Too gay for ‘Pro-Love’ church?
Re: “Male couple claims they were ‘too gay’ for Rev. D.E. Paulk’s congregation” (June 24)
“I am grateful for the beautiful people who marched with us for a great cause! We were honored by the presence of a gay, new thought minister, and Muslim minister, an atheist professor, and several radically inclusive bishops and ministers! Friction is a sign of progress —we are all often misunderstood — and we all carry a lot of history, and tender emotions. All viewpoints from all sides are understandable. I truly cover them all and each person in Love! From Brandin Lea Paulk of Cathedral of Chapel Hill.”
“I’m a member of one of the churches that’s joining with Donnie Earl for the Pro-love march this weekend. We apparently aren’t too gay for him. … D.E. didn’t seem to mind me referring to him as holy bear eye candy but I’m not sure he caught it. He lost more of his congregation after the scandal with Uncle/Dad for going inclusive and embracing interfaith. I totally feel the man. He’s a great guy. I’m sure he doesn’t want to lose people but he’s not wrong. I don’t want scare the hets away either. Find a gayer church if you need one. We’re here. We’ve never met you and we love you.”
“Sounds like the reverend makes a lot of sense.”
“He has no right to publicly humiliate a member of his congregation the way that he did. If Donnie Earl had a problem with their “public affection” he should have discussed it with them in private. Donnie Earl’s comment, “we ain’t got nothin’ left but a gay church,” is an insult in itself. What difference does that make? People are supposed to be there to worship God, and if the whole church was full to capacity with gays, or straights, or blacks, or whites, isn’t it still a church full of people worshiping God?”
“‘Diversity means willing to moderate your behavior and tolerate other people.’ Are you sure about that, D.E.? According to a definition of diversity from one university, ‘It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance…’ Telling that couple to move from the front row is the same as saying, ‘You can ride the bus, but you have to sit in the back.'”
“That’s the problem with churches. They are businesses. You get worried about things like balancing the quirks of your customers with the need for a reliable stream of revenue. Church is a business and religion is an industry. Anyone looking for an authentic spiritual experience there is bound to be disappointed in time.”
Claim that bullying is healthy too crazy even for Tea Party
Re: “Tea Party activist calls anti-LGBT bullying ‘healthy’”
“I am lucky to have friends thoughtful enough to bully me into not joining the Tea Party. It sounds like an unhealthy lifestyle.”
“Rich Swier’s logic is totally scewed. When I put out a cigarette, I am no longer “smoking.” The “bad behavior” stops because it’s a choice to smoke. You’re not born a smoker. If you don’t smoke for years you are no longer considered “a smoker.” When I stop [having sex with a man], I’m still a homosexual. There’s no turning it off. I am a gay male whether I’m engaging in sexual acts or not. Being gay isn’t a choice for anyone other than straight people. You see it as a choice because to “be gay” would in fact be a decision you’d have to be conscious of.”
“Blaming the victim, oldest b.s. excuse in the book for people who think like that. It’s clearly the fault of the raped, or the gay, or the quiet geek. It couldn’t possibly be that the rapists and bullies are disgusting excuses for human beings.”