As many of you reading this probably feel saddened, sickened and outraged when we turn on the news to yet another tragic and senseless slaughter of black lives, we can only hope not to become numbed and completely apathetic. While it is absolutely maddening from Trayvon Martin to Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Samuel Dubois, and the daily litany of abuses, I try to keep reminding myself to "stay awake” and to stay engaged in whatever ways I can.
Read MoreMost Americans have no idea what is going on in the Christian communities of Africa and the Caribbean. Too many American churches support anti-LGBT laws as seen in Nigeria, Uganda, and Ethiopia where even Campus Crusade for Christ is pushing for the death penalty for homosexuals. Genuine Christians from America must counter what the extreme fundamentalists are exporting. The truth needs to go out to the millions of people who have been misled with lies about LGBT people.
Read MoreSo, for what it’s worth, I’m just “over it” when it comes to anything related to charges and trials... It’s just all so 20th century….kind of like shoulder pads in women’s suit jackets. It’s time to clean the UMC closet. It’s embarrassing every time we wear one of those things out in public. Should someone file a complaint against me I think I’ll just ignore it. Should my bishop call me in to account for my actions (in so far as it relates to performing same-gender weddings) I have a hunch I just won’t go. Should a trial be scheduled, I’ll be hard pressed to participate...
Read MoreMost children learn a bit about Dr. King in schools today, but it’s vital to continue that conversation outside of the classroom and in the world, where equality issues are still pressing. This infographic presents a timeline of the life of Martin Luther King Jr., to honor his legacy and fuel the conversation about his battle for equality.
Read MoreStatements like Laszloffy's are meant to create a false reality. They are meant to divide our communities, and we simply cannot let it pass. The struggle for dignity, security, and justice is a shared struggle across constituencies.
Read MoreMay this tragic act help the US to be true to the ideals of the founding persons of your great nation. May you all realise that you really are all members of one family, God's family, the human family: black, white, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, lesbian, transsexual, gay, bisexual, and so-called straight all belong together in the bundle of life.
Read MoreThose experiences hurt. But I thank God for them now. They have opened my eyes, not just to the plight of trans people, not even only to the LGBT class to which I ostensibly belong, but to the broader notion of justice.
Read MoreNow religious leaders are letting the Montana Supreme Court know their views on domestic partnership. On Nov. 21, 66 Montana clergy submitted an amicus (friend of the court) brief to the Montana Supreme Court in support of domestic partnership.
Read MoreAn institution that supplies a 14-year-old with reasons to doubt his own worth -- to doubt that worth to the point of self-destruction, is guilty of complicity to commit murder... I believe all of us are called to intolerance for that which is so destructive.
Read MoreIt doesn’t matter if the label is good or bad. Labels can make some people carry the weight of the world while others wish to help but are simply “inadequate."
Read MoreA gender-just society would be one where everyone, regardless of their gender expression or identity, is able to fully and authentically participate without fear of discrimination, harassment, or persecution.
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