EndTheHarm » Video Testimony

A Pastor’s Disservice to Carrie Prejean

Brent — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:53:27 +0000

Faith In America News Release

Faith In America today challenged Miss California’s pastor to consider the disservice he does to her and others with his embrace and promotion of religion-based bigotry and prejudice toward gay Americans.

According to Carrie Prejean’s pastor, Rev. Miles McPherson, he contacted the Miss USA contestant just hours after she stated she did not believe gay Americans should be allowed to marry when asked a question during the April 19 Miss USA pageant. After being told that Ms. Prejean attends his church in California, McPherson said he sent her a text message as she was flying to New York the day after the pageant to be interviewed by the Today Show.

In his text message, McPherson stated that he was proud her – apparently for voicing her opposition to same-sex marriage during the nationally televised pageant. McPherson, who serves as pastor of The Rock Church in San Diego, Calif., reportedly has continued to counsel the 21-year-old woman and had her appear at an April 26 service at his church.

“We must ask Rev. McPherson if he would have been proud of Ms. Prejean if she had stated that she believes interracial marriage is wrong based on her understanding of certain religious text,” said Rodney Powell, a member of Faith In America’s board of directors who was active in The Civil Rights Movement.

“McPherson during a recent Fox News appearance stated that civil rights for gay Americans cannot be compared with civil rights for Africans-Americans. As an African-American who marched with Martin Luther King and as a gay American, I can state unequivocally that the religion-based bigotry and prejudice once used against me as an African-American is the same bigotry and prejudice used against me today as a gay man.”

During the May 5 appearance on Fox News’ O’Reilly Factor, McPherson said that Ms. Prejean “honored her God” by voicing her opposition to same-sex marriage. He also stated during that interview that sexual orientation is behavior and discounted the possibility that anyone is born gay – even if gay Christians were to tell McPherson that their sexual orientation is the way God created them.

Mitchell Gold, founder of Faith In America, said he would like to ask McPherson a simple question: “When did you decide to be heterosexual?”.

“Science and common sense prove that sexual orientation is a natural part of a human’s being and not some promiscuous choice,” Gold said. “Rev. McPherson should consider the fact that many people of faith would respectfully disagree with his statements and many have come to reject attitudes based on prejudice and misunderstanding as attitudes that people of faith should honor or uphold.

“I sincerely ask McPherson, and other pastors across America who still hold such views, to consider the immense emotional, psychological and spiritual harm that is done to gay and lesbian Americans, particularly gay youth, when they hear religious leaders say that their sexual orientation puts them at odds with their God.”

Gold said that he has sent McPherson a copy of his book, “CRISIS: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America”, in hopes that McPherson will come to better understand the harm that is caused when religious teaching is used to justify prejudice, discrimination and violence toward gay Americans simply because of a person’s sexual orientation.

“Children at the age of 11 are taking their owns lives because they are hearing a message that gay Americans are unworthy, inferior and a threat to society,” Gold said. “To promote such attitudes is a grave disservice to people of faith and I sincerely hope that Rev. McPherson will consider the disservice that he has done to Ms. Prejean and many others with his promotion of this attitude and the fear and misunderstanding that is associated with it.”

Mitchell Gold, a home furnishings business owner and longtime civil rights advocate, founded Faith In America in 2005 to educate Americans about the harm caused when religion is misused to justify prejudice, discrimination and violence against people based solely on their sexual orientation. In September 2008, Gold published “Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America” to help bring awareness and understanding to one of the greatest moral failures of our time: Misusing religion in a way that subjects gay teens to traumatic depression, fear, rejection, persecution and even physical violence. The book offers understanding to parents, teachers, and religious leaders about the harm being done and how society can end it. For more information, visit http://www.crisisbook.org.

Civil Rights Activist Critical of Rev. Warren’s role in MLK celebration

Brent — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 04:04:21 +0000

Faith In America today released a videographed open-letter to Rev. Rick Warren during which a civil rights activist says Warren’s pastoral leadership does not honor the late Martin Luther King Jr.

Warren is scheduled to speak Monday at a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration service in Atlanta.

The open-letter, which has been posted on YouTube and the nonprofit organization’s web site, features Rodney N. Powell, M.D., a member of Faith In America’s board of directors and a former student activist during the Civil Rights Movement.

The video can viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHmFhTuMpVU

Brent Childers, executive director of the organization, said Powell’s open-letter to Warren was released to remind Warren that his religion-based bigotry toward gay Americans is the same kind of religion-based bigotry toward African-Americans that King stood so adamantly against and which ultimately cost King his life.

Powell said he defends Warren’s right to hold and express his personal religious beliefs but that he does not respect him for doing so when such action justifies and promotes harm toward gay Americans, particularly youth.

“Your religious beliefs do not give you the right to oppress gay Americans and encode your religious beliefs into customs and codify them into laws that deny equal civil rights and first-class citizenship to other Americans,” Powell states on the segment.

“When you seek to enforce your views of intolerance on others, you are no different from racists, segregationists, sexists, antisemites and other bigots throughout America’s history of religion-based bigotry.”

Faith In America’s founder Mitchell Gold on Wednesday hand-delivered Powell’s segment to Warren’s Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., along with a series of other videographed letters and printed letters that the organization collected from supporters.

Warren was presented a copy of Gold’s new book, “Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America” and a copy of “The Pastor’s Daughter,” a young adult novel by Tracey Zoeller, who along with Gold also speaks to Warren in a videographed open letter.

Gold said that there was a recent news report that Warren had visited a West Hollywood bookstore and some commentators suggested perhaps he made that visit to obtain materials that would help him better understand why many gay Americans were so outraged over his invitation to give an inaugural prayer. Others suggested the vsit was just a publicity stunt.

“I obviously do not know Rev. Warren’s motive in making that visit but it is my hope that some place within his humanity there is a small voice asking him to consider if perhaps this is yet another case – just as it was when religion-based bigotry was used to justify attitudes of rejection and condemnation toward African-Americans, women or interracial couples – in which traditional church teaching is being misused to justify a social injustice,” Gold said. “We have presented him with material which clearly show the harm is being done. The decision to open his heart and see the harm that is being done is now the decision he must make.”

Powell states in his letter that he is certain Martin Luther King Jr. would in no way condone Warren’s words and attitude toward gay Americans.

“Mr. Warren, I do not believe Dr. King would find your spiritual leadership unifying and I’m certain he would not find it part of his vision for America as a beloved community.

Faith In America also published an ad in the Washington, D.C.-based newspaper Politico this week which addresses Warren and the history of religion-based bigotry. (attached)

The videographed letters by Gold and Zoeller can be viewed here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvHY-Z7Aff0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbB6SsrUYzA

• • •

• As a medical student in Nashville from 1957 to 1961, Rodney Powell was a student protest leader in the African-American civil rights movement, where he had the honor and privilege to learn and apply the philosophy and strategies of nonviolent resistance under the guidance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Powell continues his activism, serving on the board of directors of Faith in America and supporting other organizations dedicated to achieving equality for gay Americans.

• Mitchell Gold, a home furnishings business owner and longtime civil rights advocate, founded Faith In America in 2005 to educate Americans about the harm caused when religion is misused to justify prejudice, discrimination and violence against people based solely on their sexual orientation. In September 2008, Gold published “Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America” to help bring awareness and understanding to one of the greatest moral failures of our time: Misusing religion in a way that subjects gay teens to traumatic depression, fear, rejection, persecution and even physical violence. The book offers understanding to parents, teachers, and religious leaders about the harm being done and how society can end it. For more information, visit www.crisisbook.org.

• Tracey Zoeller, is the author of the young adult novel, “The Pastor’s Daughter.” Much like the heroine in her book, Tracey grew up on the south shore of Long Island and was raised in a born-again Christian household in which religious rules and regulations governed everyday life. Tracey currently lives with her girlfriend in the south suburbs of Chicago and works as a social worker in a nursing home.

Faith In America, a national nonprofit organization, was founded in 2005 to educate Americans about the harm caused by religion-based bigotry and prejudice toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens by connecting the dots of religion-based bigotry’s history. www.faithinamerica.com

Dear Pastor Warren, Can you understand the harm?

Brent — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:32:28 +0000

Faith In America today released a series of videos and letters that it hopes will help Rev. Rick Warren and other non-accepting people of faith understand the harm caused to gay Americans by religion-based bigotry, prejudice and discrimination.

The project, entitled “Can You Understand the Harm?”, includes videographed open-letter segments from Faith In America Founder Mitchell Gold of Hickory, N.C., who in September released his transformative expose about the personal, social and religious pain and trauma of growing up gay in America; and Tracey Zoeller of Chicago, Ill., author of a recently published young adult novel entitled “A Pastor’s Daughter.” Both titles were presented to Warren.

In addition, the organization collected letters from its supporters who address Rev. Warren about the harm that they have experienced as gay Americans or as parents and friends of gay individuals. Examples of those letters, along with the video segments, are being delivered to Saddleback Church in Forest City, Calif. Read letters.

Gold said the project is an attempt to assist Rev. Warren in understanding the harm that is caused when his words and actions promote an attitude that gay Americans are somehow unworthy and inferior and therefore underserving.

“While there has been much controversy over Mr. Warren’s invitation to deliver an inaugural prayer, our organization believes these circumstances have created a much greater opportunity for Rev. Warren,” Gold said. “He has the opportunity to help millions of gay Americans, particularly gay youth, who are hurting inside because of a societal climate of rejection and condemnation – a climate that his words and actions have promoted.”

Gold said the organization has asked Warren to view the material and at some point afterwards conduct a panelist forum at Saddleback Church with Faith In America representatives and several of the contributors of Gold’s book “Crisis” to discuss the harm that is experienced in the lives of gay Americans.

“Four years ago, we started this dialogue in communities across America,” Gold said. “Today, we’re have invited Rev. Warren to begin this dialogue within his community.

“Some individual within the Southern Baptist Convention several years had the fortitude to suggest that the organization apology for its role in promoting and justifying bigotry, prejudice and discrimination toward people of color,” Gold said. “We hope that Rev. Warren will search for that same fortitude in helping bringing about the end of religious communities’ embrace of bigotry, prejudice and discrimination toward people who are gay.”

In the video segment, Gold states that such bigotry and prejudice has no place in the soul of America nor the soul of the church.

Tracey Zoeller, in her video statement, entitled “If I Were Your Daughter?”, asks Warren to consider the spiritual violence that is inflicted upon her and others because of their sexual orientation. “If I were your daughter, she asks, could you accept me just as I am?”

In addition to delivering the material to Warren’s Saddleback Church, the organization has posted the video segments and letters on its websites, FaithInAmerica.com. and Crisisbook.org. The segments have also been posted on YouTube as “Letters to Pastor Rick Warren.”

• • •

• Tracey Zoeller, is the author of the young adult novel, “The Pastor’s Daughter.” Much like the heroine in her book, Tracey grew up on the south shore of Long Island and was raised in a born-again Christian household in which religious rules and regulations governed everyday life. Tracy currently lives with her girlfriend in the south suburbs of Chicago and works as a social worker in a nursing home.

Bill O’Reilly: Opposing Marriage Equality Is ‘Bigoted’

Jason — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:58:01 +0000

Bill O’Reilly, in this Factor Follow-Up clip, asks a simple question that we should ask of all our elected officials – note the response from California family law attorney Don Schweizer:

Principal Quits Over Gay Club – CNN Video

Jason — Fri, 23 May 2008 01:04:07 +0000