Be glad you have a good church. But if they speak with a forked tongue, and propagate lies against gay people – it is a choice, it is horrible, gays should live alone, invisible hidden away, etc – they negate all the good they do. It is where on the scale they are, and where they are going that counts.

Come on gutless charlie – speak out. Even if you are gay you still will have the right to have your hetero marriage.

Till your secret lover exposes you……..

Much of right wing religion, and we have to recognize that some religions are not like that at all, is all about using guilt, terrorism of going to hell, promises of life after death (yes – in fact you have the opportunity to pass on your dna, but not your awarenesss) etc, to gain power and money. So corrupt for so long that the leaders themselves are totally blind to what they are doing and whose only REAL GOAL is to preserve their jobs and power. And some of these churches really are not that far removed from those who gave us 9/11, all “in the name of God”.

I know churches which don’t necessarily support gay marriage, but are reasonably liberal and accepting towards their gay parishioners & do lots of good things for many needy groups, and will change with time. It is the Catholic HEIRARCHY, the Mormons, So. Baptists (slaveholders grand children btw) and some of the independent christian churches, that are lost in the past. They are hopeless, there will come a time, within a decade or two, when they will be exposed for what they are, and the world will be a better place.

And yes, we must all realize that these churches that think they are independent shadow governments often speak with forked tongue. Try the catholic church, who talk about treating gays with dignity and respect in all cases, and then the pope opposes a UN resolution decriminialing homosexuality. He is indirectly in fact supporting the hanging of gays in Iran, torture and murder of gays in other countries, and giving justification to individuals to beat up, harrass and murder gay people. Nice Guy.

I’ve left my temple which will do gay marriage ceremonies, because they wont support actively gay people at the state house. The same religion for which someone once said “first they came for the (gypsies?), and no one said anything”. Then they came for the (some other group) and no one said anything. And when they came for me, there was no one left willing to say anything, referring to the Jews, and the holocaust.

When I go to my gay-welcoming church, I feel like I am peering from my planet to another every time I read comments on this site. In other words, in my church, I experience absolutely none of what so many cite as “hatred, bigotry, judgementalism, authoritarianism, etc”.

Why else would a gay male couple be willing to attend my church, why would my best gay friend (a very sharp and quick-witted guy with a good-paying job at a scientific institute), be on the vestry and devote his time, why would we have a visiting gay priest and his partner, why would we have a gay organist with very good musical talents, Because we are welcoming, have an active mission to relieve hunger and to meet needs and message of caring and compassion that we put to practical use.

Our church has a big focus on particularly hunger and insufficient food through as many channels as we can take part in.

We actively feed full dinners to the homeless at an Episcopal based charity, we raise money for the hungry on a walk, make sandwiches and take them with juice, snacks, apple sauce etc to the local homeless men’s shelter, I take piles of non-perishable foods weekly to a local food program from our church.
We knit scarves and hats for our homeless clients each winter and donated a good pile of those. In our church, we have the power of numbers and the will to do these things on a regular basis or when needed.
This afternoon, I delivered 21 large bags of donated food from my church to one that takes care of hungry and needy persons. Another member of my social concerns ministry and I delivered 2 carloads of everything to kid’s clothes that I bought to a humidity bought by my best gay friend and a good pile of cooking utensils, toys, cooking pot, etc. that this county shelter and program for poor woman with kids could ask my church for. These poor women with kids have committed themselves to a 2 year program of learning job skills, independent living skills, as well as child-care and cooking skills while being sheltered in a building with their own apartments.

The reward we get is the satisfaction we did useful and practical things that meet a need and that our church “family” lovingly put forth their energies, talents and tine to make these things possible.

If this is religious authoritarianism, then give me more of it!

Just 100 people in pink T-Shirts standing silently – it’s not nearly enough. I wouldn’t have wanted them to ruin his wedding, just as I wouldn’t want anti-gay protesters ruining a same-sex wedding, but I’m disappointed that they didn’t take the opportunity to do more. If they’re going to stand silently they could at least tried to gather enough people to line the route from the Church to the reception.

Still, I suppose it got the message out there.

Just before I sign off, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate Gov Crist. I’m sure he’ll look good with a beard.