gay is the new black

non homophobic - non racist statement

in reference to this new ruling whereby a so called 'christian' registrar refused to carry out a same sex marriage ceremony on the grounds that it went against her so called 'orthodox christian belief'.

Dropping the mrs jules off at work, radio 2 on in the car, Clive Anderson hosting the Jeremy Vine show today, and this is the main topic - he has 2 guests in and I cannot believe what I am hearing.

It almost puts me off my fish and chips i am scoffing, having pulled over to listen in disbelief to the, again, self styled, so called 'christian' guest he has in the studio to stand up for the registrar and attempt to call this a victory for Christianity. Thankfully, his other guest is quite brilliant, coming from the side of gay rights, its really shocking, revealing stuff and please listen if you can again to the debate here......
One caller who joins in the debate is TV presenter Paul O'Grady, who says this - 'what a great advert you are for christianity', calling the woman defender of the registrar 'dreadful' :-)

So, it inspires me to blog-action - and further investigation reveals that the registrars case was backed by this organisation - the Christian Institute - and what makes that EVEN worse is they are from my home town of the Toon - Newcastle - arrrrrggghhhH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, initially i thought I had heard of this this organisation before, when a so called 'christian' group was in the headlines protesting against the showing of Jerry Springer - The Opera on BBC and in theatres - but no, that was a similarly titled group (charity even!) "Christian Voice"..... but heres my point....

What gives any group the right to call themselves christian, when all they are really about, and all they ever spout out of their big mouths is bigotry and hatred.
Who in their right minds would EVER want to call themselves a follower of Christ if, what these people who set up and live under this false 'christian' banner are allowed to represent Christ, and all that the gospels tell us he was about - unchallenged

May I suggest that they are nothing more than hijackers. Fundamentalists. Bigots in the worst possible way. Word-twisters. Liars. False prophets. Right wing. Evil.

Wow - evil - does it exist?

It sure does, and remember, all that it takes for it to prevail is for good men to do nothing.....


So what is the alternative?
Where is the voice of reason?
The voice that really holds up the true message that Christ came proclaiming

"Love thy neighbour as thy self'
"let him who is without sin cast the first stone'

Thankfully, there is another voice, many voices, some tiny, some bigger, who, to me, do offer a different representation of this word 'christianity'.
And I know that some of them are ashamed by the way that this christian titling of what they believe has been perverted into all that I outline above.

Some have even gone to rename what they call themselves as believers and followers in Jesus.

Red Letter Christians - please take some time to folow that link and read, listen to some audio, reflect, pray even over it!

Amongst that group of red letter christians is Dr Tony Campolo - who I first heard speak way back in the 80's at greenbelt - at the time, whilst really being impressed by what he was saying, it all seemed just TOO evangelical for where I was at at that time, but he struck a chord within all the same. So I have recently rediscovered him through the glorious media of podcast, in which he really is quite prolific at present.
You can listen to him here - firstly his weekly audio show 'Across The Pond' addresses many of the current social and political hot potatoes, and also 'Saturdays with Mark and Tony' - a weekly 10 minute informal chat between tony and his buddy Mark lowry in video format, some radical, searching, humourous banter - level 5 even!


So, some work for you to do here, the challenge being that you inform yourself as to what you truly believe being a christian is/stands for/offers us in 2008 and beyond.