Regarding divorce, I think Jon Stewart said it well on The Daily Show the other night when he was talking to Bill Bennett about gay marriage: “Divorce is not caused because 50% of marriages end in gayness.” (If you haven’t seen the entire bit, it’s worth watching and is up here.)

On another tack, if Dorsey and Co. want to really build bridges and promote healing between the Christian and queer communities, they need to actually build relationships with people in the queer community, not just hand out presents in a display of largesse at Pride.

Absolutely. The church I attend (when I go…notice it’s Sunday morning, and I’m reading blogs instead!) is open to people of all persuasions, but it’s a rarity, especially here in fundie-crazy Colorado Springs. But, our Pridefest parade is comingup, and I believe some of our (straight) members are actually marching in support.

As much as I question my own beliefs, and as specifically-defined as the title “Christian” is these days (to the general public), I’m often tempted to ditch the term altogether.

EXACTLY! Divorce has done more to rip “traditional” marriage a new one than letting homosexuals marry ever will.

I’ve seen some of what this stuff can do. I know someone who was kicked out of my church because the board found out he was gay, and he refused to “go straight”. His family has been pissed off about it ever since. Oddly enough, my pastor has a gay brother. Kinda sucks to think about it, really.

I think you’re right, that Eddie’s being a little unfair if he’s singling out Dorsey in this particular case because we know that Dorsey opposes Bush’s policies and the policies of likeminded dominionists. But, at the same time, he has a point in general. I feel this frustration with well-meaning evangelicals who say, “You might be gay but I’m going to love you anyway!” People like me say, “There IS no ‘anyway’!” I want evangelicals to directly confront the ugliness of the teachings of their religion on this particular issue. It’s not enough to say, “Our religion has been cruel to you, I’m sorry.” I want them to genuinely work toward moving past the fearmongering and indoctrination that Christianity has surrounding issues of sexuality.

Now, I know some folks would rebut me here, saying “Yeah, you just want people to believe the same thing you do.” Which is true, of course. And unrealistic.

I guess I’m just sick of Christians saying, “I love you in Christ, but you’re a sinner,” when a person cannot help being a sinner, and the Bible has been mistranslated to make it say that they’re sinners.

On another tack, if Dorsey and Co. want to really build bridges and promote healing between the Christian and queer communities, they need to actually build relationships with people in the queer community, not just hand out presents in a display of largesse at Pride. In my experience, most Christians don’t have gay friends, and if they do, it’s just a token one here or there. (There are always exceptions, of course, including, of course, gay Christians themselves!)

Just a little background…

Anyway, assuming that these are the folks to whom Eddie refers, this statement:

…many of the same people giving out these cards are the ones supporting Bush to pass this amendment.

is rather disingenuous. The folks — at least the ones I’m aware of — who are passing out these cards do so pretty much in apology for BushCo’s policies, not in support of them. I certainly wouldn’t have supported this effort otherwise, at least — I’m in favor of allowing gay marriage nationwide. Or, as Eddie so rightly put it:

Married gay people are no threat to any religious person from any faith in this country, or any other for that matter. There is no practical, logical or legal reason to prevent them from enjoying the same benefits from marriage that heterosexual couples enjoy.