LGBT GROUPS CALL FOR NATIONWIDE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

I guess Robin Tyler's plans for a Million Gay March are moving forward. Yesterday SoulForce, the LGBT group that "visits" conservative churches, and Join the Impact, the GLBT group organized in the aftermath of the passage of Prop 8, announced that they have formed a coalition to "take it to the streets" to demand same sex marriage.

In other news, the civil disobedience five day March to Sacramento to demand gay marriage was a bomb. Only 150 people showed up for the rally Monday at the State Capitol according to KCRA. The event was billed as "One Struggle One Fight" and had a civil rights focus to show solidarity with oppressed minority groups, claiming:

"We're not just here for same-sex marriage...we're trying to build a movement and to support others in their fight for social & economic justice!"

But failed to take into account that the legislative offices would be closed Monday for the Cesar Chavez holiday.

Talking Point #2 , Right on Cue

Why hadn't the GAFCON leadership been prepped before the Press Conference on how to respond to the predictable a gay rights advocacy Talking Points?

The question from the gay rights advocate associating the conservative Anglicans with violence against gays and lesbians was a classic example of Talking Point #2 from Soul Force:

2. Historically, people's misinterpretation of the Bible has left a trail of suffering, bloodshed, and death.

As Iain Baxter, Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement phrased it:

One of the things in “The Way, the Truth and the Life,” one of the key points that you’ve written is to “prepare for an Anglican future in which the Gospel is uncompromised and Christ-centred” But the gospel is already compromised by bishops who support the jailing of lesbian and gay people throughout Africa, which then leads to rape, which leads to torture of people and yet they are not prepared to speak out against this and change the laws in their countries.

The question requires a three part response that communicates the Gospel but does not cede that unverified claims of violence have occurred:
1)immediately and forcefully condemn violence,
2) ask for further information regarding the specific accusations of violence or violent language,
3) conditionally condemn the unverified violence or violent speech claimed.

In this case, African bishops can condemn violence in prisons without condemning prison sentences for homosexual behavior. The gay rights advocate question made the unsubstantiated claim that jailing people inevitably leads to rape which leads to torture.

Soul Force Talking Points vs. Christian Marriage and Biblical Authority

Journalists are following a gay advocacy script in composing the news articles about the battles over biblical authority and maintaining the traditional definition of marriage. Below are are the 8 Messaging Points from the Soulforce website.

1. Most people have not carefully and prayerfully researched the Biblical texts used by some people to condemn God's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender children.

2. Historically, people's misinterpretation of the Bible has left a trail of suffering, bloodshed, and death.

3. We should be open to new truth from Scripture. Even heroes of the Christian faith have changed their minds about the meaning of various Biblical texts.

4. The Bible is a book about God. The Bible is not a book about human sexuality.

5. We miss what these passages say about God when we spend so much time debating what they say about sex.

6. The Biblical authors are silent about homosexual orientation as we know it today. They neither approve it nor condemn it.

7. The prophets, Jesus, and the Biblical authors say nothing about homosexual orientation as we understand it today. But, they are clear about this one thing. As we search for truth, we are to "Love one another."

8. Whatever some people believe the Bible seems to say about homosexuality, they must not use that belief to deny homosexuals their basic civil rights. To discriminate against sexual or gender minorities is unjust and un-American.

This week, reading the news articles about the same sex marriages in California, I did notice that some seemed to follow a story line. Then I noticed that even the articles about the Anglican Communion seemed to fit the pattern.

Now I see that it is based on the first three of these talking points with another I would add. I've also added in certain language in italics that I've noticed:

1. Biblical scholars say that the Bible's handful of passages on homosexual behavior don't mean what many Christians think they mean.

2. Conservative Christians are picking and choosing the texts, ignoring others. This is used to support 1. and also used to retort when Progressives are accused of ignoring texts.

3. Interpreting the Bible passages on homosexual behavior the way conservatives do results in the death penalty for homosexuals.

4. Biblical scholars say that we should be open to new interpretations from Scripture.

I would like to have brief responses to each of these messages and also to have the messaging points for defender of traditional marriage.