From: mls@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (mike.siemon)
Subject: The preaching of "Christian Values" to the world
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 18:22:10 GMT
Keywords: fruits, OCA


Herewith a brief excerpt from an editorial by Donna Minkowitz in the
October 19th number of _The Nation_

    "At a workshop on 'Battling Gay Rights' at the Virginia Beach
    gathering [ of the "Christian Coalition, Pat Robertson's $13 million
    tax-exempt, far-right lobby ... George Bush addressed the group's
    confab in Virginia Beach last month" ], eleven states and localities
    were targeted for antigay referendums ...  These bills and organizing
    campaigns have had a disquieting side effect: Violence and harassment
    of gay men and lesbians have increased in every one of these places
                            *******************************************
    Attacks rose by 32 percent in Portland, Maine, 18 percent in Colorado
    and 10 percent in New York City.  After the passage of the Springfield,
    Oregon, ordinance, the entire state saw an increase in assaults, as
    well as break-ins at the offices of gay and lesbian organizations,
    death threats to people on their mailing lists and vandalism of cars
    and houses of those thought to be gay." [ and now, murders ]

It is very easy to see the world in a crooked mirror -- Communists do it,
Democrats do it, Republicans do it, and Christians do it, too.  I know
evangelical, fundamentalist Christians who are earnestly attempting to
"witness" to the world by their public endeavors.  But the evangelical
charge is to tell the GOOD news, of the passing away of hateful bondage
to sin, and sinful men and institutions.  The witness is to the Body of
Christ, not to yet another scheme to FORCE others to bow to OUR wills.

Whatever the thoughts of past Christians who have delivered their neighbors
over to heresy trials, or Inquisitions, or Crusades, or witch hunts, or
pogroms; if the result is murder, or beatings almost to death, or hounding
out of homes then the motivating spirit is *not* the Holy Spirit, but one
far more blantantly obvious among men.  It is the spirit of the Lie and
of the rending of neighbor from neighbor, the better thereby to alienate
all "sides" from God.  THAT is sin.

Conservatives love to blather about liberals trying to evade responsibility.
It is high time for the preachers whose every word is that me and my sisters
and brothers a) deserve no human treatment and b) are to be libeled and
blamed[*] (as the Nazis blamed the Jews -- and us too) for anything they
don't like.  It is time for THESE people to own up to the responsibility
for the bigots they unleash, and charter with their hatefilled slogans,
from their very churches.  Are the gay-bashers and other hooligans "good
Christians?" -- no, of course not.  But they are fostered by the OCAs and
Christian Coalitions and their SPECIFICALLY RELIGIOUS claims and rhetoric.

This MUST be stopped from the only place it CAN be stopped: from within
the churches that have started it.

Cast out the Lon Mabons and Pat Robertsons from your midst.  THEN perhaps
you can begin to witness for the Love of God that passes YOUR understanding.
Let me suggest that there is a [ prophetically ambiguous? :-) ] verse of
scripture that is relevant here: "By their fruits you shall know them."
-----
[*] There are still some of these scapegoat-seeking haters who think that
homosexuality causes earthquakes.  This would be funny -- but the pain
and death they inflict makes the humor far too bitter for my taste.
-- 
Michael L. Siemon		   "Oh, stand, stand at the window,
					As the tears scald and start;
mls@usl.com			   You shall love your crooked neighbor
standard disclaimer			With your crooked heart."
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