Christians for Equality stand united for Equal Rights Initiative
A group representing a number of religious and faith-based organizations in Anchorage is standing in support of an Equal Rights Initiative that will appear on the Municipality of Anchorage’s April 2012 ballot. More than a dozen ministerial leaders who are members of Christians for Equality announced their support of the One Anchorage campaign and initiative at a press conference on Thurs., Dec. 8, 2011.
“Equality is a core value of our Christian faith,” said Rev. Michael Burke, pastor of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and convener of Christians for Equality. “That’s why we firmly support the One Anchorage initiative, because it calls for equal treatment of one another and protects those in our community who have no legal rights against discrimination today.”
Christians for Equality was organized to support the Equal Rights Initiative. “We are speaking out so that the full voice of the Christian community is heard on the issue of equality,” said Burke.
Christians for Equality is comprised of faith leaders, lay and ordained, from a variety of different denominations and faith communities united in our conviction that no one should be discriminated against in employment, housing, or public accommodations simply because they are gay or transgender.
The group’s members include Rev. Peter Perry, St. John United Methodist Church; Rev. Martin Eldred, Joy Lutheran Church; Rev. Susan Knight, Immanuel Presbyterian Church; Rev. Dan Bollerud, Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church; Rev. George Blair, First Congregational Church; Rev. Sara Gavit, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church; Rev. Beatrice Hitchcock, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship; Rev. Ron Myers, First United Methodist Church; Rev. Glenn Petersen, Central Lutheran Church; Rev. Paul Boling, First Christian Church; Rev. David Boling, First Christian Church; Rev. Julia Seymour, Lutheran Church of Hope; Rev. Drew Phoenix, The United Methodist Church; Rev. Johnathan Jones, Church Life AK; Rev. Gayle Nauska, Nauska Counseling; and Rev. Susan Halvor, Chaplain.
“The biblical message is an ethic of love,” said Rev. Peter Perry, senior pastor of St. John United Methodist Church. “When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus responded, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ We affirm that we are all made in the image of God and are therefore called to honor the dignity and equality of all persons. Discrimination and unfair treatment are never loving.”
Now THIS is the kind of Christianity that this old combative atheist can embrace without any hesitation whatsoever.
Take THAT Rick Perry!
For anyone who's been in their cave for the last few days, the jacket that p-Rick wore in that offensive ad is the same one that Heath Ledger wore in "Brokeback Mountain."
ReplyDeleteCALLING DR FREUD ! ! !
Fantastic! So glad to finally see this happening.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am not a member of organized religion, but I can respect and support this movement. If more Christians behaved like this, I would perhaps reconsider my aversion to churches.
Too many of the radical,faux Christians (those who proclaim their religiosity as a badge of power and privilege and superiority)have pushed many people away from churches.
These folks may help undo that damage.
Congratulations, Anchorage!
The Christians for Equality are doing you proud.
BTW, I have never understood how people like Perry or Prevo or Sullivan believe that LGTB folks cannot be Christians. So many of them are. PP&S are just proving themselves not to be the Christians they purport to be, that's all.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/08/opinion/carville-gop-field/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
ReplyDeleteExcellent explanation on the dumbing down of the GOP field.
Go Pastor Dan & Rev. Beatrice!
ReplyDeleteI'm really proud of both of you and the congregations at Christ our Saviour and the UU.
This is why the right wing "christians" have been targeting the mainline Christian churches. They know they've got to take out the "liberal" Christians in order to take over.
ReplyDeleteOur denomination - Congregational/United Church of Christ -
ReplyDeleteand my own congregation have been on this page for years now. We have had a big surge in membership as a result. We got many LGBT members in the process. Many of them were frozen out of previous churches, family, etc. and now feel like they belong. They in turn have energized us.
I like this in theory, but wonder why it took so long.
ReplyDeleteApropos of nothing. The Anchorage Times once had a story that referred to the Rev. Jerry Pervo -- not once, but throughout the whole story.
ReplyDeleteI never saw a correction or apology, or heard of reporters or editors found drowned in the lobby pool, so I am assuming no one ever read the story -- maybe not even the oh-so media-conscious Prevo.