UPDATE: At the Porterville City Council meeting on June 11th, an item was added to the agenda for next weeks’ meeting, June 17th. From GayPorterville: That agenda item is to rescind the proclamation that we the LGBTQ community received just last Tuesday. Pending the City Attorney’s counsel on whether the City Council has the authority […]
The Republican Party and conservative Evangelicals and Protestants that supported and voted for Mitt Romney are now analyzing the after-election tallies and theorizing the shortfall they expected in votes. The statistics showed that 78% of Evangelicals voted for Romney and 21% for Obama. Mike Huckabee, and others, posit that much of the blame for the […]
The issue of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (glbt) Christians in the church has become a polarizing and even frightening conversation in some faith communities. There are glbt people sitting in virtually all congregations and church youth groups. How is your church addressing this? A few years ago, when I offered dialogue to 57 local […]
“I no longer identify as a Christian . . .”, so many letters begin. The reasons will vary, but only slightly. Because I am a straight Evangelical Christian who advocates for equality and against injustice, I get mail from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (glbt) people and friends and family who love them. Reading those […]
How is the Christian church responding the the GLBT community in their quest for equality? Looking back at in our involvement in abolition, the suffrage movement and the Civil Right Act of 1964, have we learned lessons that we can now apply to gay/trans people as they struggle for equality?
Responding in kindness when the dialogue gets heated. Working actively in GLBT Christian equality in the church tests my ability to extend grace under pressure and tension. Will I respond in a way reflective of the God I follow?
I know Jesus told His followers to “love you neighbor as yourself”. It was time to check out how I am doing with my Muslim neighbor. I needed the practical experience of visiting a mosque during Ramadan and the research afterwards. And yes, it has changed my views.
This is the message of the Gospel. To serve, love, respect, honor and see worth in all humanity. Do you really think Jesus is okay with using His Book to tell other people how repulsive and worthless they are?
Fear blinds us, fear prevents love, fear causes hate and destruction. The Bible tells us the opposite of love is fear. If you are not loving the person that looks the least like you, the problem is you. No excuses. We need to get this right and stop blaming “others”. Jesus offered no caveats on […]
It is easy to be inclusive of those you love and those who love who you love. The “do you act like Jesus” test though comes when we are asked to love those who are not kind and may even hate those we love. Then what?
Confession time, bless me Father for I have sinned, again. There are times when I don’t know if it would be more appropriate to laugh at myself or cry over the mistakes I still make. Maybe this disclosure is part both. Sometimes when I hike, I listen to podcasts and one of my favorites when […]
