In defense of same-sex marriage

After decades of rising cohabitation, divorce and out-of-wedlock births posing a threat to traditional marriage, we should be delighted that gays and lesbians are trying so hard to prop it up.

That is the last line of Clarence Page's column in the Chicago Tribune on 17 June. Unfortunately bigots like Robbins and Eichelberger will probably tell you that the LGBTs caused this havoc.

A prejudiced fool

Listen to PA Senator Eichelberger make a fool of himself on the radio. For the life of me I can't understand how his reason functions as it doesn't seem to at all. He repeats and repeats fallacies that the bigots stress and refuses to listen. He seriously seems to believe that LGBTs do nothing for society. He needs to get a life and his constituents need to get rid of him. He is evil.

By the way, Eichelberger is NOT from western Pennsylvania. His district is in the south center of the state. To people from Philadelphia, Harrisburg is the center of the state and everything west of Harrisburg is western PA. Harrisburg is in Dauphin County. Eichelberger's district includes Bedford, Huntington, Blair and Fulton Counties as well as part of Mifflin County. Well, those are west of Harrisburg.

Local ugliness

is definitely NOT Working for a Better Pennsylvania. He is one of the sponsors of Senator Eichelberger's bill to insert bigotry and discrimination into the Pennsylvania Constitution by banning marriage equality.

He doesn't care if partners are not allowed to visit each other in the hospital. He doesn't care that the family of one of the partners can steal everything that is not in other partner's name when their family member dies. He doesn't believe that two people can love each other unless they are opposite sexed. He doesn't believe science. He believes that one class of Pennsylvania residents is somehow less than the rest and not entitled to his representation.

Bob Robbins seems to have bought into prejudice, particularly that preached by those who do not understand the message Jesus taught. I used to think he was a decent guy. Boy, was I wrong!

Senator Robbins should be supporting Senate Bill 935, the Marriage Equality Bill. Please tell him by calling or emailing or writing a good old fashioned letter. His information is on his website.

Friday cat blogging

Lines

CNBC is monitoring the lines at Apple Stores this morning. They seem amazed that people will line up waiting for an opening with a new product. I've stood in two opening lines - for Apple Stores themselves. It's fun. The people are friendly and interesting. Some are obvious nerds. Some seem normal. All bound by a preference for Apple's products. Maybe we're a cult?

Friday shuffle

1. PDQ Bach: 1712 Overture
2. Handel: Zadok, the Priest - Kings College Choir
3. The Tears of a Clown - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
4. Callejon Del Muro (Minera) - Paco De Lucía
5. Anon: Romance from Jeux interdits - Pepe Romero
6. Byrd: Ave Verum Corpus - Westminster Choir
7. Were You There? - Rajaton
8. Donna - Ritchie Valens
9. Snoopy & the Red Baron - The Royal Guardsmen
10. The Ballad of the Green Berets - Sgt. Barry Sadler

YES!

On a secret committee to study homosexuality

The Episcopal Church bigwigs appointed an 8 person committee to study homosexuality but refused to say who is on the committee. Two participants were revealed in a Nashotah House publication. The others will probably eventually be named. There has been much angst over the entire matter. Secrecy is not the Episcopal way of doing things.

And why study homosexuality again? And again? And again? It is. It has been. It will be. Either we are all Godde's creation and loved or we deny what the Bible says about Godde. Jesus didn't say to pick and choose and exclude some over others. Jesus told his followers to love everyone and leave judgment to Godde.

Most of us are tired of this fight. The best way to study homosexuals is to know someone and learn that the homosexual lifestyle is as normal and boring as everyone else's. The way I confront someone who opposes gay marriage is to ask how someone else's marriage affects theirs. If the idea of gay sex is repulsive, don't do it. If it isn't an option, it is irrelevant in a person's life.

TEC needs to uphold baptismal vows and strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. GC 2009 needs to get rid of every prejudicial aspect of past decisions. Barack Obama needs to suspend DOMA and DADT immediately and deal with the political fallout later.

Committees are not needed for either. Just, um, cojones.
Perhaps a study of prejudice should be initiated?

Me

"Would you drink out of a cup held by THIS woman?"

Friday cat blogging on Sunday

Tipper is a rather large cat...

What if...

What if people worried more about their own lives and allowed others to do the likewise? What if people stopped being preoccupied by how other people relate to each other in love? What if people stopped being preoccupied by what consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedrooms? What if people were able to walk a mile in someone else’s moccasins? What if people were able to accept a person as they relate to others rather than as they look or talk or believe? What if Christians were willing to do as their Jesus taught - love Godde, love each other, take care of each other and leave judgment to Godde?

In other words, what if those who claim to be “Christians” acted in ways that don't seem to be the opposite of what I believe the Bible says Jesus taught?

What if people ignored difference as long as being different doesn’t hurt someone else. Americans seem terrified of difference. Why? We avoid people who are blind or deaf or missing an arm or are otherwise physically different. We avoid people who don’t dress like we do. We avoid people of a different social class. We avoid people who have a different lifestyle. We avoid people others avoid.

What if people weren’t so quick to judge something or someone different as wrong? We are quick to judge others’ habits as wrong. We are quick to judge others’ beliefs as wrong. We are quick to judge others as wrong simply on appearance.

What if the people arriving for worship toward the end of the eucharist last week were told to not bother? There was no later service. I’m happy to say I didn’t think of them as “wrong” but I did wonder why they bothered. In their culture time seems to be relative. It is not my culture. Should I consider them wrong if they don’t exactly do what we do when we do it?

What if we all admitted we can't know exactly what is “right” in Godde's world anyhow?

Lost turtle

I almost hit this with the mower. She reminded me of Hildy. She is about the same size.

This is what she had to find her way thru to get to my driveway. As I said, I need help. Anyhow she was about 300 feet from water. I didn't see her leave but she did after I put the mower away. She didn't seem to deposit any eggs as the little hole was empty and dry. The mower and the cats probably traumatized her. Turtles have often laid eggs closer to the water. When I mow that area I should probably walk it first. One year I found dozens of turtlettes scurrying toward the water. The neighbor kids were little at the time and were fascinated. For some reason they didn't try to catch any of them.

Help wanted

Weeding help desperately needed. I thought I had dug up all the Asian lilies and given them to my neighbor. I guess I missed a few.

Prayers for Bonnie and family

Today The Three Legged Stool told us of the passing of Ed Spivey on 22 May 2009. Our hearts and prayers go out to Bonnie and those who share her love for Ed. Prayers also for Wolfie who surely misses him too.

The other hungry one

This one visits every evening and eats whatever the cats leave. S/He is quite bold and comes over to look in the kitchen.

St Barnabas, Monmouth Junction, NJ

The gal I stayed with in New Jersey is the organist at St Barnabas Episcopal Church. When my plans for church fell thru she asked me to sing tenor with her choir.

This was the first of ten young people confirmed during the service.

The parish has many members from Africa and various islands. The women wore beautiful, colorful dresses which I was unable to photograph successfully.
The Right Reverend Sylvestre Romero, Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey, celebrated and preached.

LASHIR

Raanan Shefa's choir in Princeton, NJ

The New Brunswick Party

This was THE dessert last night. Fried pudding with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. For more news about the party, go to Telling Secrets for now.

Friday cat blogging

Tzaki and Tipper

Becoming an Ubuntu people