Posts Tagged ‘Religious Freedom’
United Church Of Christ Landmark Lawsuit Says North Carolina Laws Restrict Freedom of Religion
The General Synod of the United Church of Christ (UCC) filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, arguing that North Carolina laws defining and regulating marriage as being between a man and woman restrict UCC ministers from performing their religious duties and are unconstitutional. The State of North Carolina prevents couples of…
Read MoreLet It Go: When You’ve Been Nice Enough
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.” I John 4:18 A year ago this month, I came out to myself and the world. I totally overturned my life to seek peace and happiness, because neither my ex-husband nor I was happy, and by extension, our daughter was…
Read MoreCase Dropped In Prosecution Of Scholar: Bishop Vows “Cessation Of Trials”
White Plains, NY, March 10, 2014 – At a joint press conference today, United Methodist Bishop Martin McLee and Rev. Dr. Thomas W. Ogletree (pictured above) announced that the church was dropping the case against Dr. Ogletree for officiating at his son’s wedding. In a huge victory for the Methodist movement that is organizing ministry to all…
Read MoreAsh Wednesday For All
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. For Christians it marks the beginning of the Lenten season—a season of preparation leading to Holy Week and Easter. For the second year in a row, I went with members of the Not So Churchy community and the folks from Presbyterian Welcome to New York City’s Union Square to impose ashes on any passersby who…
Read MoreSilent No More: Denouncing “Christian” Voices Of Hate
When I read that President Museveni had signed the hateful anti-LGBTQ law in Uganda, the first words that came to mind were from the opening song in “Les Misérables.” It’s called “Work Song.” Prisoners in a work camp are expressing their hope and their despair. One sings, “I’ve done no wrong, sweet Jesus hear my…
Read MoreRethinking “Religious Freedom” Laws
I have been horrified to see the new wave anti-LGBT laws across the country that have been put forward under the guise of “religious freedom,” the idea that freedom of religion requires us to allow people to be mistreated. These laws give a wide range of businesses and services providers the right to deny service…
Read MoreCelebrating Our Common Unities Through Love
Personally, I am tired of religious irony. My own snarky, judgmental attitude about a Christian megachurch, no matter how much in check I was able to keep it at the moment, almost kept me from making a beautiful discovery about the depth and capacity of the human heart. When I walked into Overlake Christian Church,…
Read MoreStorm Coming As Baptist Church Kicked Out
The flood gates have only started to leak as the Ginter Park Baptist Church has been asked by the Baptist General Association of Virginia to revoke its membership because they ordained an openly gay minister. If the church does not withdraw their membership by the end of this year, the General Association will not accept their donations.…
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