Christianity and Same Sex Marriage in the Public Sphere – Two Views

The Backstory

In a week or so, Hawaii legislators will vote on whether to recognize same sex marriages. Despite the fact that the law specifically states that churches won’t be forced to perform same sex wedding ceremonies if that would violate their religious beliefs, Pastor Wayne Cordeiro of New Hope Oahu came out on record saying

“We want a bill that protects anyone of the Christian faith to say, ‘We understand that those of this lifestyle are part of our society. We embrace them. They’re valuable, they’re wonderful people. However, we have a faith that disallows us to endorse and advocate them,'” explained Pastor Cordeiro.

“It doesn’t protect anybody of faith, for example, if you’re a photographer and you’re a Christian and you feel that you cannot photograph a wedding — you’re in violation, that’s a discriminatory act and you are now in violation. It doesn’t allow you as a person of faith that is Christian to say, ‘I can’t do that.’ You’re not able to, so it takes away your will and it takes away your discretion.

The First View

Basically, what Pastor Cordeiro is saying is that a Christian wedding photographer or baker should be allowed to refuse to photograph or bake a cake for a same sex wedding.

Now I could go into the legal aspects of why a church can refuse to perform a same sex wedding (or even an interracial wedding) if it violates their beliefs but a private business can’t do the same even if the owner is a Christian.

But instead of going the legal route, I want to try a different tack.

The Second View

Earlier this year, a Christian business owner refused to sell a lesbian couple a wedding cake stating that it violated their beliefs. In response, Micah Murray wrote a post titled, “Perhaps Love Bakes a Cake” where he proposes the following:

Christianity is a religion of love and of grace. Whenever morality becomes elevated above love we have veered away from the meaning of the faith.
Perhaps the most Christian thing of all is to love God and love our neighbors.
Perhaps Love is patient and kind and keeps no record of wrongs.
Perhaps Love covers a multitude of sins.
Perhaps Love doesn’t demand that everyone live up to our standards.
Perhaps Love gives with no strings attached
Perhaps Love meets people where they are and cares about them as people instead of issues.
Perhaps Love bakes a cake.

What do you all think? Which is the more Christ-like response – refusing to bake a same sex wedding cake to a same sex couple or baking them the moistest, most delicious, most beautifully decorated cake they’ve ever seen as a way to demonstrate Christ’s love to them?

When Keepin’ It Illegal Goes Wrong

Republican Loses Dream Of Banning Sodomy

3:15 …90 people who are sex offenders will be dropped from Virginia’s sex offender registry because the law itself has become invalid. They could have kept the good parts, but Cuccinelli, like the rabid right wingers, said, “no! I’ve gotta have everything, I’m gonna make it all illegal if you’re not having the kind of natural sex I’m into.”

Read more at: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-10-07/local/42786051_1_terry-mcauliffe-child-predators-virginia-s

H/T: http://www.bestoftheleftpodcast.com/764-because-family-values-lgbtq-rights/

And of course the title is a play off of the Chappelle Show’s sketch, “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong.”

Harvey Milk To Be Honored With U.S. Postage Stamp

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/10/harvey-milk-stamp_n_4080196.html

[Harvey] Milk, the first openly gay man to hold political office in California, will break new ground once again as the first openly LGBT political official to be featured on a postage stamp.

Image source and article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/10/harvey-milk-stamp_n_4080196.html

Look: Father Disowns Daughter For Disowning Her Gay Son

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/look-father-disowns-daughter-for-disowning-her-gay-son/news/2013/10/02/76144

The only intelligent thing I heard you saying in all this was that “you didn’t raise your son to be gay.” Of course you didn’t. He was born this way and didn’t choose it any more than being left-handed. You, however, have made a choice of being hurtful, narrow-minded and backward. So while we’re in the business of disowning our children, I think I’ll take this moment to say goodbye to you. I now have a fabulous (as the gay put it) grandson to raise, and I don’t have time for a heartless B-word of a daughter.

Image source and article: http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/look-father-disowns-daughter-for-disowning-her-gay-son/news/2013/10/02/76144

Allies Who Are Not Allies

http://fliponymous.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/allies-who-are-not-allies/

There was no ideological test going on here, it was purely practical. Person X could not internalize what my problem was, so all he did was work on a “solution” that was actually more harmful than if he had just walked on by. Person Y actually jumped in and helped me do what needed to be done.

Image source and article: http://fliponymous.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/allies-who-are-not-allies/

Getting Back to Biblical Principles [COMIC]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2013/09/getting-back-to-biblical-principles.html

Pitch perfect!

Image source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2013/09/getting-back-to-biblical-principles.html

The NALT Project – Christians proclaiming their belief in full LGBT equality [VIDEO]

The NALT (Not All Like That) Christians Project

From their about page:

The purpose of the NALT Christians Project is to give LGBT-affirming Christians a means of proclaiming to the world—and especially to young gay people—their belief and conviction that there is nothing anti-biblical or at all inherently sinful about being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

http://notalllikethat.org/