Weekly Column
Last week’s column, “Mainstream Christians Must Stand Up to the Religious Right,” caused quite a stir. E-mail flooded into my in-box and there was much online discussion.
“…the number of mainstream Christians fighting the hate campaigns of the religious right is disappointing,” I wrote. “With thousands of churches, millions of members, and a vested interest in fighting back against religious extremism, they have consistently underachieved and failed to reach their potential.”
There were generally four reactions to the column. The first was from non-believers who completely dismissed religious people as loopy and seemed ambivalent to their assistance in fighting the right. The second was from non-religious people who agreed with the column and urged the religious left to stop passively sitting on the sidelines. The third was from people of faith who supported the column and wanted to join the fight for freedom.
“Wayne, next time you need religious progressives to stand with you contact the local Unitarian Universalist churches. We will be glad to march with you,” wrote one person based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The fourth reaction came from people in denial who defended the deafening silence in too many liberal and mainstream churches, rather than admit their obvious shortcomings.
“Just because they do not call a press conference or take to the streets does not discount the fact that millions of Christians are hearing a message of love and inclusion each week in services,” wrote one person on The Huffington Post.
I agree that these religious leaders should not call a press conference. They should call dozens of press conferences until the media pays attention. And, yes, they should also be in the streets. As someone who organizes and participates in several protests each year, I can attest to the fact that they are often unpleasant and unglamorous. Sometimes it involves waking up at ungodly hours on weekend mornings to march for hours in inclement weather.
Is this reader suggesting that these churchgoers are somehow superior and shouldn’t get their hands dirty? I find it elitist and reprehensible to push the burden of defending this nation’s inclusive values onto a small group of dedicated individuals, when a broad-based movement is what is desperately needed. If we can’t all be activists, at least we can be active. Why shouldn’t we all be out there doing our part, standing up for our beliefs, and speaking out against the zealots that would transform this nation into an unrecognizable beast?
Fortunately, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Here are four examples of mainstream Christians who are leading the way:
- In August, fundamentalist preacher Dr. Michael Brown organized a regimen of red shirted zealots to infiltrate Charlotte’s gay pride event with their self-righteous slogan “God Has A Better Way.” Kathy Baldock of the Christian organization Canyonwalker Connections stood up to the fanatics.
“As we walked and prayed around the perimeter of Pride Charlotte that morning, we did not know we were stepping into more hatred than either of us had ever before faced,” wrote Baldock of the experience.
- Christian writer John Shore offered a perfect example of how mainstream Christians can be a powerful voice: “Jamey Rodemeyer is a 14-year-old kid from Buffalo, NY, who earlier this week, after years of being bullied for being gay, committed suicide,” Shore wrote on his website. “If you’re a Christian who believes that being gay is a morally reprehensible offense against God, then you share a mindset, worldview, and moral structure with the kids who hounded Jamey Rodemeyer, literally, to death. It is your ethos, your convictions, and your theology that informed, supported, and encouraged their cruelty. We Christians who believe that God created gay people as much in His own image as he did straight people are begging you to reconsider your theology — to do nothing more than be open to an alternative, fully credible, scholastically sound interpretation of one or two lines from Paul. How can you be unwilling to do something so simple, when you see the horrible ultimate cost of that refusal?”
- In a CNN interview with Don Lemon, Rev. Jay Bakker, son of televangelists Jim and Tammy, spoke in favor of LGBT rights: “They (fundamentalists) get hung up on a few scriptures that really in my opinion have been taken out of context and they almost let them trump love your neighbor as yourself. It’s really a scary thing.”
- Actress Kristin Chenoweth recently appeared on HLN’s Joy Behar Show. “I am a Christian. I believe in God and I don’t believe He makes mistakes. So, I believe that being gay is not a sin and, in fact, it’s how you are made.”
Clearly, the loving and inclusive rhetoric of some mainstream Christians is fruitful. The million-dollar question is how do we get such voices to multiply and amplify? The decline of the Religious Right depends on faith communities rooted in fairness who pray to a Jesus that stands for justice.
Some more for TWO’s Rolodex:
* Methodist attorney and Sermon on the Mount fan Mike Papantonio, shown arguing in the documentary Jesus Camp for liberal Christian values and against Becky Fischer.
* Progressive evangelical Reverend Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners.
* Baptist essayist and activist Peggy Campolo, married to and in profound disagreement with celibacy-advocating Tony Campolo.
It doesn’t really matter since the Religious Right pretty much have won the effort to protray liberal and progressive Christians as not real Christians.
Excellent. And just about the right break-downs of types, as well, although there are the chronically discouraged: “The Religious Right pretty much have won the effort” . . .?
Nonsense. I won’t cede anything to them.
Thank you for highlighting the fact that not all of us Christians consider homophobia to be moral. We must be louder, but the important point for the moment is that we are beginning to organize and be heard. We shall overcome!
Alonzo, it does matter. Liberal and progressive christians can define themselves as loving christians and there’s no reason to discourage them from doing so.
I don’t expect “mainstream Christians” to, at anytime in the near future, stand up together and condemn the furious hatred of the crazy fundies. It seems odd that they would because they all read from the same Book – The Bible. They all believe it is the incontestable “Word of God” and literally do not have a leg to stand on when confronting the crazies among them. I have a brother and sister-in-law who are Christians (once upon a time were in the nut-case crowd). They know I’m gay and occasionally I send an article of particularly disturbing anti-gay news. Never do I receive a word of acknowledgement or understanding. It is always total silence. I know that they don’t share the nut-case attitude, but I never hear back. For a long time I have wanted to ask the very same question this article poses: If the radical, religious evangelicals and fundamentalists don’t speak for you, then why doesn’t your church speak out against their message? NO! You remain silent and compliment yourselves that you don’t share that hatred cloaked in God’s love, little realizing that your silence IS your message of agreement. “We aren’t like that,” you’ll tell yourselves and get bent out of shape when gay people look at you and lump you together with the religious whackos. Don’t blame us! Your silence says, “We’re with them.” Sort of like a police brotherhood – a cop commits a crime and his fellow officers don’t tell on him because they are all cops. You mainstream Christians don’t speak against your fellow “hateful Christians” (and they are hateful) because you all share belief in the Word Of God as laid out in the Bible. I say “b******t” you’re just cowards.
Outspoken liberal and progressive Christians are as rare as moderate Muslims – The fact Wayne had to write two columns about it is proof of that.
Well, Alonzo and Gianni, I think we should create a platform to find out if they will finally stand up and speak out. Given the disturbing political situation, it is really now or never.
What will the response be? I don’t know. But, I’d like to engage this group to see if they will finally challenge the more extreme elements.
A platform! What an idea!
*grin*
Why? They didn’t stand up when an entire race of people were in bondage, they didn’t stand up when women were treated like second class citzens.
I say f**k ‘em we’ve been fighting and winning plenty of battles without their help.
I don’t know. It seems to me that we’ve had their help all along, but not in sufficient numbers. Sometimes, people just have to be asked to rise to the occasion.
Agreed I believe we have been helped by those who chose to speak up – at the same time those that can sit quietly in their pews & Mosque and Synagogue and hear the words of their loving God twisted into words of hate – they are cowards!
I’m sorry Wayne. You’ve done great work over the years. But this article is a tad simplistic.
Maybe you can explain why mainstream christians should lift a finger to help us when hatred is being spat at them by so many in the gay community. For examples, look at your own comment section, or at Joe.My.God. any day of the week.
But mainstream christians don’t have a chance to out yell the fundies, and for an obvious reason. The fundamentalist ‘values’ of cruelty and selfishness are very useful to commercial media, and to their tactic of divide and conquer. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but for decades, only fundamentalists have been allowed on TV. Liberals have to make do with books and magazines and net casting. Occassionally, a poser like Barry Lynde will be allowed on, to give the illusion of balance and make weak arguments that don’t really challenge the fundies.
Or maybe you can explain why the gay community have not mobilized Hollywood to help us. The facts are on our side. And we might created video of gay soldiers; of suburban gay couples with range rover, dog, and topiary; and docudramas of historic gay heroes and geniuses. That would swivel public opinion in our favor.
Or explain why we’re wasting massive amounts on our leaders’ cocktail parties, instead of financing a decent PR campaign.
Bottom line: it’s a tad immature to expect others to save the day while many of us spend their days insulting them, and while we are not even using the resources we have.
Wilburforce:
If the article is simplistic, that is because the answer is simple: Work together or lose to religious right.
I’m not sure where you are coming from. so what if a bunch of people insult mainstream Christians? People insult me every day too. That doesn’t mean that I can’t work with people (and I do) where we have a mutual interest. And mainstream Christians have as much (well, almost as much)to be worried about with fundamentalism as the LGBT community.
I also don’t get your Hollywood commentary. Glee, Will & Grace, Ellen, etc all came from Hollywood. As far as fancy cocktail parties they are money makers, not money losers — and for the record, LGBT leaders actually hate those parties. I have not met one who enjoys them. We go because we need funding. We all dream of someone writing us a million dollar check so we can just work and be productive without having to fund raise.
Finally, I don’t agree with your idea that mainstream Christians can’t compete with the religious right. The media does not cover them because they are often boring, wishy-washy, and have nothing interesting to say. (See that Jim Wallis guy). Any half-decent, media trained mainstream Christian who doesn’t act embarrassed to stand for something can get press (See Jay Bakker)
What is immature and simplistic is suggesting that just because mainstream Christians have their feelings hurt they will ignore their religious convictions and let a totalitarian force take over this country.
I guess we’ll just have to disagree.
You think it’s ok for mainstream gay culture to spit hatred at our allies, and that our allies should just smile and help us anyway. To me, that’s off the scale unrealistic.
And mainstream christians don’t have one millionth of what we have to worry about from the fundies. To suggest they do is out there.
And not to be unkind here, but I expected you to defend gay orgs and the mainstream media. I guess that you’re a part of them, and I noticed years ago that the price of being in the establishment is defending it’s corruption.
You think Glee and Ellen are serious gay PR? Oh my goodness. You don’t know of any strong religious liberals for TV? Please. I and others have made arguments that would shred any fundy on the planet, all ignored by commercial editors. But you probably also haven’t noticed that mainstream queers are obsessed with looks, and their leaders are very nice looking dingbats.
It’s interesting to hear that the cocktail parties make money. That makes sense. But I do wonder where all the money goes, since I haven’t seen the groups create PR with even minimum production values. I did see Joe S ask the republican candidates about enda, when he put the word ‘merit’ at the very end, placing the strongest argument for enda in the stress position. Very elegant. But the spot probably cost peanuts.
Finally, it is immature to insult others in such a vicious way and expect them to help you. I’m not sure what Universe that happens in. But in my world, between freinds we show kindness, and between allies we have something called manners.
If you wish to blame christians for the kitchen sink, and make excuses for the self destructive crowd, go to it. I’ve heard them all before. After thirty years, it’s become clear that the self destructive crowd never sleeps. And they have an endless supply of circular rhetoric.
It was a mistake for me to have engaged. Sorry.
You seem really upset, and I’m not sure why…
In complaining that many gay people are biased against religion, and Christianity in particular, you seem to be ignoring the fact that many of those people came by their distaste/disdain for the church quite honestly, by being at the receiving end of their bigotry. Liberalism, in its best forms, is about being able to hold more than one thought in one’s head at a time — in this case, both that there are great Christians who are our allies, and that there are also a hell of a lot of people who have been abused by the church and its people — and not to give knee jerk responses to problems.
I’m also not sure who you’re taking out your anger on right now, but I can’t imagine that we’re really the target you’re looking for.
Evan is right. If I (and I’m quite sure that I’m not alone in this) have any animosity toward religion, it is simply because, through all my growing up years and even into my young adulthood, I had to bear with an almost constant barrage of condemnation about being gay. When the gay liberation movement began, the insults and denigration became more strident until it has become de rigeur to boo a serving gay soldier at a public forum or bully young gay people to the point of their committing suicide and yell that he’s better off dead. This incredible sickening behavior has it’s base in religious teachings about gay people. It always has and always will have religion as it’s support. Personally, I don’t care what anyone’s religious beliefs are or even if one has any. The leadership of these hate-monger groups has only one goal – get and keep getting money. Simplest way is make up and shove a horrible enemy in the faces of your followers and promise them the better, sin-free world they dream of if only they send you enough money. Using the Bible insures God’s help and, quite frankly, insulates you from any possible blow-back from more tolerant churches/religious organizations. They’ll either ignore you or be quietly grateful that they aren’t that hateful.
I’m not angry, just sad.
You seem confused about what anger looks like. For examples, check out this comment section, or Joe.My.God any day of the week.
I sympathize with the cruelty you got from fundamentalism. But the emotional issue is preventing many queers from seeing the difference between fundametalists and our allies in the liberal church. You also seem to be ignoring that many in the queer community use oppression as an excuse to spit hatred at our freinds and allies.
The point I’ve tried to make over and over: spitting hatred at our allies undermines our movement.
Actually, wilberforce, our readers run the gamut of religion and lack thereof. Moreover, I’m a bit confused as to why you believe commenters who are not believers should refrain from criticizing it. Religious people criticize the non-religious and those of other religions, daily.
I agree that some people could do a better job of differentiating between liberal Christians and fundamentalists. But I don’t see how this goes to Wayne’s greater point in the piece.
Wilberforce I actually happen to be a person of faith and I think you’re missing the mark. Most of LGBT hatred is directed at fundamentalists who make our lives harder then they need to be.
My issue with liberal and progressive religious people is very few of them do speak up and I don’t think it undermines our movement to call them out on that fact.
Straight African American Preacher here!! I am looking to start a billboard campaign that will attack religious based homophobia but need financial support.
Personally, I think Christians who stand up and support their LGBT friends, neighbors and families go through a ‘Coming Out’ experience that can be just as traumatic and painful as any that we ourselves have experienced. I have no doubt that the four excellent examples listed in Wayne’s article have experienced much the same hardship from their Christian ‘family’ that so many of us have.
That can be very daunting to many progressive Christians – they see the same rage-fueled hysteria that we do, and at some point must wonder if the price is worth it to stand up to these people.
All I can say is – Do. It. Anyway.
The Bible (for those who believe in it) is full of encouragement, admonition and support for Christians who are persecuted for what they believe and stand up for. ‘Christians’ who yell and scream about us being evil, debased, etc. etc. etc. actually lose very little. They aren’t thrown out of their fellowships – they aren’t ostracized by their fellow believers, the list goes on and on.
Christians who stand up for LGBT Americans could lose quite a bit – just the idea of having their ‘brothers and sisters in Christ’ suddenly turn on them is a big one – but the very idea of being persecuted itself should be proof positive of which message is the right one to believe.
Just my thoughts.
Nothing is more important then the real xtians come “out of the closet” and confront the xtians who btw have a culture that supported slavery and gave us the KKK and segregation.
I left my wifes Jewish Temple because the Rabbi didnt have the gonads to stand up and be counted. We have a real fun time at home when on friday nights if the wife is going to temple, she simply asks me if its gay gay and more gay time – as I head out the door to see my gay friends at the local gay bar.
comments – sttanJames666@yahoo.com
btw as i see it
Episcopal, UCC, MCC, UU, Quakers, more light presbyterians, Presbyterian USA, evanjelical Lutherans, some United Methocists, most Jewish reform and some conservatives support gay pastors in relaitonships and some also do marriage or marriage like ceremonies for gays.
Others eg American baptists and some disciples of christ are having the discussion.
StanJames666@yahoo.com
VERY interesting article. Since coming out 35 years ago, I have wondered often about Wayne’s premise in this article.
Some comments were excellent and some rather zany. Wayne and Even—you do a great job of sticking to logic in replying to some of the zanies.
On a different note: Why don’t the wingnuts join CNN’s campaign against human trafficking that involves millions of young girls held in slavery world wide? Wouldn’t that would be a better place to unload their anger?
Jerry