Anti-gay denominations align and identify themselves

Timothy Kincaid

January 12th, 2012

Today an “Open Letter from Religious Leaders in the United States” was issued which declared equality to be a threat to “religious freedom”. It’s the usual tripe fancied up in silk robes and stinking of incense presented to “All Americans” as though it were universal truth. And, as it pretends to serve “the wellbeing of the couple, of children, of civil society and all people” this letter was not humble in its demands.

Basically, it demands the rights of religious individuals (not just churches) to discriminate in a broad cross-section of the law, and not only for themselves, but in their capacity as caretakers of public funds. The areas they demand this special privilege include “employment discrimination, employment benefits, adoption, education, healthcare, elder care, housing, property, and taxation”.

To be very clear, the signatories of this document wish to pro-actively discriminate against gay people in the allocation of public moneys and even – as they explicitly state – in taxation. They wish to retain the ability to engage in “adverse employment action” against employees “for the public act of obtaining a civil “marriage” with a member of the same sex.”

They call it “religious freedom”.

Therefore, we encourage all people of good will to protect marriage as the union between one man and one woman, and to consider carefully the far-reaching consequences for the religious freedom of all Americans if marriage is redefined. We especially urge those entrusted with the public good to support laws that uphold the time-honored definition of marriage, and so avoid threatening the religious freedom of countless institutions and citizens in this country. Marriage and religious freedom are both deeply woven into the fabric of this nation.

In the name of faith and religion they explicitly demand the ability to fire gay people, deny them employment, deny education, healthcare and housing, and instill punitive taxation. Further they demand exemption from restrictions which require that public funds are provided to the citizens without discrimination.

A less holy document would be difficult to conceive.

But yet, a selection of denominations have joined ranks to present themselves as a force advocating for preference for themselves and for the unabashed mistreatment of their neighbor. And while acronyms are employed to give the appearance of a broad coalition, this bunch consists mostly of the usual suspects: the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons), the Southern Baptist Convention, several Pentecostal / charismatic churches, a number of Brethren groups, Wesleyan-holiness denominations, Orthodox Jews, a few composite groups, some ‘me too’ folks, and those offshoots of mainline churches that left due to their denomination’s pro-gay positions:

Missing, of course, was any mention of those denominations that find Christ’s Commission to be inclusive and who believe their neighbor to be not only the Samaritan but also the gay couple across the street.

I find these declarations useful. They establish, lest there be question, those churches that feel entitled and privileged and who actively serve as a danger to the freedom not only of gay people, but of all Americans who dare to differ with them in any area of doctrine or dogma (ironically, when they aren’t united in fighting Teh Ghey, these same churches are fighting tooth and toenail to demean, destroy, and deny civil rights to each other).

Jim Hlavac

January 12th, 2012

Astounding — they are like unto Medieval Reliongists and Pharisees at the Church house door — they are utterly clueless as to who we gay folks are, our existence, and our own families — hey are clueless as to the law and the spirit of America — and well, I say to them – Ramp It Up. You go girls. You fire up your anger at a segment of the population, us gays, which simply has done nothing the likes of which you purport and pretend. They are like the last lines of defense of any craven society — like the boys defending Atlanta in 1864, and the boys defending Berlin in 1945 — they are the last throes of a violent desperate past when some holy man preaches and the rest follow. They are signing the societal contract which portends their end.

You know, just this past month, as my family’s historian, I’ve gathered together 100 years of my family’s history in this nation, and organized it, and am translating it from Czech, and organizing the 2000 photos — and what keeps surfacing from my own family, extended relatives far and wide is, from Europe to America, is: You go Jim, thanks! And in the immortal words of my own forebears, fighting against the Catholics, and later the Austrians, Nazis and Communists — Zatra Zeni Kral a Kram — god damned king and church. Oh, have at it you heathen — we gay folks are a peaceful bunch — and you yet preach an unholy, unAmerican, inhuman nastiness the likes of which has always turned this nation to support the underdog — and we are the most underdog of any group this nation ever saw.

Frankly I relish this assault upon us — for it shows their misshapen idiocy — and thus we will win. As some say — Bring it on!

Shofixti

January 12th, 2012

Yuck.

I notice that there’s no Biblical support of marriage being priviliged with specific measures for “employment discrimination, employment benefits, education, healthcare, and taxation”.

Bernie

January 13th, 2012

Timothy, as always you write a magnificent piece.

I have to apologize for my cutting remarks on Warren’s blog…I couldn’t resist…the guy deserved it.

You strike me as a person of spirituality of sorts. You appear as being schooled in the Canon. Forgive me if I’m wrong.

Nonetheless, the argument against US is waning and losing steam quite fast. There is No imposition of OUR values being imposed upon the ‘lifestyle’ of the Religious Right. There is, however, a surreptitious ploy on the part of the loud mouths to brainwash their listening audience that this country should be a Theocracy.

They can pour all the money and propaganda at their will, but what they don’t have behind them is the truth, and the 14th Amendment.

Donny D.

January 13th, 2012

Though the letter itself isn’t good for us, the fact that it is simply and clearly worded is. I don’t think there are many ways a decent person can understand sentences like this: “Religious employers would also face lawsuits for taking any adverse employment action — no matter how modest — against an employee for the public act of obtaining a civil ‘marriage’ with a member of the same sex.” Seriously, employers taking action against employees for getting married.

Ian

January 13th, 2012

They claim it has a wide variety of faith communities, from what i can see on the signatures; all(if my eyes didn’t fail me) those religious leaders who signed the letter are the bible reading ones.

So much for wide variety.

StraightGrandmother

January 13th, 2012

I also see this as a positive document. At least they are swearing their hand that they truly DO want to

have the legal RIGHT for members of their congregations

to Discriminate against sexual minorities

outside their churches in the Public Square and on Main Street.

Their claim to

the Right to Discriminate

is fully exposed and little by little, year after year, more and more people come see them for what they are, simply Heterosexual Supremacists. We see who is under those white robes and hoods, and we are not impressed.

CPT_Doom

January 13th, 2012

Just flip that statement on employment on its head and imagine how these groups would react if a gay business owner fired an employee for entering into a Mormon “Celestial Marriage” (I think that’s what it’s called).

Chuck Borough

January 13th, 2012

And that “Celestial Marriage” still includes polygamy. This would not meet with the approval of any of the other groups who signed this agreement.

Baura

January 13th, 2012

I’m reminded of a now (in)famous talk by Mark E. Petersen, a Mormon Apostle, back in the early ’50s, about how we have to stand firm against racial integration because it would lead to intermarriage between Blacks and Whites. At the time in Utah it was illegal for Blacks to marry Whites.

Back then the scare tactic was, “would you want your sister to marry one?” Now it’s “would you want to give employment benefits and tax breaks to them?”

It’s interesting how certain religions have to be taught to be moral by the very “world” they claim is immoral. Southern Baptist Convention was formed favoring slavery. Mormons supported slavery, and did not allow full participation by Blacks for over a century until it was really starting to hurt their image.

SharonB

January 13th, 2012

A little surprised to see that the Church of the Bretheren signed. I thought they were fairly apolitical.
Also surprised to see the Salvation Army so prominently displayed from a national stance. Glad I didn’t give the discriminatin’ sumbiches a dime over the holidays. Not likely to ever, since they have officially staked out such an aggressively bigoted stance! !

StraightGrandmother

January 15th, 2012

Sharon, thanks for noting the Salvation Army, I didn’t notice it until you mentioned it. Well I guess I did notice but I took no particular note. Why would we want to contribute to them in their red kettles? I drive past the closer to me Salvation Army, to make my donations to Good Will. There are plenty of other charitable organizations who do good work to contribute to rather than the Salvation Army.

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