plantingpeace.org paints rainbow across from Phelps
Dave
Interesting creative way to counter hate:
Consider supporting some brave peeps on the “front lines.”
http://www.plantingpeace.org/contact.htm based in Destin, FL
http://www.plantingpeace.org/equality.htm they invested in starting Equality House in Topeka across from Phelps
IN THE END, WE WILL REMEMBER NOT THE WORDS OF OUR ENEMIES, BUT THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS - Martin Luther King, Jr.
============================================================
Many have been talking for decade+ about how blocking civil marriage rights would be inevitably defeated, just like the Bible was once used to justify blocking black-white marriage as a sin. It took decades to overrule that Biblically declared sin, and the time is nearing for society to slough off yet another archaic vestige from ancient societies.
If anyone tries to ignorantly use the Bible to promote their hate-speech, maybe consider educating them that the Bible was written 2000 yrs ago (based on experiences going back over 5000 years of nomadic people living under harsh conditions –including slavery, no formal education, no rights for women…), and it contains countless elements that modern life has already abandoned.
If they really want to hold true to the Bible (rather than merely trying to justify their hate/denial), maybe encourage them to prioritize their legislative actions according to the priorities in God’s Bible. Remind them that the Bible has all sorts of commands that God deems vastly more significant (tending to poverty, stewardship of the earth…) than the 4 spots it has against homosexuality.
If their true intent was to honor the Bible, it also has near countless ancient rules that none of the hate-speakers would dare waste their life trying to get laws passed (like no divorce, no shellfish, treat women as chattel, no labor on Sundays to honor the Sabbath, women obligated to go off into separate “unclean” rooms to stay away from men during their menstruation, husband and neighbors to take a bride to her father’s doorstep and stone her to death if she’s not a virgin on her wedding night, rules on planting and acceptable foods…).
Given that more than half of all teenagers are not virgins, who will be the first to pick up a stone to cast against their daughters or their neighbors’ daughters? Why do they so willingly pick up stones (or show up at the polls to cast negative votes) against their homosexual neighbors and daughters (like Cheney’s daughter), while looking the other way when the Conservatives and “Religious” Right so willingly deny their God’s greater obligations –again, with the obvious initial examples from Jesus of taking care of the poor or being honorable stewards of this Earth?
Maybe politely invite them to explore what is it that’s really in their hearts that they permit themselves to so strongly focus on 4 homophobic (and minor) phrases in the Bible while ignoring so many other Biblical obligations and God-declared priorities for their lives.
Maybe invite them to consider that if they can’t yet bring themselves to vote in favor of marriage equality, maybe they can “judge not, lest ye be judged” and put down their stones by at least not going to the polls to cast a vote against equality.
That equality day is coming, but a few more people will still need their friendlier neighbors to welcome them to Plant Peace and let go of ancient times.