Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Anti-Gay Church Must Pay Marine's Family

From a reader:

BALTIMORE -- A Kansas church has been ordered to pay $3,150 for costs and fees associated with a summons and complaint filed by the father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by the extremist group.

Albert Snyder, of York, Pa., is suing the Rev. Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church after church members demonstrated at the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, of Westminster, and posted pictures of the protest on their Web site.

Lance Snyder was killed in Iraq in March. Members of the Topeka church claim U.S. soldiers are killed as God's punishment for America's tolerance of homosexuality.

Click here for the full story.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Pastor Resigns Over Homosexuality

What is it with Evangelical ministers in Colorado suddenly coming out? I think this it the third one in about as many months. If so many of these 'holiest' of men are having this issue, doesn't it really throw sand in the face of the argument that you can change your sexuality? This preacher talks about struggling with this since he was 5. It seems to me that's pretty concrete evidence for 'nature' over 'nurture.'

From the Denver Post:

In a tearful videotaped message Sunday to his congregation, the senior pastor of a thriving evangelical megachurch in south metro Denver confessed to sexual relations with other men and announced he had voluntarily resigned his pulpit.

A month ago, the Rev. Paul Barnes of Grace Chapel in Douglas County preached to his 2,100-member congregation about integrity and grace in the aftermath of the Ted Haggard drugs-and gay-sex scandal.

Now, the 54-year-old Barnes joins Haggard as a fallen evangelical minister who preached that homosexuality was a sin but grappled with a hidden life.

“I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year-old boy," Barnes said in the 32- minute video, which church leaders permitted The Denver Post to view. "... I can't tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away."

His wife, Char, cradled his hand. Barnes declined an interview request through the church.

Click here for the full story in the Denver Post.


I was raised fundamentalist. Baptist for a time. It was a rough road at times, but unlike these men who repressed who they were, married, had kids and threw themselves into religion, I chose to accept who I was and how I was made, be open and honest with myself and God - and not live a lie. In my opinion, I have the better deal.