We told you Oregon was great! Clergy of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Oregon have been instructed to not sign heterosexual marriage licenses until gay marriage is legal in the state, saying that to do otherwise would be discriminatory.
Rev. Pam Shepherd, seeing the act of signing marriage licenses for heterosexual couples as a form of discrimination against gays and lesbians, decided that in the name of fairness no licenses should be dignified with the signature of the church’s clergy until all families receive equal treatment under the law.
The article quoted Rev. Shepherd as saying, “I’ve been for civil rights for gay and lesbian people for a long, long time, but I never thought, ’I’m helping the discrimination every time I sign a license.’”
ChristopherJ
Wow, this is hilarious!
seitan-on-a-stick
Oregon is the New California! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!
RichardR
Bless (in a totally secular sense) the main-stream Episcopalians, the Universalist-Unitarians, and the Congregationalists. Society of Friends, too.
We gotta give credit where credit is due.
Mike
I wonder when other Christians are gonna start complaining that this church is destroying the traditional family…
seitan-on-a-stick
I’m waiting for the straight-defending gays like Pragmatist to say how abhorred he/she is that Straights are refused privilege. “Ew!” he would say if someone rocked the boat and dared to defend our Gay Rights.
Cody
As a gay man who lives in Ashland, Oregon (where Rev. Pam Shepherd resides), I do have to say it an amazing little place. I moved here from Lake Charles, Louisiana 3 years ago, and was astonished by the situation. Ashland is located in the rogue Valley in Southern Oregon, which happens to the Republican part of Oregon (mostly farmers, and backwoods people). All the other towns around here tend to be pretty conservative, and then you have Ashland. It is very art oriented (it has the world renowned Shakespears Festival), very open, and very beautiful. It would consider it the micro- S.F.
But I do have to say, when it comes to homosexuals here, the majority are lesbians. For some reason we lack as many gay men here. And if there are gay, they are either 18, or 50. All the ones in between have moved to bigger cities, which leaves me, a 21 year old guy, to have a rough choice. Do I go with the 17-18 years olds who tend to have a little too much anxiety inducing personalities but are closer to my age, or the 40-50 year olds who are more laid back and calm, but could be my father…..
paul-e-wog
@Cody: Believing this isn’t a rhetorical question, I vote you go for the 50 year olds.
Debby
I agree that not marrying gays is a form of discrimination. It’s no different then discriminating against race, religion etc.. I hope that something good comes out of this.
Ben
that rules
sparkle obama
@RichardR:
>>Bless (in a totally secular sense) the main-stream Episcopalians, the Universalist-Unitarians, and the Congregationalists. Society of Friends, too.
We gotta give credit where credit is due.<<
thank you!
tell it!
please don’t forget it.
getreal
There are A LOT of Christians who support equality.Unfortunately the most closed minded Christians tend to be the loudest. Marriage is a sacrament that is a human right of ALL GOD’s children.