www.iwgonline.org
Home
Site map
Search
News
May 2005 Newsletter
Newsletter Archive
Opinion
Letters
Pulpit
Religious Liberty
Equal Marriage Rights
Reproductive Freedom
Sexuality
Statements
Documents
Links
By Subject
By Tradition
Interfaith Organizations
Welcoming Congregations
Opportunities
Services
Images
Organization
Corporate
Projects
Supporters
Donors
Contact Us
|
|
The Newsletter of the Interfaith Working Group
March 2000
|
Judaism and Marriage
The Central Conference of American
Rabbis (CCAR) will vote on a
resolution from the Women's Rabbinic
Network to officially approve blessings
of same-sex couples.
CCAR already supports civil marriage for same-gender couples,
but has no official policy on religious blessings.
The CCAR annual convention will be
March 26-29 in Greensboro, NC.
The pre-Pesach issue of New Menorah,
ALEPH's quarterly, covers
same-gender marriage from many
perspectives; with articles by
Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and renewal-oriented
rabbis and teachers. Send $36 (or more) for a membership, or $9 for one
issue to ALEPH, 7318 Germantown Ave., Phila., PA 19119. Send a
self-addressed 9"x 12" envelope pre-stamped with $ .77 postage.
Fox Family Channel Protest
According to Soulforce press
releases, twenty-six Southern
California Christian and Jewish clergy
announced a national campaign against
"Fox-Anti-Family programming."
After a press conference
they tried to present their case to
Fox Family Channel
executives, but
found the headquarters' doors locked
and guarded. The clergy formed two
groups, locked arms at the building
entrances and sang, "We Shall
Overcome," blocking entrances for
over an hour, while being shoved and
cursed at by guards. "For eighteen
months Fox executives have refused to
meet with us," said the Rev. Dr. James
Lawson, Pastor-Emeritus, Holman
United Methodist Church and
Co-Chair, the Committee to Bring
Truth to Pat Robertson and the Fox
Family Channel. With
Pat Robertson
featured three hours a day, "...their
'family channel' is no longer safe for
America's families. We aren't trying to
embarrass or censor Fox Family or Mr.
Robertson. We just want them to hear the truth, that
homosexuals are God's
children, too. Mr. Robertson's
anti-homosexual campaign is not only
untrue, it leads to discrimination,
suffering, and even death."
For more information, go to
http://www.soulforce.org/foxaction.html.
Send letters to Richard Cronin,
President/CEO, The Fox Family
Channel, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Los
Angeles, CA 90024, asking him to
meet with the Committee.
National Religious Leadership Roundtable
The
National Religious Leadership
Roundtable held "A Call to Action:
People of Faith Say No to CA Proposition 22," at Irvine United
Church of Christ in Irvine, CA. The
Rev. Dr. James Lawson, civil rights
leader, colleague of Dr. Martin Luther
King, and co-chair of the Committee to
Bring Truth to Pat Robertson and the
Fox Family Channel [see above]
preached to the 400+ crowd. Other
speakers included Rabbi Denise Eger,
Congregation Kol Ami (West
Hollywood); Dr. Robert Goss, author
of "Jesus Acted Up" and professor of
religion at Webster University in St.
Louis, MO; Rev. Elder Darlene Garner,
United Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Churches national
headquarters in Southern California;
and Rev. Elder Nori Rost, Pike's
Peak MCC, Colorado Springs, CO.
United Methodist Church
The California/Nevada Conference
of the United Methodist Church will
not try the
sixty-seven clergy who
conducted a holy union service in
Sacramento for two women. Three
right-wing UMC-oriented groups
(Good News,
Institute on Religion and Democracy,
and
Confessing Movement)
formed the Coalition for United Methodist Accountability. A
Confessing
Movement statement said:
"....a determined minority of the
Church...is committed to forcing the
rest of the Church to accept and
approve homosexual practice as moral.....If the
United Methodist Church
follows the example of Bishop Talbert and the
California/Nevada Conference, it will
break its apostolic tie with over 98% of
Christendom."
The UMC General Conference
meets May 2-12 in Cleveland;
delegates rank "homosexuality" as one
of the top two issues facing the church.
In a sermon released on the Called Out
News Service, Bishop Jack Tuell, who
presided at Rev. Greg Dell's trial, said:
"God is revealing new truth in many
areas of life. One which is increasingly
clear is that He is speaking to us in the
issue of homosexuality.....many
people are uncomfortable even mentioning this matter and wish it would
just go away. I am aware of that,
because I have felt exactly the same way."
Dr. Laura
The Washington Post says
Paramount has signed up 85 percent of
the country's television markets for a
one-hour daytime studio audience
show hosted by Dr. Laura
Schlessinger. The Los Angeles Times
writes that Paramount and the
Gay and
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
(GLAAD) issued a joint statement
following a "marathon session, which
Schlessinger did not attend," saying the
program will "offer many points of
view."
This resulted in numerous complaints, including
letters in papers across the country. The
Traditional Values
Coalition said, "Her conservative views
based on biblical principles threaten gay
activists because she takes a firm stand
against the homosexual agenda." The
Conservative News Service said Peter
LaBarbera (president of
Americans for Truth
About Homosexuality), asked
for a meeting with Paramount to
discuss "the media bias on
homosexuality," along with the
Family Research Council's Chuck Donovan
and Robert Knight.
The Horizons
Foundation, Child Welfare League of
America,
National Mental Health Association
and GLSEN are running
full
page ads in major papers headlined:
"The problem with Dr. Laura's
anti-gay rhetoric is, it doesn't stop even
after you turn it off."
Episcopal Church
In Singapore, a South Carolina Episcopal priest and a
former Pennsylvania seminary president were ordained as
bishops by Rwanda's and Southeast Asia's Anglican archbishops
and "released to minister in the United States."
The Birmingham News said that the new bishops intend
to "restore a traditional view of biblical teachings, such as
opposition to homosexuality," and that Alabama
Episcopalians passed a statement from Integrity of Alabama
calling for "more dialogue and no new church laws."
In
an
open letter to all bishops, the
Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold,
Presiding Bishop and Primate of the
Episcopal Church USA,
said: "...there are significant disagreements among
us regarding human sexuality. We have
been seeking to deal with those
different points of view in a gracious
and respectful way with a view to
deepening the unity we share, and
honoring the fact that scripture is read
and interpreted from different perspectives--all seeking to be faithful to the
mind of Christ." The Seattle Times
contrasted a meeting with the new
bishops and a conservative group,
First Promise,
in South Carolina with the
February installation of the Rev. Robert
Taylor, a gay priest from South
Africa, as Dean of Seattle's St. Mark's
Cathedral, in a service attended by
South African Archbishop Desmond
Tutu. According to MSNBC, the
Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina
"rejected a resolution denouncing
homosexual marriage and ordination."
Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Philadelphia Chapter of the
Covenant Network of
Presbyterians
(opposed to Amendment B) is having a
pot luck dinner at Overbrook
Presbyterian Church (City Line &
Lancaster) at 5:00 pm March 12.
Overtures about orientation,
ordination, marriage ceremonies, and
a potential split in
the denomination
will be considered at the
212th General
Assembly (GA) in Long Beach, CA,
June 24 to July 1. Beaver-Butler
Presbytery is
asking
the GA to declare that the PCUSA has has reached an
impasse in eight areas;
it is also
asking
for a task force to explore how
congregations that can't accept the
ordination restrictions (Amendment B)
may leave the PCUSA with their
property. Baltimore Presbytery
wants
ordination restrictions extended to
candidacy certification. Tampa Bay
Presbytery
wants to give
the PCUSA an anti-same-sex blessing rule like the
UMC (neither clergy nor church
property may be involved in
commitment ceremonies). And the
New England Presbytery
wants to
strike Amendment B from the Book of Order.
More Ten Commandments Legislation
According to a
February 3 Press Release from
Americans United for
Separation of Church and State (AU),
Ten Commandments legislation is
being considered in ten states, and has
made progress in three. In Indiana, the
State Senate passed a measure 38 to 9
authorizing "display of the Ten
Commandments on real property
owned by the state." The State House
is expected to pass its companion bill.
In South Dakota, the State Senate
passed a bill 33 to 0 empowering
school districts to permit "any
classroom teacher or school
administrator" to post "a copy of any
religious document or text." The State
House is considering it. In Colorado,
the Senate Education Committee
passed "America's Moral Heritage
Act," by a vote of 4 to 2, and the State
Senate is considering this legislation
mandating silent prayer before school
and posting a specific version of the
Ten Commandments in public school
classrooms and entries. Bills are also
being considered in Florida, Illinois,
Kentucky, Missouri and Oklahoma.
According to AU's Legislative
Department, measures may be
considered in Minnesota and North
Carolina.
Soulforce University
An opportunity for nonviolence training and direct action will be held
May 6-12, 2000 at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Cleveland, OH. Sponsored
by Soulforce, Inc.,
it will be concurrent with the
General Conference of the
United Methodist Church at the
Cleveland Convention Center. People
from any faith tradition may come to all
or part of this FREE seven-day event.
Some activities: poetry reading, film
festival, meetings with living icons of
nonviolence, jazz concert, walking the
Labyrinth, spiritdrama, drumming,
vespers, dance, nonviolence training
(negotiation, direct action and civil
disobedience), and workshops on
networking with justice/peace groups,
the media, teaching soulforce principles
locally, and applying the principles in
our communities. Some who attend
may opt to be certified as Soulforce
teachers and organizers. Clergy may
get continuing education credits.
Delegates must sign a nonviolence
pledge before direct action. Housing is
available in the Cathedral and with
local families on a first-come,
first-served basis.
"Soulforce will be there...to help
our United Methodist friends see the
truth and act upon it or to confront and
condemn their untruth if they do not,"
said co-founder Mel White.
Some delegates will fast,
hold vigil, and keep the flame of truth
burning at the convention center;
others will help
pro-GLBT groups
within the UMC. Attendees may
prepare for a major nonviolent
direct-action near the end of the week
if the UMC continues or enlarges its
anti-gay policies [see page 2]. Contact:
sfu@soulforce.org
Gay-Straight Alliances
The Baton Rouge, LA Advocate said a student protest against a
proposed Gay-Straight Alliance erupted at Baton Rouge's McKinley
High School and a clergy group asked
the principal not to allow the club. The
school board came within one vote of
approving a policy to give all clubs
equal access to high schools. One
board member wanted to get rid of all
clubs to prevent the Alliance.
In California, a US District Court
judge issued a preliminary injunction
against the Orange Unified School
District, ordering it to let a student
Gay-Straight Alliance club meet at El
Modena High School. The school
board voted unanimously not to allow
it, despite allowing a Christian Club.
Students received support from the
Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Education
Network (GLSEN), and their lawsuit
was supported by
Lambda Legal
Defense and Education Fund and
People for the American Way
Foundation. The February 21 issue of
Time ran an article on Gay-Straight
Alliances, why students form them, and
opposition, especially in Orange
County.
SIECUS Statement Update
The Philadelphia Inquirer
and our last issue omitted that Nancy Krody of
the United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns, Southeast PA
Conference Chapter (an IWG-supporting
organization), signed the
SIECUS
statement. We reported 850
endorsements; there were 1,371 by
February 15. Thanks to all who have responded. If you are clergy and
signed the statement, think about signing up for the IWG letterhead as
well. We list clergy, congregations and religious organizations supporting
equal rights for sexual minorities,
reproductive freedom and separation of
church and state.
Mennonites
A Welcoming
Open Letter on "Homosexuality" signed by almost 700
members of Mennonite churches
ran as an ad
in the February 17 Mennonite Weekly
Review. The letter says in part, "We are
a historic peace church trying to find
our way amidst the swirl of emotions
and accusations in the larger society.
We believe God is calling all of our
congregations to a thorough study of
'homosexuality' and related issues of
church discipline, reconciliation, and
nonviolence. If in this process we
disparage the faith and integrity of our
lesbian and gay sisters and brothers,
can we expect to have an authentic
peace witness in other areas of life?"
and "We believe the church should
bless monogamous relationships of
same-sex couples and affirm covenant
vows between persons who pledge
mutual lifelong fidelity and support to
one another."
IWG News
We welcome Interfaith Action,
Monroe County, PA, and Rev.
Catherine Horn of Cherry Lane UMC
and Analomink UMC (Monroe
County) to the
letterhead. Rev.
Dwight Lundgren has left First Baptist
and has been removed.
Co-coordinator Chris Purdom
represented the IWG at the National
Religious Leadership Roundtable
[see page 1], talked about the IWG at
Thomas Paine
Unitarian Universalist (Collegeville), and spoke about
faith-based gay-rights movements at
PFLAG Philadelphia.
Reserve Sunday, May 21 at 4:00
pm for
Marching in the Light 2000.
We still need a Center City Philadelphia
space. We also need performers, ticket
sellers, ushers, ad salespersons,
reception organizers, and phone callers.
Call 215-235-3050 or email
(iwg@iwgonline.org).
|
|
