In my hometown of Rapid City, we were blessed with a polemic attacking the "activist judges" in California, from Rev. Richard Wells, local Baptist pastor and a founding faculty member 1972 reactionary Baptist Christian school
Criswell College... you can guess
where they stand. Wells said, last week:
On May 15, the California Supreme Court overturned the state's ban on homosexual marriage. .. if you care about America, you should be very worried.
I responded with an op-ed published today, representing myself, Integrity, and
Equality South Dakota:
Similar words of alarm (accompanied by carefully interpreted Scripture) have been used in some churches to prevent ethnic minorities and women from sharing their gifts as full members of the Church, but (in my view) the Holy Spirit continues to work to open the doors to everyone.
Rev. Wells was right to quote Aretha Franklin saying that what's at stake is r-e-s-p-e-c-t. Marriage equality is one of the ways we can respect the rights of all citizens (including LGBT folk) and allow them and their families to live in liberty, freedom, and integrity with their God and their fellow humans. This day is coming and it is not to be feared; rather, it is something to joyfully celebrate!
The
Rapid City (South Dakota) Journal does not post editorials online, but I have posted captured images of both editorials
(400K pdf).
2 comments:
I'd like to acknowledge the inspiration of the framing of El Presidente Susan+ that I have enjoyed over the years, and the significant editorial contributions of my Republican friend Don Frankfeld, fellow board member of Equality South Dakota.
Peace to all, and if you haven't contributed to the Canterbury Campaign, to support those that are working "in the eye of the storm" this week, please do -- it's not too late. Christians of all stripes are watching Lambeth and Integrity USA is doing such great work there that is helping us so much on "the home front."
It turns out I got a fact wrong... the historic California Field poll results (showing " gay marriage" approval by a slim majority) were released this week, not in May. Details were published yesterday in a story by Scripps Howard News Service.
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