Jay Bakker, yes, Jim and Tammy Faye's son.....

[Catchawave]

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1078/story/334150.html

Jay Bakker, Christian punk preacher and son of televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, preaches about God's love for gays and lesbians, building on a theme his late mother championed.

The pierced and tattooed Bakker grew up in Charlotte, N.C., at the heels of his parents' Praise The Lord ministry and television network. The PTL empire imploded in scandal in the 1980s. Afterward, Tammy Faye, who divorced an imprisoned Jim Bakker and married Roe Messner, re-emerged as a television and cult personality - this time embracing gay men infected with the AIDS virus. She died of cancer last year.

Her son is following in her footsteps - fighting to end religious and political discrimination against gays and lesbians, and presenting a nonjudgmental, inclusive face to his Christian faith.

"I ... talk about loving your neighbor as yourself, God's amazing grace and the dangers of apathy in our lives," said Bakker.

Now 32 and living in Brooklyn, N.Y., he leads Revolution New York City, a church that meets Sunday afternoons in a bar. Services are recorded and posted on the Web site (www.revoluntionnyc.com ) "to create an online church for people who have given up on church."

Bakker's activism on behalf of gays and lesbians started three years ago, after he saw friends mistreated because of their sexual orientation. He began to study the Bible and now says he's convinced that passages condemning homosexuality refer to worship of a fertility god or male prostitution but not the caring and respectful relationships established between people of the same sex.

"I don't think that two people in love is a sin," he said.

.....more at link

edit to clarify Tammy Faye, R.I.P.

[davidinalameda]

1. Jay Bakker is an incredible person

he's been the best friend of the LGBT community; he could have easily become another right wing preacher but he's really embraced what I see if the true message of Jesus to love your neighbor and love your God

[glowing]

2. Well, something came of the Baker's. Perhaps he could teach the pope a thing or 2

[Arctic Dave]

3. Religion teaching people to love one another.

Who woulda thunk it.

Seriously though. I'm glad to see he is using his faith to help and not divide.

[Catchawave]

13. I thought that's what "organized" religion was too....

Jay gets it And, can't we all just get along

[vanderBeth]

4. Well I'll be.

Seems to have a better grasp at Christianity than others...

[Skip Intro]

"as christians, we're sorry for being righteous judgmental bastards "

[Catchawave]

9. ..ditto...

[Skip Intro]

5. "as christians, we're sorry for being righteous judgmental bastards "

[Catchawave]

8. Can't win y'all can I....?

Et Tu Skip Intro?

[Skip Intro]

14. Catchawave.

I don't know what you mean by "win me."

I will say that I liked that quote about Christians apologizing for being judgmental among other things.

Whaddya mean "win me?"

[Catchawave]

18. It's been a sh*tty primary season on the DU.....

..please don't take it personally to skip. Jay's, the Fundie Bakker spawn, is moving on from 40 years of his parents' judgmentals, why can't we?

[Skip Intro]

24. I like that thought

[Ilsa]

6. This guy understands what Jesus' love is about. Bless him & his ministry. nt

[Catchawave]

11. The Golden Rule works for me....

I "get" him too.

[shireen]

7. Tammy raised a good kid

He has empathy and compassion, something that's missing from so many other so-called preachers and religious leaders.

[Catchawave]

12. I agree...

[midnight]

10. Two people in love is not being in sin. I like it !

[Catchawave]

15. It's a positive message for sure....

....who knew a kid from the fundie "wing" would be so darn right, doncha'know

[Nevernose]

16. As an atheist, I admire and respect Jay

I first read about him in a book called (iirc) "Righteous," about youth movements within modern Christianity. Then he had his show on Sundance. Despite his reliance on the supernatural, his message is right on.

His stance on GLBT issues gets him a lot of press, and are important, but the guy's the real deal in other ways, too: poverty, homelessness, addiction, etc, -- he's on the right side of all those issues.

[marshall]

29. As a Chrisitan I admire him too

Piercings and tattos are not my cup of tea, but Christ hung out with people who were out of the social norm (even though he got criticized for it).

[Nevernose]

30. If there were more Jay Bakkers and fewer Jims,

Christianity wouldn't get the bad rap from atheists that it does. He reminds me an awful lot of the Unitarian Universalists at the church I semi-regularly attend. Except fot he tattoo part.

[Jamastiene]

17. K&R

Jay Bakker tries to use his position to do good in the world and offer love to people who get hated for no good reason whatsoever. I applaud his effort.

[Historic NY]

19. to correct the link

http://www.revolutionnyc.com/

[Catchawave]

21. thanks, my edit time expired

[eridani]

20. His mother's late life change of opinion on this was truly genuine

Glad she passed it on.

[ColbertWatcher]

22. "I don't think that two people in love is a sin" Wow. The Bakkers did something right. n/t

[waiting for hope]

23. K & R Catch -

Thanks for bringing this - it's nice to know that there is some salvation in this world.

[targetpractice]

25. "We're all made of the same dirt."

-- said Tammy Faye when describing what she believed God's perspective was re: homosexuality.

Watch the biography of her life "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" narrated by Ru Paul... It's a very touching portrayal of a real human being whose lifelong belief in the word of a loving God helped her survive hell on earth.

[taddles]

26. Um, yea...

"He began to study the Bible and now says he's convinced that passages condemning homosexuality refer to worship of a fertility god or male prostitution but not the caring and respectful relationships established between people of the same sex."


Pretty much an "real" biblical scholar that isn't pushing a homophobic control agenda will tell you that. Problem is that the right wingers don't let facts get in the way of the bigotry.

[elshiva]

27. K&R Great Documentary about Jay Baker called

"One Punk Under God." He is one sexy guy, too. Also, he says he is a Democrat in that documentary.

[Lilyeye]

28. Tammy raised a good kid.

Tammy was a good woman and I am sure he learned a lot from her.