Clergy supporting the end to GLBT discrimination

[Thats my opinion]

The following has just came from a wide-ranging group of religious leaders. While there are those hard at word scanning the Internet for religious horror stories, here are men and women DOING something about it.


The Heartland Proclamation by the “Heartland Clergy for Inclusion”

As Christian clergy we proclaim the Good News concerning Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) persons and public ally apologize where we have been silent. As disciples of Jesus, who assures us that the truth sets us free, we recognize that the debate is over. The verdict is in. Homosexuality is not a sickness, not a choice, and not a sin. We find no rational biblical or theological basis to condemn or deny the rights of any person based on sexual orientation. Silence by many has allowed political and religious rhetoric to monopolize public perception, creating the impression that there is only one Christian perspective on this issue. Yet we recognize and celebrate that we are far from alone, as Christians, in affirming that LGBT persons are distinctive, holy, and precious gifts to all who struggle to become the family of God.

In repentance and obedience to the Holy Spirit, we stand in solidarity as those who are committed to work and pray for full acceptance and inclusion of LGBT persons in our churches and in our world. We lament that LGBT persons are condemned and excluded by individuals and institutions, political and religious, who claim to be speaking the truth of Christian teaching. This leads directly and indirectly to intolerance, discrimination, suffering, and even death.

The Holy Spirit compels us:
• to affirm that the essence of Christian life is not focused on sexual orientation, but how one
lives by grace in relationship with God, with compassion toward humanity;
• to embrace the full inclusion of our LGBT brothers and sisters in all areas of church life,
including leadership;
• to declare that the violence must stop. Christ's love moves us to work for the healing of
wounded souls who are victims of abuse often propagated in the name of Christ;
• to celebrate the prophetic witness of all people who have refused to let the voice of intolerance
and violence speak for Christianity, especially LGBT persons, who have met hatred with love;
Therefore we call for an end to all religious and civil discrimination against any person based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. All laws must include and protect the freedoms, rights, and equal legal standing of all persons, in and outside the church.

[laconicsax]

1. Good on them!

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Most honorable words, this group deserves a link

So I went and got one. Here it is:
http://www.heartlandproclamation.org/

[rrneck]

3. Very good.

What exactly are they doing?

[ZombieHorde]

4. I hope their message of inclusion spreads throughout the faith. nt

[William769]

5. K&R.

[NMMNG]

6. We need more of this

[darkstar3]

7. 250 signers.

We just need 1 billion more to get a majority of Christians. Better get crackin'.

[Thats my opinion]

8. There are groups like this all over the country.

Entire denominations are now on record.

I live in a open and affirming community where there are numbers of same sex couples. In our community we wouldn't think of being part of a congregation that is not welcoming at all levels to GLBT persons. There are increasing numbers of GLBT pastors and other persons of authority in charge of the direction of our churches. You all are right. It is not nearly enough, but it is a movement on the go.

[darkstar3]

9. So what do you want, a cookie?

You're like the guy from a poor neighborhood who tells people he's never been to jail as if it's some sort of great accomplishment. You're not supposed to go to jail, and you're not supposed to hate on gay people.

It's nice to see that some people in the religious bubble of the Venn diagram of humanity are coming around, but really, you're late to the party and I don't think you're going to get many points for it.

[LiberalFighter]

14. If only members of other churches that do not respect LGBT

were to leave their church and go where LGBT is not looked down.

The churches that do not respect LBGT and their members for the most part are the most vocal and demanding. The size of those churches need to diminish in members so their power dwindles.

[laconicsax]

10. Come now...there are only 5 million or so congregations in the world.

http://www.gcts.edu/resources/documents/StatusOfGlobalMission.pdf

[darkstar3]

11. Perhaps, but there are supposedly 2 billion adherents.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/worldrel.htm

420 Christians per denomination on average...sounds about right.

[laconicsax]

12. But doesn't 250 just warm the cockols of your black, atheist heart?

Half of one percent of one percent if we're generous and ignore the congregations with multiple clergy and assume a 1:1 clergy to congregation ratio.

[LeftishBrit]

13. Good for them!

[Thats my opinion]

15. I would very much like to hear

The groups you all are a part of that have taken public stands and work on behalf of totally equality, including marriage for FGLBT people? Let's put together a solid list and I will publish it elsewhere. What groups man phone banks like we did at our local Methodist church in the California Prop. 8 struggle? What are your groups that keep people in Washington working on this issue?

[LAGC]

16. FGLBT?

I've seen the acronym expanded to LGBTQIA (...Queer, Intersex, and Asexual), but what's the 'F' supposed to stand for?

I can think of a few 'F' words, but none of them politically correct...

"Fundamentalist" LGBT people perhaps? Is that like a hard-core sexual minority? Kind of like "fundamentalist" atheist?

:rofl:

[Thats my opinion]

17. O my!

That means I hit the wrong key by mistake.

[LAGC]

18. I figured as much.

Just giving you shit, my friend. ;)

[darkstar3]

19. And who were you phone banking?

I'm willing to bet dollars to pesos the massive majority of your targets were religious adherents who disagreed with you about what God thought of homosexuality. You still don't get a cookie.

[Thats my opinion]

20. You lost!

We called everyone in our community of 50,000. If you've done much phone banking--and I trust that may be one of the positive things you do for social change-- you know that the pick up on calls is about 22%. Of those who did answer their phones we had a 67% positive response for our side , and when the vote was held we won here by over four to three. People from our churches met night after night to defeat a proposition that would have denied marriage to Gays. The proposition was approved state-wide by a tiny majority--but we will be back at it, and my guess is the Supreme Court of CA will rule the proposition unconstitutional. Let's hope so. We will stay in the fight until marriage is a right

I don't want a cookie, just some willing partners who tell us how they are working at this sort of thing.

[darkstar3]

21. LOL

You've already shown that your insular community is most definitely not representative of the current demographic makeup of the country, and if you only called people in your community of 50,000 in CA when it was a statewide issue, you didn't reach very hard.

You just don't get it, do you? I am unmoved that your church is fighting for LGBT acceptance because I think that LGBT acceptance should be a given, and it was people draping themselves with the Christian flag and beating others over the head with the Bible that made it such a fucking issue to begin with. So when you make OPs like this, all I can think from outside your circle is "welcome to the party, it's about fucking time."

You don't get any cookies or brownie points for doing what you should have been doing to begin with.

[The Magistrate]

22. With All Due Respect, Sir, That is A Little Harsh

This person does have a long history of involvement with liberal causes, and was certainly not part of the crowd 'beating others over the head with the Bible' on this matter.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Thats my opinion]

24. i guess that is what I shoul have expected from you.

bye.

[darkstar3]

25. Tell me about expectations

when you exceed some.

[dmallind]

26. OK

Phone banking (really) is a nice gesture, but I think standing up in front of the most religiously insular and socially right-wing city in America for the same cause is a touch bolder.

http://www.meetup.com/aofuogden/events/20393781/


(none of these people is me, and I was not at this particular event)

I've marched in gay pride parades under atheist banners in four different cities. Other than the UUs in one of the four I've never seen a church banner (I'm sure some do).

Full confession - I left organized atheism over the overemphasis on entirely unreciprocated but entirely worthwhile support of other causes, this one included.

[Thats my opinion]

27. You are the kind of thoughtful activist it takes n/t

[skepticscott]

28. None of which changes the fact

that if it weren't for virulent and hateful resistance by Christians to anything resembling equal rights and treatment for homosexuals, none of what you describe would be necessary in the first place. So no, religion doesn't get any kudos for this.