A Nativity display that included gay couples was vandalized over the Christmas weekend in Claremont, CA, reports the L.A. Times.
Early Christmas morning, officials at Claremont United Methodist Church discovered this year’s display—which featured light boxes with a gay-male couple, a straight couple and a lesbian couple under a sign stating “Christ is Born”—had been defaced.
The boxes with the two gay couples had been pushed over, but the heterosexual pair was left alone. Well, of course—they’re following God’s law!
“We have members of our church who are gay and lesbian who it sends a very personal message to,” said Rev. Dan Lewis. “I tried to say in worship on Sunday morning that we will not let it trouble us.”
Claremont United often incorporates social issues in its Nativity scenes, with past displays addressing homelessness, the Middle East crisis and immigration. Artist John Zachary created this year’s Nativity to reflect the church’s longstanding support of the LGBT community.
“Christ’s birth in a stable had a lot to do with poverty and being marginalized,” Pastor Sharon Rhodes-Wickett told the Times. “What this church has tried to do through these scenes is say, ‘What would that look like today?'”
What the hell does Christ’s birth have to do with Christmas—or Christianity for that matter? If you listen to the hatemongers defacing religious shrines—and shrieking from the bully pulpit—you’d think the religion is more about crucifying marginalized outcasts.
Oh wait…
Image via KTLA CW 5
Chad
But don’t dare take the nativity scene off of government property or the religous people will be *itching about their freedom of religion is being taken away
Isaac C
An article was printed in the L.A. times. The comment section is crazy:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/lgbt-nativity-scene-vandalized-claremont.html
Christians/Right-wingers are nuts.
giulio974 julien malod
Religion is the opium of the People, and the Globe should detox from cults of bigotry and theirs insane moral judgements, even on ile de la Réunion
Mike
I think its amazing that a church was open and willing enough to put up that display, it gives me hope for the religious nuts. Sickens me people had to vandalize it but but thank “god” for churches such as this one who are accepting if not welcoming to members of the gay community, one of so few who actually understand the true message of their savior, and in the famous words of our goddess Lady Gaga “it doesnt matter who you are are, ‘cuz he made ya perfect babe”.