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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Soulforce an interfaith movement confronts the Southern Baptist Convention |
Current rating: 0 |
by Lori Serb
Email: laserb (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified!)
Phone: 217-337-4953
Address: 505 1/2 South Race St. Apt. #2, Urbana, IL 61801 |
15 Jun 2002
Modified: 03:33:16 PM |
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Soulforce, an interfaith movement that confronts the anti-gay teachings of mainstream religions demontrated at the Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis this past Tuesday. 50 people were arrested during the peaceful demonstrations, Lori Serb of the Urbana Independent Media Center has our story. |
Check out this site for Champaign-Urbana lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered activism!
http://www.prairienet.org/85percent/ |
See also:
http://www.soulforce.org
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Here's the MP3 that works! |
by Lori Serb
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
15 Jun 2002
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Soulforce Wave file |
by Lori Serb
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
15 Jun 2002
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text version of Soulforce article |
by Lori Serb
laserb (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
15 Jun 2002
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The MP3 can be heard on the Free Speech Radio News site:
http://fsrn.org
but you can read the transcript of the piece below:
As busloads of Southern Baptists arrived at the enterance of the St. Louis Convention Center, they were confronted by hundreds of Soulforce demonstrators who would not let them ignore the hate promoted by Southern Baptists' teachings. Demonstrators wore T-shirts with the words: "Southern Baptist teachings kill God's gay children" and held signs which stated: "Stop spiritual violence against God's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered children". Some demonstrators held pictures of people who were murdered because of their sexual orientation or committed suicide because of an inability to reconcile their sexual orientation and Christian upbringing.
At a press conference outside the convention center a mother recounted her own personal tragedy:
"My name is Mary Lou Wallner and my lesbian, Christian daughter committed suicide on February 28, 1997 all because of what I was taught by the church. She and I were baptized at First Baptist Church at Furgeson right here in the St. Louis area. And then later when she came out to me I rejected her, I did not love her unconditionally, and she died. Thankfully, I read Mel White's book, Stranger At The Gate and I learned and studied and prayed and prayed and studied some more; and came to believe with all of my heart, that THE VEDICT IS IN: IT'S NOT A SICKNESS! IT'S NOT A SIN!"
Mel White, cofounder and executive director of Soulforce explains why demonstrators are gathered at the Southern Baptist Convention:
"For THREE YEARS we've been writing to Chief Justice Merritt of the Southern Baptist Surpreme Court who have decided in their own wisdom that God's gay children are sick and sinful and we have been saying to Brother Merritt 'PLEASE Examine your assumptions They are incorrect and they lead to suffering and death'. We have asked him to examine his assumptions about sexual orientation, he's refused. We have asked him to examine his assumptions about the Bible and what it says about gay and lesbian people, he has refused. Therefore, after 3 years of letter writing, three years of fax sending, three years of sending e-mails and telegrams and everything we could we come again to this convention to say to Brother Merritt, ' It's too important for us to go away. We can't stop working to get you to examine your assumptions because those unexamined assuptions have become bigotry that kills our sisters and brothers. Today, things change, today we escallate. Today we're taking our message INSIDE that auditorium."
Many of the 7,000 Southern Baptists read the demonstrators' messages and even greeted individuals as they walked to the convention.
Male Southern Baptist:"Well, I guess it's a free country and they have the right to uh, do what they like to do, but you know uh, I think that some of them say that we hate them or whatever, we don't hate them we just stand for the Bible. The Bible clearly says that homosexuality is a sin"
Female Southern Baptist: "I see their point of view and I believe that all of us as Christians are forgiven, but um, I believe that homosexuality is a sin that needs to be forgiven"
Jake Retan, a gay college student from Minnesota participated in the Soulforce action with his parents and brother. The famil is Lutheran:
Jake:"We come in here knowing that most likely the Southern Baptists won't rise up and change.We know that most likely the church won't change tomorrow, but if we don't come out and stand against the message that's being sent out then we allow the violence to happen and we passively accept it. And we're above all else, we're here for each other."
Rani Retan (Jake's mother): "I did write a letter to Mrs. Merritt, the wife of the president of the Southern Baptists asking to have a chance to meet with her during these days that we were in town. I wrote her a letter because I'm a mom...and as a mom it's so painful to see my son treated the way he's treated in this world. And so I asked to sit down with Mrs. Merritt... as two mothers... I wanted to share the pain...that this mother has."
Sounds of demonstrators chanting: "Please Brother Merritt, hear us! Please Brother Merritt, hear us!"
In groups of 4 demonstrators approached the enterance of the convention center and were met by police and arrested. Inside the convention center Soulforce members, dressed in their Sunday best, attempted to reach the podium. One demonstrator did get close enough to be acknowledged by Merritt as she was escorted away.
The twelve who were arrested inside the convention center were booked on a felony charge of Ethnic Intimidation and a misdomeanor trespassing charge. The felony charge was dropped and the arrestees were allowed to go on their own recognizance. The 38 arrested outside were charged with two city ordinance violations and were released.
Don Satterphwaite of Tulsa, Oklahoma: " One very sobering thought, as the bus was pulling into the workhouse, how different and not so far away as what it was in Nazi Germany with the pink triangle: when you have the Southern Baptist Convention's main speaker as Oliver North and the President of the country encouraging that behavior"
I'm Lori Serb of the Urbana Independent Media Center.
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