86-year-old Republican and veteran endorses gay marriage

by: bfealk

Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 22:05:54 PM EDT

What Do I Think About Rick Warren?

by: allisonrockey

Sun Dec 28, 2008 at 12:54:46 PM EST

I am mad as hell that Rick Warren was selected to give the invocation.  I am mad that on the biggest human rights issue of our day, the candidate I worked endlessly for has decided to literally begin his presidency by giving the stage to someone who worked so hard to take the rights away of so many California citizens.  Take rights away, I can't believe I am even typing those horrible words.  If I hear one more person tell me it was a smart political move for Obama, I just might throw up.  I didn't work this hard for this kind of "smart political moves."

As a Democrat, as an Obama volunteer and supporter, and as a person who deeply loves gay and lesbian family members and friends I am nothing short of furious!

But I do not wish to write today from any of those perspectives (though it would be easy to do...)

Today, I wish to write to you as an OUTRAGED Christian!  I just can't take it anymore!  ENOUGH!  Seriously, dammit ENOUGH!  

How, I ask you, how can the millions of American Christians, sit back and continue to allow their faith to be tarnished and marked by injustice and prejudice.  What world are they living in?  What faith are they following that makes this behavior acceptable?  

How is Christianity any place other than the leading edge of the fight for equality?  How is Christianity any place other than the leading edge of inclusion and acceptance and wholeness! How can Christianity and its followers possibly be responsible for discrimination against a minority group of Americans?

So in all my fury and outrage, here I sit.  Yet, again questioning if remaining in the Christian movement is something I have the courage to do.  I sit deeply ashamed of mainstream Christianity in this country today.  I sit wishing Rick Warren wasn't the face of Christianity to millions of people.  I sit ready to act and fight and work to end this last form of  socially acceptable, truly rotten discrimination.  

And I simply sit.

As a child it was almost more than I could bare to come to grips with the reality that I was white while learning of the pain and suffering "my people" had caused African-Americans.  

And yet, like it or not, it is a part of me.  But I hope dealing with the pain of that reality took me to a place of greater awareness.

So much of my time in the Christian movement is time spent with those just like me. The Progressive Christians that aren't interested in dogma or particular beliefs.  They don't take the Bible literally, but look to it as one of many sources of poetry and metaphoric wisdom.  These Progressive Christians care about the earth, work for equality for all people, love to use their mind and intellect to question and wonder, are followers of Darwin, champions for the poor and are inspired social activists.

All Christianity is not equal.  But all Christianity is part of the human experience of trying to understand life.  And a part of understanding life is wrestling with prejudice, and injustice, and at times even hatred.

So for today, I will sit with the utter agony of holding both the peace and the pain that my religious tradition has caused so many (this is where that courage comes in).  And if I am able to survive that just maybe that will lead me to sit more generally with the peace and the pain, that I personally have caused the world.  And if I keep sitting, maybe one day, down the road, I will see that my peace and my pain, my joy and my sorrow are one.

And for now... I will promise to try contain myself while at the inauguration and will try my best not to throw my shoe at Rick Warren.

Let's All Laugh at Mike Cox

by: wizardkitten

Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 14:03:32 PM EDT

Think of it Mike! Thousands of legally married gay people from California are going to come to Michigan! Whatever will you do? Bet that makes Mike break out in a cold sweat, maybe for more reasons than we know...

California's highest court has refused to stay until after the November election its decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.

Conservative religious and legal groups had asked the California Supreme Court to stop its order from becoming effective until voters have the chance to weigh in on the issue.

Unfortunately, a ballot measure to ban equal marriage rights will be up for a vote in the state this November. This gives California gays about a four month window to get married, and then they might be overturned - which would create all kinds of fun legal ramifications. Meanwhile, the California economy will get a boost from the economic activity - estimates from a UCLA study predicted $370 million over the next three years, if allowed to stand.

Better hurry and spend that money, and then come say "hi" to Mike. He's looking forward to meeting you.

Mike Cox Sends a Bad Message

by: wizardkitten

Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 07:07:05 AM EDT

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has joined with the attorneys general of nine other states to urge the California Supreme Court to hold off its ruling on whether same-sex marriages in the state should be legalized.

The attorneys general representing Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah, along with Cox, have filed a brief asking the court to delay its ruling because they need to determine if their states would have to legally recognize the marriages of gay couples married in California.

"Each state makes and unmakes its own marriage and domestic relations laws as it sees fits," read a legal brief signed by Cox on Wednesday.

"What our proposed brief does, and all it does, is bring to this Court's attention some genuine concerns regarding the administration of justice in California's sister states."

Mike Cox. Bad for families. Bad for business. At a time when we should be fighting for every dime we can bring into Michigan, Cox lets everyone know that certain people are not welcome here. Someone please keep him away from the advertising department, OK?