Whose God Do You Serve?

[freetobegay]

With his endorsement of an anti-gay Constitutional amendment, President George Bush fired the opening shot in a new culture war. This new war -- launched ironically by the President who promised to be a "uniter, not a divider" -- has not only divided the larger culture, but has also created a divide between faith groups.

Fundamentalist and conservative religious groups have become the foot soldiers in this new culture war -- a war in which LGBT families are the declared enemy.

How did this happen -- after four decades of struggle, advancement, and activism for our civil rights? It's happened in part because the President has blurred the lines that separate church and state. (By the way, let me make a disclaimer: I am a strong believer in freedom of religion for LGBT people who wish to follow a spiritual path -- and in freedom from religion for those who do not.)

The struggle for marriage equality is not new -- but it is now more visible. In 1969, I performed the first same-sex church wedding in the U.S. at the predominantly gay Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles. In 1970, MCC filed the first-ever suit against the State of California seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriages. In 1975, Metropolitan Community Church performed the first legal U.S. same-sex church wedding with a civil marriage license. In 2001, Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto filed the lawsuit that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada. (My partner Phillip and I were proudly married under Canadian law in July 2003.) In February 2004, I filed suit against the County of Los Angeles seeking recognition of legal Canadian marriages and demanding the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This year in San Francisco, Albuquerque and Portland, MCC clergy have performed hundreds of same-sex weddings with civil marriage licenses. And every year, Metropolitan Community Churches across the U.S. perform more than 6000 same-sex weddings -- marriages that are blessed by God, but still denied legal recognition by most governments.

http://www.365gay.com/opinion/Oped/oped.htm

SNIP

For those of you that don't know Rev Troy Perry founded the Metropolitan Community Church back in the 60's. Today we have Church's worldwide.

[Null Pointer]

1. History

Thoughout the course of history, mankind has always thought the progress himself, and, in so doing, better himself. No society in the history of humankind has bettered themselves by staying in the past and not accepting what is new.

That is why I think gays have a chance in this crazy new world. Though you may not see it in the FUSA (Fundie United States Of America -{even here in MA}) Gays are making real headway elsewhere - especially in Western Europe - where several countries recoginze gay marriage.

It may take the total destruction of the USA into a fractured land of independent State-Countries - but it will happen someday. Just be who you are. Who you were born to be.

Peace out.

[Burma Jones]

2. Welcome to DU, Rainless Blur, what a Good Post.

Hope you like it here.

[Null Pointer]

5. Thanks,

Marylander!

[papau]

3. The opening of "Mean Girls" confirms your point - a 10 year old Midwest

fundamentalist says " and on the 3rd (?) day God created the bolt action rifle to kill dinosaurs and HO-MO - SEX - U- ALS.

The joys of taking the girl grandchildren to the movies!

:-)

[freetobegay]

4. I am glad I haven't seen that movie!

[radwriter0555]

6. that's not in THAT movie, it's a trailer for a nutty movie ridiculing the

jesus people......

mean girls ROCKS.

[papau]

7. mean girls ROCKS was the vote in my group - but the lunch table

groupings was the 10 year old gun kid scene - I thought.

Granted, papau may have rested a bit in the dark!

:-)