond the issue of same-sex marriage," Brown wrote in his brief. "The question is whether rights secured under the state Constitution's safeguard of liberty as an 'inalienable' right may intentionally be withdrawn from a class of persons by an initiative... This litigation, perhaps for the first time, poses a more fundamental question: Is the initiative-amendment power wholly unfettered by the California's Constitution's protection of the People's fundamental right to life, liberty and privacy?" In other words, aren't some rights so sacred that they can't be taken away?

Yes there are, and the right to legally marry the person with whom you have entered into covenant and want to share the rest of your life with is clearly one of them.

Click here to read the rest of the Time article.

What Does The Other Guy Think

At many formal occasions, there are both an invocation at the beginning and the benediction at the end. In regards to Barack Obama's Inauguration, all the attention has been focused on Rick Warren, who is giving the invocation. Perhaps we should be paying more attention to who is giving the benediction, Rev. Joseph Lowery, a civil rights icon who supports most civil rights for GLBT people. From the Washington Blade:

Lowery, 87, a founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was the first to mention Coretta Scott King’s support for gay civil rights at her funeral in February 2006 at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, reminding the audience that she "frowned on homophobia."

Lowery supports rights for gay couples, but stops short of calling for same-sex marriage.

"I support civil rights for all citizens and this includes gay and lesbians citizens. I support civil unions and full benefits (visitation, insurance, etc) for partners in same sex relationships," he said in a written statement to Southern Voice. "Because of the deep seeded roots concerning marriage — in our hearts and minds — for a man and woman, many people, including me, have concerns about the concept/term 'marriage' and experience a degree of cultural shock when faced with same-sex partners. Nevertheless, I am strongly opposed to propositions or amendments that put into law any discrimination against citizens because of sexual orientation."

This is the same kind of forthright response that would have saved Rick Warren some trouble. Instead of trying to nuance his way through, Rev. Lowery was clear that he still had a problem with same-sex couples using the term "marriage." Unfortunate but understandable. More importantly, he is strongly opposed to placing any additional barriers in front of same-sex couples and wants all GLBT people to have a wide, if not entirely complete, range of civil rights.

Perhaps it is worth focusing on the positive presence and participation of someone like Rev. Lowery and releasing some of the frustration regarding Rick Warren's.

Click here to read the rest of the Washington Blade article.

Here is more on Rev. Lowery in the Washington Post "On Faith" section article "Rev. Joseph Lowery, the Anti-Warren."

Merry Christmas!

Brenda and I want to take a moment and wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas!

While I don't get upset when people say "Happy Hollidays!" instead, I still encourage everyone to remember what Christmas Day commemorates--the birth of our Lord and Savior, who came into this world an an innocent little baby to provide a path to salvation for you and me.

If you don't have someone to be with over the holidays, know that Brenda and I are thinking about you and praying that you connect with the love that Christ wants so much to offer you.

The Decline of the Southern Baptists

For years leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, to which I belonged for much of my life, crowed about that the decline in membership of mainstream denominations like the Lutheran and Presbyterian churches, blaming it on what they considered liberal theology.

Well, sometimes what goes around comes around. From the Washington Post:

Times are tough, even in the salvation market. After decades of growth, the nation's largest group of Protestants, the Southern Baptist Convention, is reporting losses (in church membership and recorded baptisms) for the third year in a row. Baptisms are at a 20-year low, a figure liable to put an eternity-conscious church into a severe depression.

The writer offers several reasons for this, but here's the one that I think really hits the mark:

The brand is less appealing. After 30 years of theo-political warfare within the denomination and the culture, which has included the merciless purging of evangelical moderates and even conservatives from all Southern Baptist school and agencies, not to mention strong public support for the Republican Party and Administration, the words "Southern Baptist" carry more negatives than positives. The largest and most prominent Southern Baptist congregation in America -- Rick Warren's Saddleback Church -- doesn't even use the word Baptist in its name.

There are some wonderfully devout Southern Baptist Christians who love the Lord and love people but are simply lacking the revelation about God's acceptance of GLBT people. The leadership of the SBC, however, seems to go of its way to put forth a public image of judgement and condemnation of anyone who deviates even slightly from the denomination's doctrine.

People are not inherently stuipd. Many of them will figure out what a load of crap their "hate the sin, love the sinner" approach is when the emphasis invariably falls on the hate part. Those who are truly seeking God are usually well acquainted with hate and don't need to get up early on a Sunday morning and drop some money in the collection plate to get more of it.

People are seeking love, therefore they are seeking the Lord who is love (1 John 4:8). When they find hate and judgement of man instead, they are likely to take their checkbooks and look elsewhere.

I did and have not regretted it. I learned doctrine and scripture in the Southern Baptist churches I belonged to, but I then met the Holy Spirit in an independent gay-affirming church.

When they change churches back from republican campaign headquarters to houses of worship, they might turn this trend around, and in the process maybe gain a better understanding of God's love and acceptence.

More Thoughts on the Warren Controversy

This is part of an e-mail response I sent to one of my Facebook friends who commented on my last post:

I do have some understanding of the pain that you and many GLBT people are feeling in the wake of Prop 8. This is where I believe the leadership of the major advocacy organizations have let the community down by fanning the flames of this issue into a major controversy rather than keeping it in what I believe is a more appropriate perspective.

I think there is one other important thing to remember here. Obama has, to my knowledge, never hinted that he favors marriage equality. By supporting civil unions, he is merely in favor of less discrimination toward GLBT people. This is still a major improvement over Bush and what McCain would have done, but it still approaches same-sex couples as less than equal members of our society. Perhaps in the euphoria of Obama’s victory some people have lost sight of that and developed what I believe could be unrealistic expectations of what an Obama administration could mean to the GLBT community. Perhaps the backlash toward Warren giving the Inaugural invocation is at least partially caused by the first hint of that realization.

Just to be clear, Warren is definitely anti-gay. Check out this video of his recent NBC Dateline interview. That doesn't mean that Obama is giving him a forum to spew that at the Inauguration. Warren will likely offer a prayer asking for God's blessing on Obama's presidency and our nation.

That's something I believe most of us can agree on.

Added: Just found this post by Bill Browning, the editor of th.e widely respected GLBT blog "The Bilerico Project" which shares my perspective and has much more discussion from readers.

Some Perspective on Obama and Warren

There has been much hue and cry in the LGBT community since the announcement that Rev. Rick Warren (of "The Purpose-Driven Life" fame) will deliver the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration.

Warren is very much a Southern Baptist preacher who campaigned for the passage of California's Proposition 8. It is understandable there is anger directed toward Warren by the people whose rights he advocated taking away. I get that, and was disappointed at his activism in that campaign myself.

That being said, though, let's keep it in perspective.

It's a freakin' prayer people! It's not like Obama nominated Warren to a cabinet position or some form of policy making or advisory spot. It's a prayer. Anybody selected for that role is bound to piss some group off, and it happened to be the LGBT community.

It apparently has not been a one way street, however. According to Obama, he was recently invited to Warren's Saddleback Church:

"I think that it is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americas. It is something that I have been consistent on and something that I intend to be consistent on during my presidency. What I have also said is that it is a time for America to come together, even though we may have disagreements on certain social issues. I would note that a couple of years ago I was invited to Rick Warren's church to speak despite his awareness though he was aware that I held views that were entirely contrary to his when it came to gay and lesbian rights when it came to issues like abortion. Nevertheless I had an opportunity to speak. And that dialogue, I think, is what my campaign has been all about.

"We're not going to agree on every single issue. But what we have to is create an atmosphere where we can disagree without being disagreeable and then focus on those things we hold in common as Americans."

The level of outcry over this decision I believe reflects much more poorly on LGBT people than it does on Obama, taking a relatively minor issue and drawing the dividing line of us vs. them in a situation where I don't find it to be very productive. In fact, I think that gives some easy ammunition for anti-gay rights advocates to point to a lack of tolerance from LGBT people.

As a passoinate ally, I would strongly urge leaders of LGBT advocacy groups to pick their battles more wisely.

"Some of My Best Friends are Christian"

A serious point can sometimes be made by using satire, and this essay from Bilerico is a good example. Tired of right-wing homophobes denying they are anti-gay by claiming to have gay friends, writer Alex Blaze says he can not possibly be a "Christophobe" because he has Christian friends:

Some of my best friends are Christian.

I know, I know, it may be hard to believe. Some of you may ask, "Alex, why are you friends with members of that radical cult? Don't you know that they want to subjugate women, erase queer people's existence, institute slavery, and convert the entire world to their bizarre lifestyle?"

To which I'd respond, "Yes! But being friends with someone doesn't mean that you have to accept their beliefs or lifestyle!"

It would be ridiculous to accuse me of being a Christophobe, because I have Christian friends. While Radical, Militant Christians like to paint anyone who supports the venerated institution of throwing Christians to lions as a bigot, that's just their way of silencing free speech. If they had their way, believe me, anyone who tried to throw a Christian to the lions or even preached about the importance of the institution would be put in prison.

Not all Christians are like that, though. And I'd suggest all of you go out and find a Christian friend. Let them know that you care and that you're trying to help them move away from that lifestyle.

This isn't about hating the believer, just the belief.

Sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn't it? That's the idea.

Click here to read the entire tounge-in-cheek essay at Bilerico.

"Gender Identity and our Faith Communities"

The HRC caught a lot of grief for supporting the exclusion of transgender people from the ENDA legislation in Congress, but they do appear to be making a effort to rectify that and make the T in GLBT not merely an afterthought.

One step they have taken is preparing this excellent resource, "Gender Identity and our Faith Communities: A Congregational Guide for Transgender Advocacy."

Here is part of the description from the HRC website:

Because of the commitment to justice and the tenets of loving hospitality at the core of our faith traditions, we know that faith communities are the ideal site for empowering new allies and advocates for transgender rights. Sadly, though, we also know that some of the harshest discrimination against transgender people has come from people of faith cloaking prejudice in religious discourse. By exploring a wide range of religious experiences and offering thoughtful biblical analysis and commentary, our hope is that this curriculum will embolden participants to see in their faith a plea for understanding and a revitalized call for equality.

The guide is divided into three parts:

"The Stories" explores the varied experiences of transgender people, probes the complexity of gender identity, and helps participants develop a vocabulary around transgender concepts;

"Gender Identity and Faith" gives participants a choice of three different exercises that will encourage them to have deeper conversation about religion and transgender people; and

"A Call for Justice" provides a step-by-step training to move people of faith from acceptance to public advocacy.

In addition to the curriculum, we have included a series of dramatic readings, a participant’s handbook, and twelve outstanding essays from our contributors. Audio files are available for each dramatic reading and for the exercises titled "the Gifts of Transgender People." An explanation of how best to use these files is provided in the curriculum.

I have skimmed this guide and believe I will find it to be a valuable resource in understanding how to encourage others of faith to be open and accepting to transgender people. I encourage you to review it yourself and leave a comment here with your feedback.

HRC guide "Gender Identity and our Faith Communities."

LGBT People Are Just That.....People

Every now and them it's good to be reminded of the basics. For this blog, one of those is the fact that LGBT people are not deserving of being cast off into a lesser class of citizens. They are full fledged members of the human race and should receive all rights that go along with it.

Here's an excerpt from a passionate essay from The Huffington Post by Sara Whitman that serves as a reminder of that fact:

I don't want pity. I am stronger than most people. I can haul wood or groceries or laundry endless distances. I can stay up all night and rub a sick child's back until they can fall back asleep again. I can cook dinner for my family every night or for 50 people on Superbowl Sunday.

I can hold unbearable past experiences and still breathe in the joy of my life today.

I am a good friend. I care deeply about my neighbors, my community, my country. I donate my time, my money to help better the world.

I am not on the other side. I am not a tiny piece of a small fragment in this country.

Don't ever feel sorry for me.

Let me have the full responsibility of being an American. Because we deserve an American workforce free of discrimination, we deserve the strongest military in the world and every child in this country deserves a family.

I am an asset to this society. Let us all erase the lines of Us and Them. Think of what we can do if we do it together.

I want excellence. I want a stronger America.

It's something, I believe, we can all agree on.

You've got complete agreement here, Sara.

Click here to read the rest of the essay on The Huffington Post.

Jon Stewart--Comedian and Same-Sex Marriage Champion

I have not seen such an effective, direct, and concise refuting of the stale arguements against legalizing same-sex marriage than the one delivered by Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central. Stewart basically sliced and diced former (and probably future) Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee during an interview where Huckabee was promoting his new book, ironically titled "Do the Right Thing."

In the same week that out lesbian TV host Rachel Maddow was severely criticized by GLBT activists like Michelangelo Signorile for not taking Huckabee to task for his support of "traditional marriage", Stewart, a comedian who hosts, by his own description "a fake news show" had no problem doing so.

In an amicable yet firm manner, Stewart demonstrated a great understanding about the truth of true equal rights. If you know anyone who needs to move beyond "preserving traditional marriage," I strongly suggest you show this video to them.

My favorite point was when Stewart said "Religion is a lot more of a choice than being gay.'

Daily Show interview with Mike Huckabee (via GayAgenda).

Share Your Stories

A SNN reader named Adrienne asked me if I would share information about a new project she is working on with my readers--a new blog titled "Our Friends and Allies.' Here is her description of it:

A couple of friends of mine and I started this blog because in spite of the passage of prop 8 we have been shown so much love from our friends and allies, we thought it would be great if everyone had a plce to go to share their stories of support.

It's a way to perpetuate the positive aspects of this movement and the inspirational support from vociferous straight folks who also support our rights. For anyone who has been active in the gay movement for long enough, you know on a deeply personal level how meaningful it is that there are now loudmouthed straight folks out there fighting with us.

So please perpetuate this kindness! Drop us an email and we'll post your stories, pictures and videos in this blog so that everyone can read these stories of courage, kindness, and support.

Being one of those "loudmouthed straight folks" myself, I encourage you to visit the site and contribute your story, especially if it includes an illustration of your faith in God.

Click here to visit Our Friends and Allies.

An Interesting Ad For Same-Sex Marriage

SNN reader Michael Morgenstern has created a video supporting the right for same-sex couples to legally marry and asked me if I would like to share it with my readers. I'm happy to do just that. Here's the link. Mike would appreciate your feedback once you view it.

It's about the argument on "changing the definition of marriage" and tries to speak directly to the haters and change a mind or two.I believe that as PR for the fight, we must be on the offensive in defining the terms used - "remove discrimination from marriage" is what we are really doing, not "changing the definition." I'm trying to put the ad on TV through a saysme.tv contest, and I'm working with a friend Julie Flynn to make a series of ads comparing the campaigns against interracial marriage to the campaign against gay marriage, both of which use a lot of the same language, and then get that on TV.

Same-sex marriage ad

A Day Without Gays?!

Following is part of an article by David Craig on CNN's website. What touched me about his commentary was the story of how he and his partner were legal domestic partners in California, but when his partner was visiting his parents in Nevada, he had to be admitted to the hospital and the hospital wouldn't allow David to even see him! I can't imagine that pain. I live in a suburban area of the country that doesn't act that way, in general. When Erica was admitted to the hospital in Northern Virginia a few years back, I was treated as her "wife". I was so glad to be able to be there for her. Marriage isn't just about a piece of paper or religious ceremony. It's about having the same rights and responsibilities as any other committed couple.


What David advocates is gay folks taking the day off tomorrow and not working or spending money to show the rest of the country that we are a big part of the living, working, spending, etc. in the U. S. I agree with him. Fortunately, my employer treats me as an equal. He even refers to Erica as my "wife"! I didn't always work for someone who was so cool. Most of us don't.


Let's support David's efforts in whatever way we can. I can't "call in gay" to work tomorrow, but I'm going to not spend money on anything besides what I absolutely have to spend. I'll wait until Thursday.



"By David Craig
Special to CNN

Editor's note: David Craig is a film, television and Web producer, an adjunct professor at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California, and a gay rights activist.

David Craig says there's growing support for recognition of gay unions and gay marriage.

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- My battle for marriage equality began in 1990, after my partner, Brian Binder, and I had a commitment ceremony. The ceremony was held at the end of a conference for Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays and was attended by more than 300 friends and members of both our families.

We were featured in a couple of books on gay marriage because the concept was so new at the time. We also registered as domestic partners and entered into every possible form of legal recognition available at the time.

A few years later, Brian was visiting his parents in Nevada to inform them that he was giving up his battle with AIDS. Something went horribly wrong, and he was rushed to the hospital. I flew there immediately.

As his caretaker, I knew his medical condition and had been involved in every medical decision. We had shared the joy of making a commitment to one another and the pain and suffering of a horrible disease.


But when I arrived, I was told I could not see him because I was not "family" and because my legal documents were valid only in California. Even as I heard him calling out my name, they refused to let me see him because we were not married. Brian died in 1992.

In 1995, I helped organize the first Freedom to Marry March in Los Angeles. Ten years later, the idea for A Day Without Gays was conceived.


For more of the story, go to: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/09/craig.gay.marriage/index.html

"Rejected By Men"

This was an outstanding post from the blog "Straight-Friendly" which I recently ran across and added to my blogroll. He puts forth an attitude that LGBT people who have suffered rejection and hurt by others claiming to be Christians would do well to consider for themselves:

If Christ wouldn’t spare Himself the sorrows of rejection, it’s foolish to imagine we will. But before plunging into a deep funk, we should ask why He elected to suffer as He did. Certainly it was His to avoid humiliation and disrespect heaped on Him. Why didn’t He? He gave us an example to live by when we’re rejected. Our families, friends, and communities may resent us, taking offense at our not conforming to their beliefs, standards, and ways of life. They may turn on us because we’re not “normal” like them. They may pretend they don’t see us to escape recognizing who we are. They may stop hearing what we say because they can’t perceive where we acquired the wisdom and confidence in our words. This will hurt and frustrate us. In the final analysis, however, those who turn us away suffer greater losses. Lack of faith in us deprives them of many gifts we can offer—miracles of kindness, generosity, and understanding. They will never learn what we know. Our Creator accepts us as He made us to be. And we accept ourselves, knowing He created us as He did to fulfill His purpose.

AMEN! Click here to read the rest of the post from Straight-Friendly.

Newsweek Features Same-Sex Marriage.....Favorably!

Folks, this is huge. A major news magazine, Newsweek, has featured the issue on it's cover. This is somewhat newsworthy, but the context is much more so. The caption over a picture of a bible with a rainbow-colored page marker is "The Religious Case for Gay Marriage."

Sometimes it seems to people like me that we are voices ow crying in the wilderness when we say how the Bible is misused as the primary tool to condeemn same-sex marriages. Now, a major news source has put that view out in the mainstream for millions of readers to find in their mailboxes or see prominently displayed on the newsstand.

The cover story is written by Newsweek's religious writer, Lisa Miller. Here's an excerpt:

Let's try for a minute to take the religious conservatives at their word and define marriage as the Bible does. Shall we look to Abraham, the great patriarch, who slept with his servant when he discovered his beloved wife Sarah was infertile? Or to Jacob, who fathered children with four different women (two sisters and their servants)? Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and the kings of Judah and Israel—all these fathers and heroes were polygamists. The New Testament model of marriage is hardly better. Jesus himself was single and preached an indifference to earthly attachments—especially family. The apostle Paul (also single) regarded marriage as an act of last resort for those unable to contain their animal lust. "It is better to marry than to burn with passion," says the apostle, in one of the most lukewarm endorsements of a treasured institution ever uttered. Would any contemporary heterosexual married couple—who likely woke up on their wedding day harboring some optimistic and newfangled ideas about gender equality and romantic love—turn to the Bible as a how-to script?

Of course not, yet the religious opponents of gay marriage would have it be so.

The argument goes something like this statement, which the Rev. Richard A. Hunter, a United Methodist minister, gave to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in June: "The Bible and Jesus define marriage as between one man and one woman. The church cannot condone or bless same-sex marriages because this stands in opposition to Scripture and our tradition."

To which there are two obvious responses: First, while the Bible and Jesus say many important things about love and family, neither explicitly defines marriage as between one man and one woman. And second, as the examples above illustrate, no sensible modern person wants marriage—theirs or anyone else's —to look in its particulars anything like what the Bible describes. "Marriage" in America refers to two separate things, a religious institution and a civil one, though it is most often enacted as a messy conflation of the two. As a civil institution, marriage offers practical benefits to both partners: contractual rights having to do with taxes; insurance; the care and custody of children; visitation rights; and inheritance. As a religious institution, marriage offers something else: a commitment of both partners before God to love, honor and cherish each other—in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer—in accordance with God's will. In a religious marriage, two people promise to take care of each other, profoundly, the way they believe God cares for them. Biblical literalists will disagree, but the Bible is a living document, powerful for more than 2,000 years because its truths speak to us even as we change through history. In that light, Scripture gives us no good reason why gays and lesbians should not be (civilly and religiously) married—and a number of excellent reasons why they should.

Lisa Miller includes many thoughts that have appeared here and in other gay-affirming resources, but I just can't overstate how significant I believe these words appearing on the cover story of a major news magazine is. Anyone who reads this article and still is anti-gay and anti same-sex marriage, in my opinion, just doesn't want to get it and is more interested in pursuing their own agenda than doing what is right and accurately following the example of Jesus and what the Bible teaches us about life.

You can click here to read the rest of the article, which I strongly suggest you do. This could be used an a good opportunity to engage people in a discussion about this issue that ordinarly might not be concerned about it.