Where are you taking me?

Prop. 8 and it’s propaganda is starting to blast California airwaves. Proposition 8 is the proposal to invalidate the court ruling striking down language which eliminates gender from marriage laws.

As expected, the yes on 8 people (mostly ultra-conservative, religious neo-fascists) come across as angry loud people, about the same as those using a bull horn in one hand, and a bible in the other.

For those who view the current commercial, I suggest (on the second, third or fourth time you see it) insert the word “black” or “mixed race marriage”.  It certainly will expose the bigotry lurking beneath righteousness.

A quick note to say, for those who read these pages, that it is not because I have nothing to say, or that nothing has been happening on my journey of interest to share, this is far from true. I have been extremely busy with work, and school, and the planning of the big National Coming Out Day service slated for October 12.

Studying with James A. Sanders as I have over the past few weeks has brought such a new outlook to the Hebrew Bible that I am in the midst of wandering in the wilderness, not in a bad light, but one of such illumination, for the moment, I am blinded by the light. These illuminations are such that I must take time to inwardly digest and take time for such new thoughts to settle into my being. This revelation not only has influenced my thoughts about the Hebrew Bible, it shall carry over to my further understanding of the Second Testament as well.

For some, I’ll be jumping on board of a train of knowledge others have been happily studying, and contemplating for years, and to others, I’m sure, I will be just one of those crazy people who adds another hurrah to those who embrace sound Biblical Criticism.

It appears that all three people involved with services at St. George’s Episcopal Church woke up this morning, and received the same memo. All of us arrived to church at different times, and each one vested individually. After the first service, we discovered we all were wearing the same shirt, with the guys all wearing similar pants. This became a cell phone moment which I named – Manny, Mona and Jack – or:

Randy (former RC Priest), Amy our Rector, and Me our Deacon

This opinion by Tim Wise was emailed to me by a priest friend, Fr. Lee Walker. I found it timely and worth sharing:

From Tim Wise, “This is Your Nation on White Privilege”  (opednews.com)
For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who
are looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this
list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol
Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your
family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you
or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black
and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified
as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay. Read More »

We are a people easily seduced, it seems to be a part o four DNA. Hitler and his propagandists were well aware of this human condition when he successfully used German Jews as a reason to take control of a nation, at the behest of the people! Madison Avenue is quite aware of how to manipulate us into thinking we actually cannot live without a product, no matter the cost, the fiscal irresponsibility it may add to our lives, or for that matter our environment. In the Bible, we are shown to be a people obsessed with power who are not happy to have received a gift, but want to shoot beyond this role, and become the giver (in other words, eating of the fruit from the tree of wisdom and knowledge to actually BE God.) We are also more than happy to apply the principles of the scapegoat, to infuse the scapegoat with our transgressions, and applying them to this mythical beast so that we do not have to face reality. Ah yes, the familiar face of denial. Read More »

I am happy to announce the 5th anniversary of St. Wilfrid of  York Episcopal Church’s offering of a celebration of National Coming Out Day set for Sunday, October 12 at 6:00 pm. The theme of this year’s outreach service is entitled, “You Can, You Are” which were the words of slain Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Salvador affectionately known as Monsignor Oscar Romero. Music will once again be provided by the well known GLBT choir from Long Beach known as South Coast Chorale. Read More »