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05/04/2012
Pro–Amendment One pastor: Marriage ban is like '60s civil rights movement, women's suffrage
This comes from J.D. Greear, lead pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, NC:
A very important amendment is being considered this week by people in our state. At our church, we try to avoid politics for the simple reason that godly people often disagree about which policies are the most helpful in society.
At the same time, there is a time, when out of love for our neighbor, civic action is appropriate and ought to be commended by thechurch. The church should have been vocal during the civil rights movement in the 1960’s and women’s suffrage movement of the early 20th century.
I believe this is another one of those times.
Marriage is a wonderfully sacred institution, given by God as a blessing to–and the building block of–all societies. Government did not define or establish marriage; God did. Governments merely recognize that which has been established by the Creator.
Our country’s Declaration of Independence acknowledges that the foundation of human flourishing is God and His designs. “We are endowed by our Creator,” Thomas Jefferson wrote, “with certain inalienable rights.” Our most fundamental rights flow from the design of the Creator.
One of the Creator’s most important designs was marriage, which He established as between a man and a woman. The Creator’s pattern has been perceived throughout history by nearly every religion in the world and Christian tradition has stood nearly unbroken on this, until about 40 years ago.
I think it is crucial for us to speak up–again, as an act of love for our neighbors–for the preservation of this institution in our society. The loss of something so fundamental to human flourishing would yield devastating consequences: how we perceive God’s image; how we understand God-like love; how kids understand their own gender identity—all this would be affected by the loss of God’s design.
...
So, I encourage you go out and vote in support of this amendment this Tuesday. I want you to do so as an act of service and love for our community.
FULL: The Summit Church and the Marriage Amendment [JD Greear]
You know—an act of "service and love for our community," so long as you don't see a need to value the service and love of the LGBT people who exist within and contribute to that community.
But then again, in another part of this same message, Mr. Greear describes us as people who "struggle with same-sex attraction." That tells you all you need to know about how he sees us, how he differentiates our love, and why he has no problem putting discrimination on the right side of history. Sadly, serving their own personal theories above either scientific opinion or the consensus among actual LGBT people is a common element that binds the Amendment 1 support base (like most all anti-equality campaigns).