May 10
After gay marriage ban in N.C., what comes next?
By Hugh Hollowell Religion News ServicePage:
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RALEIGH, N.C. — The people of North Carolina voted May 8 to amend their constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Amendment One will, among other things, declare that the only legal union is between one man and one woman.
A large number of people of faith worked against the amendment. Christians who saw this as a justice issue — as a tangible way to both love their neighbor and as a means of doing for others what had already been done for them — fought long and hard to keep this amendment from passing.
And they were unsuccessful. The amendment passed anyway, despite their efforts.
I am sad the amendment passed. I know how disheartening this is to those of us who worked against it. And I am pledging my support to work to overturn this amendment in future elections.
So how should we, as people of faith, respond? How do we live in light of codified oppression? Now that the people of North Carolina have voted against equality, what should we do?
Simple. We vote again.
We vote for equality every day of our lives, by our lives. We vote for equality when we notice that everyone who sits as a guest at our table is of the same sexual orientation we are, and we work to change this. We vote for equality when we notice whose voice is not being heard, and call attention to it.
When you question why your church has no one in a position of authority who is not a straight male, you are voting for equality. When you decide not to attend a conference where all the speakers are of the same gender, race and sexual orientation, you are voting for equality. When the company you own extends benefits to same-sex couples, you just voted for equality.
The Jewish prophets spoke of the “day of the Lord.” Jesus spoke of the “kingdom of God.” Martin Luther King spoke of a “beloved community.” They gave their lives for such notions.
But any of them would tell you that a “beloved community” does not spring forth as a mandate from a ballot box. Instead, it’s the result of countless decisions we make every day of our lives. We vote for this “beloved community” with every decision we make. Every decision is a vote cast for the future we wish to live in.
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Comments
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Brother, Please!!! Legalizing what scripture forbids is wrong. Rebranding homosexuality as "same-sex relationships" is like candy coating rabbit droppings.
Your neighbors may like you more in this life but in the afterlife they will curse you for not telling them the truth in love about the choices they made. And you won't feel so good about the implications of Justice.
Behavioral choice minorities are not the same as ethnic or socioeconomic minorities. While sinners must be loved, sin itself must not be loved and exalted. Some things have gotten very backwards. Even for the President to call his position "evolved" as a result of input from his children is inverted. HE should have been able to teach them that some things are wrong even if most folks want to say they're not. I think pastors should have that much courage, too.
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So passing an amendment supporting a position Jesus Himself supported is now "codified oppression"? By pastor Howell's standard could not homosexuals and their sympathizers also be accused of "codified oppression" in their attempts to transform the Church into a gay accepting, gay friendly organization? If they could get enough people to vote for it, I have no doubt they gleefully would.
If voting for an amendment affirming marriage as only for a man and a woman makes one guilty of "codified oppression" ( which I would do, given the chance) I cheerfully accept it as an accolade.
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So, Wayne, I take it from your email and your support of the NC amendment, you mean "one man and one woman"? I'd suggest you read this little tidbit out of your very own Bible: 1 Kings 11:3 - He (King Solomon) had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines . . . hmmmmm. In case you hadn't heard, Mitt Romney's own family history includes a great-grandfather with "multiple wives."
What I don't understand is why people want to make this a "religious" issue. It isn't. It's a matter of civil rights and has nothing to do with anyone's religious beliefs. Remember, less than 50 years ago interracial marriage was a problem for certain yahoos; now we are embarrassed that laws against it existed in our lifetimes.
Finally, how is allowing two gay people to get married going to affect your life or marriage? Gay people and those of us who love and support them cheered and cried watching President Obama take this most courageous stand in their support. In 50 years, people will be embarrassed that this was an issue.
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Becoming a more "gay-accepting" church (to use Wayne Yoder's phrase) is important, I think.
And one can oppose a change in the meaning of marriage while also supporting civil recognition and protection of gay and lesbian couples who enter into commitment ceremonies. Lots of people hold that view, myself included.
Partisan Rs and Ds find us intolerable because we don't play into their election year dramas. But let's not buy their phony hyperbole, at least not if we want to have a honest conversation with one another.
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I have learned there are several churches in the Western District Conference of MCUSA who have presented a motion that “the leadership commission reverse its decision in which they stated ‘We find Joanna Harader’s credentials to be in order’. They also ask that the credentials of Joanna be removed or suspended. I strongly support the actions of these churches and would hope that more churches take similar action.
Hugh Hollowell authored the above article, however MWR editors chose to publish this which indicates their support.
In Genesis, 19, The Pre-Incarnate Christ visited Abraham along with two angels. After sending the angels on their way to Sodom, the Lord revealed to Abraham the wickedness of Sodom and his plans to destroy it. The angels, in the form of ordinary men, arrive in Sodom at Lot’s house. The men of Sodom become aware of Lot’s guests and demand that he send these men out to them. Lot politely says these are his guests and he will not comply. They try to forcefully enter and they, young and old are blinded. In the morning, the angels quickly escorted Lot, his wife and two daughters out of Sodom because the Lord, now present with Lot, said, ‘Quick, I cannot destroy the city until you leave’.
Now, my question to author Hugh Hollowell, and MWR editors Paul Schrag and Sheldon Good; why did the Pre-Incarnate Christ come to earth to directly oversee the destruction of every man, woman and child in Sodom with fire and brimstone?
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Dale, when you say Lot "politely" declines to offer up his two guests, you of course mean he instead offers up his two daughters for gang rape (Genesis 19:8). Sure sounds polite to me.
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Andrew, I chose to not bring in Lot’s offer of his two daughters because I wanted Hollowell, Schrag and Good to respond on the ‘other issue’ that pertains to the fiery destruction of Sodom. Perhaps they are still in deep thought before they respond.
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RE: "Legalizing what is forbidden by scripture"
The state does not exist to serve the church. Furthermore, marriage is the business of the church and not that of the state. The state should have no business in defining or licensing marriage. I thought my fellow Mennonites would appreciate the importance of keeping the state away from the church’s affairs.
RE: Sodom & Gomorrah
God had stated his intention to condemn Sodom & Gomorrah in Genesis 18:20, one whole chapter before anyone proffers an exchange of rape victims. God only explains, “The outcry against [them] and their sin so grievous,” with no elaboration onto what that sin was. You may assume it involves lust or homosexuality because that’s what we see them commit in chapter 19. I suggest referring to Ezekiel 16:49-50 for a more complete description of Sodom.
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