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07-09-2010, 01:47 AM
| #1 (permalink) |
| Bear Medicine: When you heal others, you heal your self.      Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 267
  
| Different kind of Christian protest at Pride I went back and forth over whether to post this here or in Queer Life, but finally decided on here because QL is more to do with parenting (right?) and this has more to do with Christianity... This is the (positive) experience of one group who went to the Chicago Pride Parade to represent the various Christian church groups in the area and just said simply, "I'm a Christian, and I'm sorry for how the church has treated you in the past." The story is about reconcilliation, and it is extremely moving. A Different Kind of Christian Demonstration at Gay Pride | TimSchraeder.com One excerpt from the interview: "What I loved most about the day is when people “got it.” I loved watching people’s faces as they saw our shirts, read the signs, and looked back at us. Responses were incredible. Some people blew us kisses, some hugged us, some screamed thank you. A couple ladies walked up and said we were the best thing they had seen all day. Watching people recognize our apology brought me to tears many times. It was reconciliation personified. My favorite though was a gentleman who was dancing on a float. He was dressed solely in white underwear and had a pack of abs like no one else. As he was dancing on the float, he noticed us and jokingly yelled, “What are you sorry for? It’s pride!” I pointed to our signs and watched him read them. Then it clicked. Then he got it. He stopped dancing. He looked at all of us standing there. A look of utter seriousness came across his face. And as the float passed us he jumped off of it and ran towards us. He hugged me and whispered, “thank you.” I think a lot of people would stop at the whole “man in his underwear dancing” part. That seems to be the most controversial. It’s what makes the evening news. It’s the stereotype most people have in their minds about Pride. Sadly, most Christians want to run from such a sight rather than engage it. Most Christian won’t even learn if that person dancing in his underwear has a name. Well, he does. His name is Tristan. However, I think Jesus would have hugged him too. It’s exactly what I read throughout scripture: Jesus hanging out with people that religious people would flee from. Correlation between then and now? I think so. Acceptance is one thing. Reconciliation is another. Sure at Pride, everyone is accepted (except perhaps the protestors). There are churches that say they accept all. There are business that say the accept everyone. But acceptance isn’t enough. Reconciliation is. Reconciliation forces one to remember the wrongs committed and relive constant pain. Yet it’s more powerful and transformational because two parties that should not be together and have every right to hate one another come together for the good of one another, for forgiveness, reconciliation, unity. What I saw and experienced at Pride 2010 was the beginning of reconciliation. It was in the shocked faces of gay men and women who did not ever think Christians would apologize to them. I hugged a man in his underwear. I hugged him tightly. And I am proud." 
__________________  Nell |
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07-09-2010, 07:36 AM
| #2 (permalink) |
| self evident            Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,805
            
| while i think its really great that she was there.....is she doing the 'other' part of supporting pride? is she demanding that her place of worship stop pulling funding for agencies who support pride issues? is she not supporting bigotry? its a great feel good story 
__________________ So we’re led by denial like lambs to the slaughter Serving empires of style and carbonated sugar water and the old farmroad’s a four-lane That leads to the mall and my dreams are all guillotines waiting to fall.... Ani DiFranco "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." The Lorax  |
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07-09-2010, 11:06 AM
| #3 (permalink) |
| Somewhere there's a bathtub with my name on it      Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 43,194
          
 
| Do you know how huge it is just for a Christian to say they are a Christian and go to an event like that, especially with a sign apologizing for the rest of the church? To be perfectly honest, I don't care how she's backing it up. This is huge, huge, HUGE for Christians to be thinking this way and it just gets me all (happy) 
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07-09-2010, 11:07 AM
| #4 (permalink) |
| Beauty      Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 22,595
  
| That is pretty cool actually.
__________________ As the saying goes, when a door slams shut in one place a window opens somewhere else. After staring at the door for many years, it finally occured to me to go look for the open window. I discovered I like sunlight and warmth much more than peeling old doors anyway, so I climbed out the window and reveled in my discovery. I will never sit behind a closed door again, no matter how comfortable my chair becomes. Me  |
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07-09-2010, 11:16 AM
| #5 (permalink) |
| self evident Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,805
| im a christian 
__________________ So we’re led by denial like lambs to the slaughter Serving empires of style and carbonated sugar water and the old farmroad’s a four-lane That leads to the mall and my dreams are all guillotines waiting to fall.... Ani DiFranco "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." The Lorax |
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07-09-2010, 11:20 AM
| #7 (permalink) |
| Beauty Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 22,595
| Well going to an event and putting a sign that is positive out is cool. I don't think they can say they represent and can apologize for everyone, but that is nice to see
__________________ As the saying goes, when a door slams shut in one place a window opens somewhere else. After staring at the door for many years, it finally occured to me to go look for the open window. I discovered I like sunlight and warmth much more than peeling old doors anyway, so I climbed out the window and reveled in my discovery. I will never sit behind a closed door again, no matter how comfortable my chair becomes. Me |
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07-09-2010, 11:21 AM
| #8 (permalink) | |
| Beauty Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 22,595
| Quote:
__________________ As the saying goes, when a door slams shut in one place a window opens somewhere else. After staring at the door for many years, it finally occured to me to go look for the open window. I discovered I like sunlight and warmth much more than peeling old doors anyway, so I climbed out the window and reveled in my discovery. I will never sit behind a closed door again, no matter how comfortable my chair becomes. Me | |
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07-09-2010, 11:26 AM
| #9 (permalink) |
| Somewhere there's a bathtub with my name on it Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 43,194
| Bo--are you an evangelical Christian? I've gotta say, this issue is tearing up my christian board. For them, it would be monstrous to even go to that rally. Let alone wear a shirt, send a message, make a sign. In fact, I can honestly say I do not know but one other evangelical Christian besides myself who would consider and be comfortable doing so. 
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07-09-2010, 11:29 AM
| #10 (permalink) |
| self evident Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,805
| i am obviously not an evangelical christian mostly because i don't agree with their politics 
__________________ So we’re led by denial like lambs to the slaughter Serving empires of style and carbonated sugar water and the old farmroad’s a four-lane That leads to the mall and my dreams are all guillotines waiting to fall.... Ani DiFranco "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." The Lorax |
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