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Loading ...Corvino: Gene Robinson’s scary prayer
When Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson was invited to deliver the invocation at the inaugural kickoff event, I expected some conservative evangelicals to complain. And they did.
Forget the fact that Robinson’s invitation seemed like a token gesture after the controversial choice of evangelical pastor (and Prop-8 supporter) Rick Warren for the inaugural invocation—a far more prominent platform.Forget the fact that Warren himself praised the choice of the openly gay bishop as demonstrating the new president’s “genuine commitment to bringing all Americans of goodwill together in search of common ground.”
Indeed, for the moment, forget common ground. As one right-wing blogger put it, a good evangelical doesn’t seek common ground with the “Bishop of Sodom.”
And so they complained. Not only about Obama’s choice of Robinson, but about the prayer itself.
Yes, yes, and yes.
But those were not the parts that worried the evangelicals who contacted me a few days ago. They were concerned that Robinson’s prayer expressed a theme that they “have been trying to warn people about for some time now,” and they wanted my comment.
What is this worrisome theme? What sinister agenda had the “Bishop of Sodom” expressed in his prayer, wittingly or unwittingly?
It turns out that the troubling line was this: “Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance, replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences.”
Puzzled? The line strikes most of us as innocuous, or even benign. “Genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences”—who can argue with that?
But that’s not the part that bothered them. They were worried about “freedom from mere tolerance.”
We will not appreciate the right-wing mindset—or for that matter, the culture wars—until we understand why that sentiment scares our opponents.
When Robinson says “Bless us with freedom mere tolerance,” our opponents hear “It is not enough for you to tolerate us. You ought to embrace us. You ought to approve of who we are, which can’t be easily teased apart from what we do. After all, our relationships are a deep and important fact about our lives—just like yours are. So what we are asking is for you to give up your deep conviction that these relationships are sinful and instead affirm them as good.”
That is in fact precisely what we are (or should be) asking for, and precisely what Bishop Robinson is praying for.
No, we don’t seek such affirmation because we need our opponents’ validation. Rather, we seek it because it reflects the truth: our relationships are just as good as theirs.
We seek it for another reason as well, one that frightens them even more. Statistically speaking, some of their kids will turn out gay. I want those kids to know that there’s nothing wrong with them. I want them to be able, insofar as possible, to count on their parents for affirmation and support.
And that’s where the culture war really is a zero-sum game, and “common ground” is impossible without dramatic concession: we want their kids to believe something that is diametrically opposed to what they want them to believe. There’s no point in sugarcoating that conflict.
If I were religious, I might pray over it, as Warren and Robinson do—although when it comes down to specifics, it seems they are praying for very different things.
Or are they? One need not be a relativist to recognize that we all have an imperfect grasp of the truth, a truth that we nevertheless seek. When we find it—or at least, firmly believe that we have—we don’t want it to be merely “tolerated.”
That’s as true of Rick Warren as it is of Gene Robinson.
As I pointed out to my evangelical caller, I’m sure that he wants me, a skeptic, to move beyond “mere tolerance” of Christianity to embrace Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.
No one who values truth wants it to be merely tolerated. We “tolerate” nuisances; we embrace truth.
That doesn’t mean that we believe that truth ought to be forced upon people, as if that were even possible. And this is where I think our opponents’ fears, while palpable, are ultimately unfounded.
We want them to move from mere tolerance to embracing the truth. They want us to do the same—although they see the truth quite differently. We will attempt to persuade each other.
But we cannot force truth—not by legislation, not by court decisions, and certainly, not by prayer.
John Corvino, Ph.D. is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. His column “The Gay Moralist” appears Fridays on 365gay.com.
For more about John Corvino, or to see clips from his “What’s Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?” DVD, visit www.johncorvino.com.
Bud Burgoon writes:
“Society, government, business, etc. will NOT “do the right thing” unless FORCED to do so.”
I had the same issue with Mr. Corvino’s article.
I agree that we should not be afraid to use all of the legitimate levers at our disposal to advance LGBT equality.
At first people will grudgingly change because they are compelled to do so by the law. In time, many of these folks will forget why they objected in the first place and will simply move on. This has been my experience in Canada, and I suspect, it is also true elsewhere.
Acceptance does not happen quickly or smoothly, but it always seems to need a kick start.
Push hard and push persistently. It is the only way you will change your country.
Ah, prayer: the act of doing nothing but thinking your helping.
“Freedom requires religion like a slug requires salt” – Pat Condell, British comedian
Yesterday I was at a debate at the art-exhibit “In Hate We Trust” by Elisabeth Olsson-Wallin in Alingsås (Sweden).
When I mentioned that one of the debaters would be former arch bishop K.G. Hammar my grandmother in law (who knows who I am and what I do and we’re very good friends) gave me a 15 minute rant of how the endtimes were near and “that man should never have been bishop”.
She loves me and respects me because I date her daughter but as for me being a bit on the gay side it’s clear she can’t even tolerate.
Sorry, but I really did not like his prayer. That was a concert for pitts sake. He should have just said a simple prayer. It sounded like a long lecture, and taking a swipe at Obama?. I know we hurt, but that was a bit much.
I was raised in a fundamentalist church. I worked in “Christian” broadcasting. I was a youth director. I was excommunicated for not repenting of my homosexuality. I know their mindset.
Faith is not understood well in fundamentalism. That is why they grasp at any science that does happen to coincide with scripture and vehemently oppose any that conflicts with their sacred old words. Faith floats on top of science regardless of whether the facts match or not. Faith is part of spirituality.
Dominionism is a hidden agenda. Most fundamentalists have never heard the word. Most will accept it as a valid goal. Few can foresee the horrors it would unleash. It is the link that has fused fundamentalists to the Republican party. Charlatan and control freaks exploit dominionism which is why over the past 25 years the Republican party has gone insane. Dominionism means gaining control of a nation through the political process and then install biblical laws. Substitute the biblical with any other dogma and the process can work. The Nazis gained control of Germany using dominionism.
Gay civil rights will require court action to force it’s acceptance. If black civil rights were decided by public referendum many states would still be segregated AND their mindset would be frozen in a 1950’s mode. It took a president and federal law to make the change. Luckily once exposed to secular truth, youth will gravitate towards it and hence change occurs.
It isn’t fear that you see in the fundamentalists’ reaction to inclusiveness. Only hatred that some demon driven group has stepped into their path. Never does it occur to fundamentalists that if they lived lives beaming with Christ’s love that they would grow. Instead we see demonic control freak policies which ignore the byproduct of dominionism: Bush.
Ok – and the point of your article is? your ideas for moving forward are?
As an Anglican, I suspect Gene Robinson has a lot more in common with the evangelicals than they would like to admit. He himself clearly belongs on the exuberantly Evangelical wing of the Episcopalian Church (to an extent that occasionally makes Catholic Anglicans like myself cringe). He and Rick Warren talk the same theological language to a large extent.
I don’t share this language, so I’m not a good person to try to explore what Bishop Robinson was attempting to say. But I don’t think it was anything as banal as a demand for “approval” or “affirmation” from evangelicals, as Mr Corvino appears to believe. Bishop Robinson does not think that our differences with Evangelicals are going to melt away when the scales drop from their eyes, and the Evangelicals realise that we are, as the badges used to say, “good as you.” Rather, he is appealing for a much deeper (a profoundly Christian) kind of reconciliation: a “warm embrace of our differences,” when we admit that those differences are not going to go away. The first step towards achieving that kind of reconciliation, it seems to me, is to stop trying to convert the ‘Other’ to our own point of view. And that goes for both sides.
The key here is that some churches are beginning to ask the right question.
The right question is, “How should we minister to these people?”
As soon as a clergy person asks that question, they have to realize that “these people” are human beings. The questions of whether or not to treat those people as humans, and whether or not to minister to them, both become moot.
Rob: I will agree that certain morals are more widely accepted than others; however, circumstance plays a large and messy role. Morality is almost never black and white, true or false. For example, if you could travel back in time and find the first person to contract HIV, would it be morally acceptable to murder him in order to stop the spread of the virus and save future lives?
Oh, and I love the Bible verses, Bud, especially the last one from Ephesians. So often are people quick to point to some passages in the Bible as literal truths, yet they always ignore or find some way to argue against the literal usages of others.
When Gene Robinson was asked about how he felt about the controversy of HBO cutting his prayer, he simply said, “God heard it.” What struck me about that statement is the simple and beautiful spirituality of Robinson compared to the evangelicals. Truly a good and spiritual man we are so lucky to have.
THESE ARE ALL ACTUAL BIBLE VERSES (well, the first part anyway):
______Greet one another with a holy kiss. (1 Corinthians 16:20)
Especially Catholic Priests when greeting Altar Boys.
______Women should remain silent in the churches. (1 Corinthians 14:34)
Yeah, because men are so much more rational when it comes to expounding on superstitious nonsense.
______Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. (Leviticus 18:22)
I don’t…I lie with a man as one lies with a man. Try it sometime. Oooo, baby!! That’s delectable.
______Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material. (Leviticus 19:19)
We are all Doomed!!!!
______If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)
Wow! A hefty fine and a shotgun wedding for rape. What kind psychopaths wrote this holy crap? …Oh, I’m sorry, “uneducated straight men” — of course. The reason why those same poisonous fairytales persist today across the globe. Go figure!
______Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. (Genesis 9:6)
Watch out war-mongers — it’s not good for the “image“. Last time I looked in the mirror, God looked like he was getting fat. I need to go on a diet.
______Sell your possessions and give to the poor. (Luke 12:33)
You hear that Republicans, and especially Pat Robertson; Dr. James C. Dobson (from Focus on the Phony), and all of you other sinfully rich bitches? Cough it up, Paris and Britney! Now!!!
______Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work (Exodus 20:9-10)
So close down all of those heathen hospitals; immoral police precincts and blasphemous fire departments on Sunday immediately you “disrespecting the Sabbath Day” sinners!
_____If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head (1 Corinthians 11:6-7)
Wow! That must be confusing to Orthodox Jewish people and cowboys — but understandable for nuns.
______If a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him (1 Corinthians 11:14)
Uh…I wonder if Jesus read this one? Maybe his hair just looks longer in those pictures.
And what about Samson? In the Old Testament, it was a sin to cut your hair. I’m confused.
______If you are married — do not seek a divorce. (1 Corinthians 7:27)
John McCain, shame on you! Well, actually fifty percent of you other formerly married heterosexuals out there too — shame on all of you! Yes, you’re a testament to the sanctity of marriage everywhere. Carry on!
______Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:42)
Hmmmm…the US Treasury‘s bailout of Wall Street?
______Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. (Proverbs 31:6-7)
Ok, let me get this right. That’s Budweiser to nursing homes and Chardonnay for the rest of us. Works for me!
______Do not put tattoo marks on yourselves. (Leviticus 19:28)
Ouch! Again, millions are doomed! :
______A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this. (Deuteronomy 22:4-5)
Well, considering how everybody wore dresses back in the day when this was written, I am confused again. Are bathrobes ok?
______I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes (1 Timothy 2:8-9)
All of the Fundies; the hair saloons, Tivol’s, and Cher won’t like this one.
______Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh (1 Peter 2:18)
This used to be the motto for KKK. But I think most people today believe that it should only apply to the GLBT community in the modern age — seeing how America is more civilized nowadays.
______Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:24)
This one is not too popular with N.O.W. (National Organization for Women). I wonder why?
Well, there you have it. The Bible is the “literal” word of God. The above are just a few examples of those asinine tidbits. It is amazing that the misogynistic, racist, homophobic, misanthropic, chauvinistic, tribalistic, fashion police who concocted that odious Bronze Age alternative to Miss Manners still have fans.
Will wonders ever cease?
It’s a anachronistic testimony to the persistence of ignorance. Sure there are a few good pearls of wisdom (although women can’t wear them), but, in reality, the unHoly Bible is truly in dire need of a “do over“.
© Bud Evans, 2008
http://rainfish2000.blogspot.com
I think the right wing has a point. Why not embrace change… …at least for a better, straighter future? Many people have finally witnessed their heterosexual potential! And it is fantastic!
exodusinternational.org
Rob says: “The Earth is round.”
“That may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.”
Rob, evidence from back during the U.S. space program finds that there was a couple of color photos taken by one of the astronauts that shows that the planet earth is indeed round. In fact, you can probably find these exact photos on the world wide web that I give as an example. Also, most likely a library in your particular area can provide information about these photos that proves the exact evidence. If you decide, it just may change you from what you thought was impossible as many who have done so do the same. Please keep in mind however, this is not exactly how homosexuality will evolve but it does move us in that particular direction.
Excellent!!
James
Anglican Priest
Australia
Stan, you say, “What may be true for one person might not be true for another.” This works for some kinds of truths, but not others.
“Rum raisin ice cream is delicious.”
“That may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.”
“The Earth is round.”
“That may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.”
“Murder is wrong.”
“That may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.”
I think moral truths are more like truths about the shape of the earth. They are not matters of taste. People who think that murder is not wrong are simply mistaken. So are people who think that homosexuality is wrong.