Transcript of Jay Bakker on Gay Marriage

A friend asked for a transcript of Jay Bakker's stand for Gay Marriage.

(he wants to translate it into Portuguese. ...and the world continues to draw closer.)


Here it is:

I dream of God.

[clapping]

The dream, it’s the vision of community & change happening.

[applause & clapping]

I’ll tell you what. You are the temple of God. So in order for us to be able… we can live that dream because the dream is within us.

[applause… “Yes…” “Come on, Brother...” “That’s right!” “Oh yes…”]

And I love speaking here cuz you get a, “Oh yes… oh yes… " But uh, um…

[laughter]

And so often we don’t want a change in The Church. We don’t want to look at things differently. But we can, if we’re practicing things like justice and being gentle….

God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God.

[“Oh yes”]

Just recently I had a pastor tell me that he felt that God was against me, and that Jesus was against me. …He forgot the Holy Spirit, so that’s cool. I’m good with Him. [laughter] …and that my whole ministry was going to disintegrate & dissolve and be destroyed.

[“Mmm” “Wow” “Mmmm-umm” ]

Well, and… and the reason is is because I… I.. I came out in the church recently and said, “You know what? I don’t… I’m pro-gay marriage. I don’t believe that that’s a sin.”

[silence]

…okay, that got dang quiet. Everybody’s like, “I ain’t sayin’ nothing now.”

[silence]

I guess we’re not ready for this yet, are we?

[silence]

It… it… it’s hard for me when people who’ve been through such persecution, a-and been judged against, all of the sudden, they don’t want freedom for anybody else.

[silence]

We gotta start living it folks. That’s why it’s a narrow road. That’s why it gets quiet in a church where everybody was hootin’ and hollerin’ 5 minutes ago.

So maybe you’ll get mad and go home and yell… but maybe, eventually, you’ll get over it. And you’ll realize that you might not agree with me, but at least you’ll learn to love me.

[silence]

Martin Luther King said, “It is not the words of your enemies that you will remember, but the silence of your friends.”

That’s why I [chokes up] can no longer be silent… cuz I love my friends.

[silence]

Atheist's Challenge: Christians, Show Your Support for LGBTQ Rights!

.

This is a post I prepared for Reconciling Ministries Blog. I wanted to get it up today since Rachel Held Evans posted a link to my Evolving in Monkey Town review.

If you're new- Hi! Leave a comment & share your thoughts.

.
"The Friendly Atheist" has some words for Christians who support LGBTQ equality- DO something, or you're part of the problem. Popular blogger & author, Hemant Mehta, issued his challenge in response to the internet buzz surrounding Christians who attended a Gay Pride Parade with the message: I'm Sorry!

Last month The Marin Foundation went to Chicago Pride to apologize for the harm done to LGBTQs by Christians. Their signs and shirts made an impact. One beautiful story describing the reconciliation unfolding between a marcher & an "apologist" made the rounds on facebook & the blogs, often soliciting the comment,"brought tears to my eyes."

While many saw this as an encouraging step, some people weren't buying it.

Mehta, in particular, was skeptical. His impression is that Christians are not supportive of The Gays; words are cheap, let's see action. Reactions in his comment section were all over the board. Some challenged his take on this, others agreed with him, & many added their unique perspective.


Last week, when Hawaii's Governor vetoed Civil Unions at the last minute, he used it as a springboard for this challenge:

"I want to see any Christian who finds this despicable to say so. Blog about it. Tell your Facebook friends. Tell your church members. Call out anyone who disagrees. If you don’t, you’re part of the problem."


He has a point.

Christians who are for The Gays but hide their support under a bushel, aren't really helping. They're maintaining the status quo. Which is harming people.

The crazy thing is, there is a lot of support out there for LGBTQs among Christians. We just (mostly) don't hear about it. Many speak up, but not enough.


If you are Christian and you are LGBTQ-affirming, I believe God has a plan for you. There are people who would like to be more supportive, but don't know how to square that desire with what they've been taught. There are hurting individuals who feel hated & abandoned by the "Church Family" that raised them. They need to hear from you. They WANT to hear from you.

Are they hearing from you?



(If not, your silence is speaking volumes.)



Take this opportunity. Accept The Friendly Atheist's Challenge!

Make your voice heard. Start a conversation. Involve your friends. Talk with your fellow church-goers & clergy. Reach out to your "virtual village" online. Repost support. Leave a comment here, there, everywhere.

Don't let your silence speak for you.


Tina Ciampa is a life-long UMCer who believes The Church will be one step closer to living out "on Earth as it is in Heaven" when it fully realizes the dignity and worth of all people. She relishes the irony that we will get there even faster thanks to the prodding of an atheist.
She blogs at www.hillsideslide.blogspot.com & would love to hear from you on facebook.



So, what are you doing? Is it hard to speak up on this issue in particular? What other issues come to mind? Do they share commonalities? If so, what? What can you do today? (feel free to post a link or share this!)

Will Phillips - take a little risk. get into a little trouble

.


Well, kinda bummed that they removed the "Husbands and Husbands" vid from Youtube.

So, here is another young man who has clearly done some thinking and reflecting. And, then he chose to ACT.

I hope his words spring to my mind when I need a little nudge out of my comfort zone.

Thanks Will!

Anne Frank, Miep Gies, and you

.

“Not a day goes by that I do not grieve for them," said Miep Gies, who protected Anne Frank, and saved her diary.

She carried those memories and, I'm sure, grieved for the Franks every day. And now she's gone. It's up to the rest of us to remember them and tell their stories; and Miep Gies.'

I was just thinking of those closer-than-you-realize connections and my college gospel choir director, La Joyce.

We would always sing for the Martin Luther King, Jr Convocation on campus. We'd hear those famous words reiterated, and distinguished speakers (Dr. Samuel D. Proctor, the 1st time) would remind us of the importance of what he did, as giant pictures of the key people and events from the Civil Rights Mov't would flash across the screen on stage. Martin, Rosa Parks, fire hoses...

It was years later, dropping in on a rehearsal, with all of us bunched around the piano, that someone asked,

"Miss LaJoyce, tell us about Mrs. Parks again."

Then, LaJoyce- who I've known for YEARS- suddenly recounted how, when she was a child, they would go up to Detroit and visit relatives who lived on the same block as Mrs. Parks. And, when the kids were given money for the candy store, she'd try to hurry past Mrs. Park's house. But it never worked. She'd always, almost make it, and then hear,

"La Joyyyyyyyyyce?"

And LaJoyce would miss out on her candy run b/c Mrs. Parks would ask her to come inside. Then, they would have tea and Mrs. Parks would ask her to recite Bible passages. (and, I bet, sing)

I was blown away.

A year later, at the MLK Convocation, I heard those words and I saw those pictures flash above the stage, and LaJoyce standing with the choir on the stage, and I realized: They -MLK, Mrs. Parks, Dr Proctor, all of 'em- were just regular people, who we just missed, via being born a little late and in another place. But our friends and family and neighbors DID know them, or go to listen to them, or had tea with them, and we are all. so. closely connected., and that what we do matters immensely.

And, even if we aren't living those lives, we can tell their stories. ....over and over. (it's better than reality television)

Meanwhile, keep your eyes open and those stories close... you never know....

No one can predict those moments that, in hindsight, appear to be an encounter with destiny - Mrs Parks wasn't expecting to be "Rosa Parks: Icon of the Civil Rights." And what Miep Gies saw was a family in trouble, and a pile of papers that belonged to a little girl...

~~

It's with a heavy heart that I read LaJoyce's announcement on facebook today:

On January 9, 2010; my mother ,Minne P. Daniel, passed from this world into glory. She is at peace now and left a legacy of phenomenal proportion. She is the most amazing woman I have every known. She gave so much love and was loved by so many in return. Thank you for her life and her witness. Please pray for my family.

If you're so inclined, keep them in your prayers. Thanks

Interview with Marriage in America re: gay-marriage

Prof. Nancy Cott is currently testifying in Perry vs. Schwarzenegger, the "Prop 8 Trial."

She's an expert on the history of marriage in the US.

Here's the blurb from NPR's Fresh Air page, from 2004.

"Cott is a professor of history at Harvard University. She testified before Vermont's judiciary committee. Vermont became the first state in the country to make civil unions legal for gay and lesbian couples. Cott is the author of Public Vows: A History of Marriage and the Nation (Harvard University)."

Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act

The good news just keeps rolling in...

(check out HRC.org for the whole article)

The House and Senate introduced the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act. The The DPBO Act would afford same-sex partners of Fed Employees the same benefits that "opposite marriage" spouses get.

As it stands, and has been for lo these many years, same-sex partners are denied access to retirement programs, life and health insurance benefits, and family and medical leave.

“This legislation would allow the federal government to keep pace with other top employers,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “It is not only a matter of equal pay for equal work, but also the best way to ensure that the government has access to the top talent on the same basis as the nation’s leading corporations.”

(rebuttal, GOP Chairman Steele?)
.

If you would like to learn about the 1138 Rights Denied to GLBT Americans....

click, learn, talk!

How much do UNequal rights cost?

Following up on my last post.

(big nod to Autumn Sandeen's article on pamshouseblend.com)

When we last left GOP Chair Steele, he was declaring that Marriage Equality would cost too much... not in dignity, pursuit of happiness, sanctity of relationships, civil rights, integrity of the nation, etc etc, but in cold hard cash.

Cut to this scene in Dr. King's I Have A Dream speech:

"When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice."

Back to the future...

As long as Steele is bringing up concern for costs- for the cost of health care and equal benefits to GLBT families- let's consider that DONT ASK DONT TELL is costing the taxpayers a fortune.

In just one instance, $25 million in training is being blown to kick out a decorated war hero b/c he is gay.

You can see Lieutenant Colonel Victor J. Fehrenbach's story here.

Also booted out:

Arab linguist Dan Choi

2nd Lt Sandy Tsao

over 200 other service members since Obama took office, after campaigning to put an end to Don't Ask Don't Tell

equal rights cost too much, suggests GOP chairman

From the AP: RNC chief: Gay marriage will burden small business

.

So we'll send service members out to pay the ultimate price to defend our rights and freedoms...
but when it comes to "denting our pocketbooks," we draw the line?

We'll throw bazillions bailout $ at the big banks, but when it comes to paying a relatively tiny amount of money to ensure that ALL Americans are treated equally, the RNC wants to scare small businesses & financially struggling citizens with this garbage.

Apparently, GOP Chairman Michael Steele believes that its too great a cost to extend these rights to a minority group here in the good ol' US of A.

If only he could put himself in the place of a minor...i... ty.....? wait....

Rep. Pingree's Marriage Equality Statement

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) hits the nail on the head.

"Clergy Call for Justice and Equality" - Rev. Dr. Love

Rev. Dr. Cindi Love's contribution at HRC's Clergy Call '09



more vids from a variety of clergy members, including Tony Campolo, are available here (ps: they are short)

Lighting The Way

Ran across this story today... whoa, I am running late for church... so, quickly...

It just goes to remind me that there are so many ordinary people who do the right thing; the brave thing. Most of the time, they don't get the credit or hoopla by making headlines or history books.

More importantly, we miss out on their example.

I will be adding Claudette Colvin to the crowd of people I carry around in my heart. I will think of her when I need a courage to do the right thing.

She is a light along the path.

The Rev. Joseph Lowery

After hearing a lot about the controversial choice of Rick Warren to deliver the Inaugural Prayer, I was reminded of a blog post that said something like:

Once Rev. Lowery has spoken, you will no longer be thinking of Rick Warren.

After hearing Lowery's benediction, I felt the sting of knowing that I had focused too much time and energy to the wrong person. I wish even half of the media coverage had been devoted to the life and work of Rev. Lowery.

Here are his Inaugural Benediction, and his eulogy for Coretta Scott King.

stewart and huckabee on gay marriage

You are Invited

Wouldn't it be something if we could get a few people together, invite our friends, and check this out?

Wonder what kind of discussion we could get going if we brought together some people with different backgrounds, lifestyles, and expressions of spirituality?

Wouldn't it be a good opportunity to build some bridges? Make some connections? Explore and affirm different ways of working for Social Justice?

I'd like to have a coffee/discussion time afterwards.... if it's not too late.

If you're free Wed, Thurs or Fri night at 7pm, come over and check it out!

Who knows, it might be a total bust. ...but what if it's not?

Drop me a comment!




The Vineyard's Promo Video

Vineyard Leader's Letter