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They Tend to Run in Packs.
Report for
May 14, 2004
Jesus warned his followers to "beware of
false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15). The state of Rhode Island is in
desperate need of a wolf hunt by Christians armed with the Word of God and
a zeal for their Savior. Experience has shown that howling wolves often
lose their voices when true Christians show up in front of their churches
to hand out literature, preach, and hold signs.
Contact
Wisconsin Christians United for ideas.
Ministers go public with views on gay marriage
Sixty-five Rhode Island ministers sign a petition supporting gay rights;
35 pastors endorse a resolution stating their opposition.
By Cathleen F. Crowley, Providence Journal, May 10, 2004
http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20040510_clergy10.8526c.html
The ministers knew they would upset some of their parishioners, and they
knew they might irritate some of their superiors, but they did it anyway.
Sixty-five Rhode Island ministers recently signed a petition saying they
support gay rights. They hope to persuade state legislators to approve
laws that will give gay and lesbian couples the privilege of marriage.
On the other side of the issue, 35 pastors from Christian evangelical
churches signed a resolution stating their opposition to gay marriage.
State legislators are considering several bills that would allow same-sex
couples to enter into civil marriages. Another bill has been introduced
that limits marriage to one man and one woman and rejects same-sex
marriages conducted in other states.
Many religious leaders testified during hearings at the State House, but
these 100 ministers signed resolutions to put their positions on record.
The Rev. William C. Trench warned his congregation, the East Greenwich
United Methodist Church, that he would be supporting same-sex marriage. In
a sermon, he told them he had received an e-mail inviting him to a news
conference for religious leaders supporting gay marriage.
"I read that and I said to myself, I do not want to do this," he
told them.
He said his wife had asked him why.
"I don't like to make people unhappy," he answered. "It's a
controversial issue and it will make some people unhappy."
Then, he said, he asked himself, what would Jesus
do? Mr. Trench decided to go to the news conference.
"Let me tell you why I'm going," he told his congregation.
"First, I know this is controversial and I know that some people see
this as a threat to marriage. Quite frankly, I don't see it as a threat to
marriage. The threats to marriage are lack of commitment, lack of
communication, and lack of trust," he said. "The fact that there
are people of the same sex who want to make that commitment is something
that we should celebrate."
Some of Mr. Trench's parishioners aren't the only ones who might disagree
with him. The United Methodist Church prohibits its clergy from performing
same-sex marriages or commitment ceremonies.
The 65 pro-gay-rights pastors - many of whom are retired - represent five
denominations: United Church of Christ, United Methodist, Presbyterian,
Unitarian Universalist, and Congregational.
They did not name their congregations because many of them feel they don't
speak for their parishes on this issue.
The 35 evangelical ministers didn't share that fear.
"There is no one in my congregation, that I'm aware of, that would
disagree with the stand I took," said the Rev. Peter Atkin, of Living
Hope Christian Church in North Kingstown.
The evangelical pastors who signed the petition believe that the
institution of marriage is at a crossroads.
"Marriage has absorbed repeated hits in recent years - from divorce,
cohabitation and situational ethics," their statement said.
"Same-sex unions will deal a crippling blow to the traditional
two-gender marriage that has effectively guided American society through
the years."
"It's a very explosive issue in churches," said the Rev.
Christine Foster, co-pastor of Providence Presbyterian Church, who was
among the 65 ministers declaring support for gay rights.
"There are people in my congregation that very much feel the same
way, but there are people in my congregation that don't like the idea of
gay marriage because they see commitment as a relationship between a male
and female," Ms. Foster said.
Ms. Foster said it is important for Rhode Island lawmakers to hear the
diverse voices among the clergy.
"The church doesn't speak with one voice in this issue," Ms.
Foster said.
Dan Blackford, an elder with Providence Presbyterian who helped organize
the list of clergy favoring gay rights, said, "Most people respect
religious institutions of all sorts, and particularly in a state where the
Roman Catholic Church has a great presence, it's useful for and
informative for people to be aware that there are other points of
views."
Clergy in support of gay rights:
United Church of Christ: Nan L. Baker, William Bartels, Carl F. Beyer,
Raymond H. Bradley Jr., Janet Cooper Nelson, Eugene T. Dyszlewski, Beverly
F. Edwards, Bary R. Fleet, H. Daehler Hayes, MaryBeth Hayes, Sharon Key,
Dennis R. Knight, Patricia L. Liberty, S.C. Campbell Lovett, John R.
Madsen-Bibeau, Delle McCormick, Stephen J. Nelson, Caroline J. Patterson,
Lynne Bryan Phipps, David P. Proctor, T. Michael Rock, Joseph T. Runner,
David F. Shire, Robert M. Spaulding, Rebecca L. Spencer, Harry S.
Sterling, William A. Sterrett, Richard H. Taylor, Hamilton Coe
Throckmorton, Joy Utter and Ira S. Williams Jr.
United Methodist Church: Jonathan Almond, Gregory Carpenter, Duane
Clinker, Anne Grant, Nancy Hetherington, Adrienne O'Neill, Linda O'Neill,
Linda A. Shevlin, William C. Trench and C. Dale White.
Presbyterian Church: Beth Appel, Murray Blackadar, Richard Dannenfelser,
Christine Foster, James Keller, James Lockhart, Brian Merritt, Joseph
Miller, Glenn Ramsey.
United Universalist Church: Charles F. Flagg, Amy A. Freedman, Patricia
Hart, David A. Johnson, Stephen A. Landale, Deborah Mero, Peter Newport,
Richelle C. Russell, William Zelazny, and ministerial candidate Abigail J.
Stockman.
Congregational Christian: Lark d'Helen, Jed Griswold, Gwendolyn Howard and
lay minister Betsy Aldrich Garland.
Clergy opposed to gay marriage: Barry Arruda, West Kingston Baptist
Church, West Kingston; Peter Atkin, Living Hope Christian Church, North
Kingstown; William Balson, Maple Root Baptist Church, Coventry; Emmanuel
D.T. Bautista, Frenchtown Baptist Church, East Greenwich; Henry Bell,
Maple Root Baptist Church, Coventry; Jonathan Black, Greenmeadow Baptist
Church, North Kingstown; Chap Bettis, Lincoln Christian Fellowship,
Lincoln; Steve Boyce, New Life Worship Center, Smithfield; Tim Buehner,
Faith Baptist Church, Warwick; Robert Burnock, Darlington Congregational
Church, Pawtucket; Harold Carpenter, Line Baptist Church, Foster; Dan
Cloutier, Lincoln Christian Fellowship, Lincoln; Mark Cote, Jamestown
Chapel, Jamestown; Philip Curtis, Exeter Chapel, Exeter; Stephen DeSantis,
Warwick Assembly of God, Warwick; Jack Diamond, Barrington Baptist Church,
Barrington; W. Glyn Evans, Quidnessett Baptist Church, North Kingstown;
Bark Fahnestock, Quidnessett Baptist Church, North Kingstown; John
Farrell, Buttonwoods Bible Chapel, Warwick; David K. Gadoury, Cranston
Christian Fellowship, Cranston; John Gibson, Heritage Christian
Fellowship, Warwick; John Goasdone, First Baptist Church, Narragansett;
Rafael Hernandez, Rhode Island Director of Missions Southern Baptist
Convention; William J. Kinnaman, minister-at-large, Area Churches North
Kingstown; Dave LaChance, New Song Christian Fellowship, West Warwick;
Henry C. Maxson, Sabbath Assembly, West Warwick; Rick Moore, Cranston
Christian Fellowship, Cranston; Craig Noll, Davisville House Church, North
Kingstown; Charles L. Pierce, West Kingston Baptist Church, West Kingston;
Steve Prickett, Warwick Christian Fellowship, Warwick; Ernie Robillard,
First Baptist Church, East Providence; John Slaiger, Faith and Hope
Baptist Church, South Providence; Jim Sole, Quidnessett Baptist Church,
North Kingstown; Wayne C. Solomon, Maranatha Tabernacle Church of God,
Providence; David L. Taylor, Vision Christian Fellowship, Westerly; and
Frank Xavier, licensed minister, Warwick Assembly of God.
Homo-Fascism
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