ReligionDispatches.org

In the late 1990s while working at CNN Radio, I was moved to enter the seminary to train for a possible career change. Upon learning of my new endeavor, my boss shook his head and remarked, “From one low paying career to the next.”

His words were prophetic. Since leaving the media and entering the ministry, I have yet to again reach the pay level that I was receiving at CNN, despite actually working a second, secular, job to make ends meet. However, ministry is not a low paying career for some pastors. Some, like Rick Warren, Pat Robertson, and Joel Osteen are living fairly high on the hog for men of the cloth.

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You don't have to drive long in South Carolina before you see a bevy of bumper stickers with an overarching Christian theme. Some I've witnessed recently include: "Pro-life and Christian," "American needs a faith lift," "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven," and the usual flood of Jesus fish. It's rare to find one of those "Darwin fish" eating the Jesus fish, or even rarer to find a bumper sticker proclaiming atheism.

One form of Christian expression we won't see on the back of cars and trucks here is a specialty license plate that proclaimed "I Believe" with stained glass and a cross on it. That license plate was authorized for production last year by the South Carolina state legislature — but none have been distributed. A group of progressive pastors including Rev. Dr. Neal Jones of Columbia's Unitarian church challenged the legality of the tag in court.

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Somebody call the "waahhhmbulance" — former beauty queen Carrie Prejean has been mortally wounded by the continuing attacks on her because she had the temerity to defend "traditional marriage" during the Miss USA beauty pageant way back in April. She's so hurt, in fact, that she's displaying her battle wounds on the Today Show and in a brand new book.

Prejean is outraged — outraged, I tell you — that her freedom of speech has been trampled on and is certain that there is some vast left wing conspiracy to "silence" her. She told Meredith Vieira that she is being targeted for her "beliefs":

"The biggest thing and the reason I wrote this book is Americans believe their beliefs are under attack, and this is proof," she told Vieira, adding that the sex tape is another example of what her enemies will do to attack her.

Ah, the "sex tape." That's what Vieira really wanted to talk about on the morning segment, but Prejean refused to answer any about the tape, invoking the secrecy of mediation. It was clarified that that she appears alone on the tape and made it for her boyfriend back when she was 17 years old.

Since her Miss USA pageant answer, Prejean has been making hay as a darling of the religious right – working for the National Organization for Marriage and making the speaking rounds at conservative events. She makes her faith a prominent talking point in speeches and in her new book.

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Once again, the civil rights of a minority of U.S. citizens has been put to a popular vote, and once again, that hated and feared minority has been told to either get to the back of the bus, or start walking — to Canada.

Voters in the state of Maine, this week, turned out to repeal a legislative measure, signed into law by the governor, extending marriage equality to gay and lesbian U.S. citizens living in that state. Once again, the traditional moralists, with their big money, big mouths, and big ideas that allowing gays to marry will cause the apocalypse, have triumphed in scaring enough people to vote against their fellow human beings.

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If you watch a lot of cable TV news, it’s easy to see how you could believe that the only people who are Christians are straight, conservative, white people who consistently vote Republican. Finding a voice from the religious left on the cable gab shows is often like finding a unicorn or a pot of gold. We’ve heard of it, but rarely see it. Those of us on the religious left know that we exist, of course, but we so often feel like we’re a voice crying in the wilderness.

A new study from the University of Florida may just be the amplification of our voice that we need. It confirms that there is a growing religious left in this country and dispels the “God gap” theory “that white religious Christians are conservative and more likely to vote Republican, said UF researcher Kenneth Wald.”

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When my spouse and I lived in Georgia about six years ago, we were very careful about showing public affection in the town where we lived - a good 20 minutes outside of Atlanta. Anyone who has lived in Atlanta, especially anyone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, understands that there is Atlanta and then there is Georgia. In Atlanta, especially in places like Midtown, walking around holding your partner’s hand was relatively safe. You may get someone making a hateful comment as they drive by, but by and large, no one gave you a second glance.

Where my partner and I lived however was not Midtown Atlanta, even though it was the hamlet made famous in the film adaptation of Fannie Flagg’s “Fried Green Tomatoes.” Idgie’s childhood home, and the railroad tracks where the train claimed Buddy and later Buddy, Jr.’s arm, is nestled a block or two off the town’s main drag. Even though a lesbian of literature may have symbolically lived there - it was dangerous to be a non-fictional lesbian in this town - and we were right to be fearful. At the nearby Wal-Mart we dared not be too friendly with one another lest we be tailed in the parking lot and shown how “real women” are supposed to act. Consequently, we were often mistaken for sisters - and still are. People recognize the bond between us, but often hesitate to recognize - or completely deny - the reality of that bond.

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I feel I must begin my post with a disclaimer: I love Bishop John Shelby Spong. His books have done much to help reclaim the Bible and Christianity from the religious right who have sought to turn a religion based on compassion and concern for the neighbor into a self-serving, dogmatic, and often just plain mean form of religion. Bishop Spong is an acquaintance of mine and was kind enough to offer an endorsement for my book Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians.

So, I admit up front that I have a bias toward the good bishop, but I will strive to not let my own personal connections cloud my take on his latest work — A Manifesto! — in which Bishop Spong quite eloquently spells out why he's done arguing over whether or not gays and lesbians should be fully welcomed within not just the church but society.

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I had a hard time hearing President Obama's speech to the audience Human Rights Campaign dinner in Washington, DC this past weekend, because of the noise of so many right wing religious heads popping every time he said the word "gay" or "lesbian" and followed with words of praise and promise instead of curses and condemnation. The religious right has been busy condemning Obama for his words. Catholic Online bemoaned that Obama has made it clear that he "will not defend marriage" and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council , in that same article, warned his constituents that Obama's message was clear that "if you hold to traditional values, the ultimate goal is simple — to silence you." The Baptist Press quotes Bob Stith, the Southern Baptist national strategist for gender issues, who complains that Obama dissed Christian conservatives:

"President Obama continues to portray all who disagree with him as those who 'hold fast to outworn arguments and old attitudes,'" Stith told Baptist Press. "The inference is that if an attitude is old it must be wrong. The constitution is an old document. The Bible is older still."

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Filmmaker Michael Moore has a lot of guts, not just because he'll attempt a citizen's arrest at AIG and demand taxpayer money be given back immediately – but because he will actually sit face-to-face with right-wing talker Sean Hannity and have what, for Hannity, passes as a reasonable discussion.

Instead of becoming frustrated, yelling, or talking over one another (very minimally, anyway), Moore becomes more and more calm as Hannity begins to ratchet up his rhetoric. Hannity isn't quite sure how to handle this kind of guest and it leads him to make one of the most outrageous statements I think I've ever heard Hannity make – especially when it comes to religion.

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As a Christian who just happens to be a lesbian I get accused, a lot, of picking and choosing when I read the Bible. I get accused of cutting out parts I don't like in favor of parts that seem to affirm me in my "sin" and keep me from "repenting" of my homosexuality.

Imagine my irony meter pegging out when I read about the "conservative Bible" project being proposed by the folks over at Conservapedia to remove the "single biggest distortion in modern Bible translations" - liberal bias. The whole proposal is an extended exercise in picking and choosing and cutting out things the conservative mind finds offensive, like the words of Jesus - these from Luke 23:34, to be specific:

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

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 "Dear Gussy!"

As a child, when I heard this phrase fall from my mother's lips, I knew it was time to make myself scarce. My sweet Southern Baptist mother would never let such words escape from her mouth unless she was very, very angry. We had finally worked her last nerve when this expletive came out of her mouth. (Her milder backup swear word was "fiddlesticks" – which usually translated into, "I'm getting a little frustrated" and usually was nothing to make haste over.)

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I go to church every Sunday - but, being a pastor, that’s sort of a hazard of the job. It’s not like I can simply decide one Sunday to just ignore the alarm, roll over, and not show up. More than a few people would take note – and I don’t think I’d be in the pulpit for very long after being AWOL a few times.

Conservative Christians are beginning to take note that President Barack Obama is AWOL from church on Sunday mornings – since he has not yet chosen any church to be “officially” affiliated with during his term in office. At least one rightwing columnist has issued “A plea to the president to attend church” and expressed his disappointment that the president has not yet chosen a regular house of worship:

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If you paid attention to the “value voter” summit over the weekend you’ll have noticed that the right wing base hasn’t changed all that much. They want a religious zealot like Mike Huckabee to be the President of the United States and they still count abortion as their number one cultural issue.

What you may have missed, however, is what number two was on their list of important issues. Coming in at 18 percent behind abortion’s 41 percent response was “protection of religious liberty.” The “butter” of the usual “bread and butter” issues of the religious right—same-sex marriage—had slipped from the number two position drawing the concern of a paltry seven percent of “value voters.”

Does this mean that there is a sudden uptick of support for marriage equality among “value voters”?

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"Did Jesus have a penis?"

The question began as a joke in one of our church's small group gatherings as we considered the question of Jesus' humanity and divinity. The group laughed aloud, if a bit uncomfortably, at the question.

The person with the question smiled, but asked again, "Did Jesus have a penis?"

We had to sit for a moment with the implication of a savior with a penis. Most of us had to admit we were uncomfortable with the idea. If Jesus had a penis that means he had the feelings other human beings with penises have - perhaps sexual feelings, or feelings of superiority over human beings lacking such an organ, or perhaps that Jesus peed standing up. Wow! That brings up a whole other topic: Did Jesus pee? Did he poop?

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"Go to the cashier and pay your $150.00 fee while I prepare your paperwork."

The clerk looked completely and utterly bored while he pointed us to the cashier. He was performing a procedure he had performed hundreds, perhaps thousands of times before. He knew his job by rote and, though he was polite, he was not excited by the process he was taking us through.

I, however, was having a spiritual experience standing in the middle of Ottawa City Hall in Canada. On August 27, 2009, my partner Wanda and I walked into this government office to ask for a marriage license. It's an exercise we've done for several years over Valentine's Day week at our own government office in Columbia, South

Carolina. Each year, we go and fill out the forms, dutifully scratching out "husband" and "wife" and replacing it with "Spouse 1" and "Spouse 2." Each year, after we're allowed to fill out the forms completely, the clerk behind the desk politely hands them back informing us that we cannot get legally married in our home state.

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My spiritual director thinks I’m too negative. I think she’s a nag. So, perhaps she’s onto something.

But, who can blame me for being so negative? Have you taken a good look at the world lately? Two costly wars continue to bankrupt our country, even though we’re supposed to be withdrawing from one of them. Unemployment numbers keep going up—down sometimes, but never enough to matter. Town hall meetings are like local Jerry Springer shows with people screaming about Nazis, socialism and how grandma will be taken out by professional government assassins as soon as she wheezes. Who can blame me for being negative?

In fact, I’m a typical American. Our country has a long, well-loved tradition of being pessimistic. We Americans are always ready to believe the worst about people, especially politicians. One’s on the take? No surprise. A morality cop cheated on his wife? What’s new? With another man? Yawn. Both Republicans and Democrats are bought and sold by the corporations they seek to regulate? They’re all crooks.

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An ill wind blew through Minneapolis on Wednesday – a tornado, actually – one that even took forecasters by surprise. The twister damaged buildings on the south side of the city, including a Lutheran church and the roof of the Minneapolis Convention Center where the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is holding its Assembly.

The twister struck around 2 p.m., just as the Assembly was getting down to the business of voting on its social statement on human sexuality. Minneapolis minister and blogger John Piper sees the two events as related:

The tornado in Minneapolis was a gentle but firm warning to the ELCA and all of us: Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great Lutheran heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from distorting the grace of God into sensuality.

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If you got married to another person because you love them and want to spend your life with them – you are one of the reasons why the institution of marriage is being weakened.

That's according to a new paper being circulated by the Institute on Religion and Democracy and Alan Wisdom, vice president for Research and Programs at IRD:

Among the trends weakening the marital bond is the "ideal of romantic love" – a love that is all about "two people who love each other."

(Wisdom) argues that romantic love tends to isolate the couple, marginalizing the traditional third parties to the marriage, which include families, the community, the church, the state, and even God himself.

"All are reduced to spectators applauding the all-conquering love of the two," he points out.

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In my wallet I have a gold card with my name on it. The card guarantees that if I am ever stranded by the side of the road with a flat tire, or a broken down car, that help is just a phone call away. It also gives me discounts on lodging and other perks.

My partner has a gold card with her name on it as well. The account number on both cards is the same. Years ago, when we signed up for the cards with the venerable roadside assistance company AAA, the woman at the counter smiled sweetly and never blinked an eye when we asked for the "family" plan. We were granted a generous discount under the family plan over buying two individual plans.

The American Family Association is just hearing about this kind of outrage - a corporation selling memberships at a discount to people they consider "faux families."

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Back in 1994, fifty-five fundamentalist Christian leaders met at the Glen Eyrie conference center near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The goal, according to author and activist Mel White in his book Religion Gone Bad was "to plan their 'short-term' solution for the problem of lesbian and gay Americans."

The group represented about 40 state anti-gay organizations with one goal, according to White: "to prevent homosexuals from ever being recognized as a 'protected class.'" White quotes Will Perkins, the man behind the success of Colorado's Amendment 2 in 1992 and convener of the secret meeting as saying, "If we lose this battle [against homosexuality and homosexuals], there are no moral absolutes left for this nation." The purpose of the meeting was not to energize the superstars of the anti-gay movement, but to bolster a grassroots campaign that would take hold - and some 15 years later - has put deep roots into political and religious institutions in our nation.

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On the surface, Dan Gilgoff is right in his latest US News column to tout famous "ex-gay" Alan Chambers' new interview with Focus on the Family's CitizenLink as "striking." But, when studied, the interview is simply more of the same from the "ex-gay" camp.

What striking is that Chambers is not promoting so-called conversion therapy, which some religious conservatives claim can convert gays and lesbians to a straight sexual orientation. Rather, he acknowledges that, for gays and lesbians, homosexual attraction never goes away. But he suggests that homosexuals can resist those urges through Christianity

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Being a lifelong Southerner, I know a thing or two about civility. Here in the South, you can be taken apart, bit by bit, without ever feeling any anger directed toward you. The key is the phrase, "bless your heart." Whenever a Southerner wants to insult you, it will always be in a civil tone and usually followed by this phrase. For example:

"You're not the sharpest tool in the shed are you? Bless your heart."

Or, if you're speaking about someone else, you might say:

"She has a face only a mother could love. Bless her heart."

While the first part of the sentence may seem harsh, the magic Southern phrase tends to blunt the impact. It's usually said with a wry smile, and sometimes a pat on your arm or shoulder.

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I knew at an early age that, one day, I would have to leave the Southern Baptist church. As a preacher’s kid (or PK to those in the know), I had no choice but to attend a Southern Baptist church for most of my early childhood, but I knew it wouldn’t last. You see, I have always felt called to follow my father’s footsteps into the family business—but I knew from an early age that would require leaving the Southern Baptist church which states:

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Seven years ago, my partner and I had a holy union ceremony in a small chapel in Georgia—a chapel, incidentally, that starred in the Stephen King movie Pet Semetary II. Don’t worry if you don’t recognize it, no one else has seen the movie either. The rehabbed chapel served as a beautiful backdrop to our happy day, despite its obscure infamy.

Next month, my beloved spouse and I will travel to Canada and speak those vows to one another again, only this time with the force of at least one country’s laws behind them. We hope that one day the United States will grant recognition to same-gender marriages performed in other countries, just as they recognize all other foreign marriages.

If you believe those who oppose marriage equality for me and my partner, it’s apt that our marriage took place in a horror film setting. We’re apparently to blame for the decrepit state of marriage in the United States today, and giving recognition to the nuptials we will soon celebrate will only hasten the demise of this esteemed institution.  That’s the gist, anyway, of Bishop Harry Jackson’s open letter to President Obama, urging him to prevent the overturning of the Defense of Marriage Act or DOMA.

Jackson, a vocal opponent of marriage equality and senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland, uses his letter to air a litany of disappointments over the decline in marriage:

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As the Episcopal Church begins its General Convention in Anaheim, California, many are waiting for the besieged denomination to begin anew conversations around gay bishops and other matters of sexuality as the march toward marriage equality continues to heat up [see comic below this post].

But, right out of the box, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is showing she’s able to create shockwaves of her own. In her opening statement to the General Convention, Rev. Schori took a shot one at of the sacred cows of many Protestant believers—individual salvation:

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