America Lost and Right Wing Christianity was exposed as the Temple of Hypocrisy that it is

Re: Nov 5 election results:

I am proud to have been on the side of goodness. I always am displeased when my team doesn't win, but the Hillary and Harris DEFEATS (Hillary didn't really LOSE) are unique in that they left me bitter, broken, and depressed. If they had lost to a real person rather than to a cartoon villain, I would simply be "damn, we lost." But when Simon Bar Sinister was given the keys to 1600 P (grab) Avenue, it wasn't that my "side" lost, it was that America and in some ways the world lost. Decency lost. Truth lost. Kindness lost. Compassion lost. The quest for equity and fairness and justice was certainly set back. This isn't one democratic ideology being more popular than another, this is autocracy, oligarchy, and Neo-facsism being given a green light to ruin lives. and that is heartbreaking. We still have the tools of democracy to retard and sometimes prevent the march toward dystopia, and in two years we will have the chance of congressional victories that will offer more protection, and if we take our local and state elections seriously, that can provide another level of protection. But all the Bible and prayer and morals and decency talk that we were raised with meant nothing to those who taught it (or at least nothing to the ones they tried to teach) which is why the judgements and condemnations of evangelicals and fundamentalists should from this moment on mean not one damn thing to anyone ever again.

Time to Give a Damn

The GOP abandoned democracy (& compassion & human kindness) for the hope of an extremist theocracy,

While the complacent sat out election after election,

And when things get difficult a significant numbers of my fellow libs resort to self sabotage (like demanding that someone who has produced record results in 3.5 years stand down bc he's not a debate ninja & be replaced by someone who would have a couple of months to mount a defense against a well funded autocracy machine that has spent 40 years perfecting their demonic agenda...

Folks better start voting and acting like they know that the worst of human ugliness is powerfully on the move.

GOP...abandon never popularly elected, twice impeached, 34x felon, racist, pathological liar Mango Mussolini.

Cult of Apathy...stop it. SCOTUS is lost for at least a generation, Roe is gutted, Voting Rights act is gutted, Affirmative Action is gutted, and presidents now have just been given dictatorial powers ... while we still have some rights (& ps they're toast if Project 2025 is enacted), plz start pretending to give a shit. We've lost more than a free nation ever should. Don't hand what's left to those who are working tirelessly for a theocratic oligarchy.

Liberals...we're good at saying what's wrong & how it should be, and then at strategy time fucking it all up to guarantee we'll always have things to complain about. Support Biden, his team, his record, his organization, and if he drops dead during his acceptance speech there will be a competent and experienced administration ready to move forward that very minute.

Let's see...far right, sit it outs, liberals...yeah, got us all. Now do better. Our lives & liberties (as many as still exist) are literally on the line. (dw)

Memorial Day and Summoning our Better Angels

Memorial Day Weekend: a time to remember & honor those who gave their lives defending a nation that promises life, liberty & pursuit of happiness, that pledges justice for all, that guarantees freedoms of peaceful assembly, of press and political speech, of (& from) religion. To honor their sacrifices let’s not allow the values and hopes they died defending be trampled on. It’s so truly time to summon those better angels that Lincoln mentioned.

An Open Pastoral Letter to Transgender Members of the US Armed Forces

An Open Pastoral Letter to Transgender 

Members  of the US Armed Forces

by Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins 

I believe we are called to work for peace and justice in the world. That being true, it is also true that nations must have defensive capabilities. Perhaps we rush to war too often, but our government is challenged to provide for the common defense. For decades now, service in the  U.S. military has not been conscripted, but rather, has been completely voluntary. For a variety of reasons, many people choose to spend a number of years ready to defend their country if called upon to do so. Such service takes courage and discipline, and those who risk so much for so many deserve our respect and our best wishes. 

Today, the pastoral leaders of the Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale wish to take a moment to thank all members of the Armed Forces, and to celebrate in particularTransgender members of the branches of the U.S. military. Transgender people continue to be misunderstood, vilified, feared, and targeted, and yet as many as 15,000 Transgender service people work to keep our country safe. Transgender people who serve, like gays and lesbians, women, and people of color at various times in our history, have had to fight for the right to serve and defend a country that didn't always show them the respect as individuals they deserved. And still, love of country and devotion to what it could be prevailed and LGBT people and other minorities have served with distinction, proving that what's in the heart is mightier than the various prejudices that try to hold us back.

Transgender service people, we at the Sunshine Cathedral want you to know that you are in our hearts today, we are praying for you, we appreciate and respect you, and we will speak out for you whenever you are being attacked, no matter who may be launching the attacks. You are heroes and we bless you for your courageous and faithful service. You bravely defend us. We will try, now, to stand faithfully with you. 

Blessings,

Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins

Senior Minister 

SunshineCathedral.net 

"As a veteran I find it appalling that the current Commander-In-Chief of the United States of America would seek to ostracize, discriminate against, or prevent anyone, especially those of the Transgender Community who willingly volunteered, from serving in the Armed Forces.  They, like many others raised their right hand and affirmed to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States...So help me God.' With God's help and protection, let our Transgender brothers and sisters be an example of what it means to serve with pride, honor and dignity." Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin, Executive Minister

"I honor, affirm, and recognize the humanity of all Trans* people serving in the U.S. military. I see you. I will fight for you.  I will not accept the continued erosion of your rights." Rev. Anne Atwell, Minister of Connections 

"The thousands of transgender servicemembers bravely and honorably serving their country today need to know that in spite of the President's ugly words and regressive policy decision, millions of Americans recognize the value of their lives are grateful for their sacrifice and that of their families for this country." Rev. Ty Bradley, Minister of Social Justice 

A Christian in Pakistan on trial for her life

Asia Bibi is on trial for her life  (actually is appealing a previous ruling) for the "crime" of blasphemy in a theocratic state. She belongs to a minority religion (which Christianity is in Pakistan) and is accused of blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad during a quarrel. Of course that someone could be killed by the state for their religious views (or even for not holding someone else's religious views in high esteem) is horrifying. I hope that those who insist that ours be a "Christian" nation take note. Theocracy is the enemy of liberty. I want to be free to be religious (or not) and to choose the religion I hold dear; but theocracies cannot (by definition) allow such freedom, and lives are destroyed as a result. I hope our nation is always filled with spiritual and religious people, and I hope as strongly that our government is never a religious one.

My prayer for Asia Bibi and the world is: May she be safe and well and soon freed, and may there be hope and healing for all who have been tormented by the idea that only one religion is right and non-members are to be converted, shunned, or killed. Amen.

a prayer for today

"Spirit of Life,
Our hearts go out today to the people of Nepal as they rebuild their lives following the earthquake.
We are mindful also of unrest in cities all over the country as lethal brutality by police against unarmed African American men is brought to our awareness more and more. We are thankful for the many brave peace officers who serve us faithfully and well even as we hope that those who abuse power and target minorities will be held accountable. We choose to believe in and hope for restorative justice.
We know that the US Supreme Court is hearing important cases, including the case that could settle the issue of marriage equality in this country. We affirm the dignity and sacred value of all people as we hold to the ideal of liberty and justice for ALL. May marriage equality be the law of the land throughout our country very soon and may we never wrap our fears, ignorance, prejudice or hatreds in the language of nationalism, religion, or "security" but rather let us value and celebrate the beauty of diversity.
And we continue to pray for cures to be found for diseases, for the wisdom to care for our good Earth, for children and the elderly to be safe, for compassion to guide us, for hope to sustain us, and for peace to prevail on earth. Amen."  - Rev Dr Durrell Watkins

Resumes Matter in Politics

I hate to sound elitist (not enough to prevent myself from sounding elitist)...but resumes matter. The people of my homeland (AR) elected Asa Hutchinson (or failed to vote, which is even worse) knowing that he is a graduate of Bob Jones University (founded by someone who was not himself a college graduate for the sole purpose of making sure Conservative Christians wouldn't be "contaminated" by such scientific discoveries as evolution), a bastion of fundamentalism, misogyny, racism, and homophobia. If he has not publicly and repeatedly repudiated his undergraduate indoctrination, then one should assume that his biases are usually in favor of oppressive positions and policies. We must know WHO we are voting for, and, we must VOTE. Otherwise, the foolishness of Mike H and Asa H will be standard fare. Young people tend to be more progressive, but also more disenfranchised from the political process. We have to get our young liberal supporters to the voting booth!!! (even as the Far Right attempts to make voting less convenient)

I understand that in response to public outcry, he has sent the Religious Freedom bill back to the legislature for some clean up work (so, hooray for raising our voices), but it should come as no surprise that without such public protests the onerous bill would probably have been enacted without delay.

Meanwhile, there is more work to do. About half the country now has similar laws that have passed or are being proposed. Freedom of Religion is already guaranteed in this country. We don't need religious freedom laws which are usually nothing more than an attempt to legalize discrimination against marginalized groups of people. 

Death Penalty for Child Abusers?

In response to the question, "Should the death penalty be an option for pedophiles and those who kill children?" I recently wrote:

In the millennia of human history, violence for violence has never decreased violence. Of course child abusers, rapists, murderers, elder abusers, animal abusers (pick a reprehensible behavior) should be held accountable, but state sanctioned murder won't fix the problems (nor give the state the moral authority to tackle them). Capital punishment feels good to our primitive impulses, but has never solved any social problem and never will.

I Strongly Oppose Corporal Punishment

"When a child hits a child, we call it aggression. When a child hits an adult we call it hostility. When an adult hits an adult, we call it assault. When an adult hits a child, we call it discipline.” Haim G. Ginott

A Queer kid in a hostile environment (homophobic bible belt), life was lonely and frightening for me (my grandmothers and a great-aunt provided much needed refuge). It got better once I knew what the rest of the world suspected (that my loafers were permanently light), because then I could embrace, own, and celebrate my truth. Self-discovery brings great courage and even joy. 

But as a child, with no one to understand my "difference", life was not easy. And, being reared in an environment where "switches" (nature's riding crops) and belts (and the not infrequent slap and occasional choke hold) were considered acceptable forms of punishment (though, the intensity of the punishment had more to do with the punisher's anger than with the so-called punishable offense), not even home ever felt safe.

Years of therapy, spiritual work, and direct dealing led to healing and to more reconciliation than I ever thought possible, but I have been a life-long opponent of hitting children. I believe that parents who hit believe they are doing what is right, that they were similarly punished as children (its the never ending cycle of violence), and that in spite of the harm they inflict on their children, they really do love them. But I know (not just from social science but from lived experience) that terrorizing children with the threat of physical abuse does a lot of harm. As a gay child where there was no safe place in the world to be, not feeling safe at home only led to intense feelings of isolation, loneliness, and despair. I would spare all children that pain if I could.

Ferguson Shows Us We Have Not Dealt Sufficiently With White Privilege

This country has a long history of shameful treatment of non-majority groups. And whenever an unarmed person of color is killed, memories of a painful past resurface and healing is delayed, as images of economic oppression, segregation, mobs protesting the arrival of African American children to previously non-integrated schools, demoralizing Jim Crow laws, dehumanizing caricatures in art and ads, and heartless, souless practice of lynching are brought to mind. Some of us have the privilege of not having to relive those painful memories, but our humanity demands that we remember and care and vow to be part of a future where racism as well as misogyny and homophobia no longer divide communities and ruin lives. We all have both privilege and peril, and of course race or gender or sexual orientation are not the only determining factors of one's life experience, AND it also true that in our country there are advantages upon which one can depend simply for being white and there are hazzards one must fear simply for being non-white and until we as a soceity own this unpleasant truth and work collectively to change it (without denying why there is a need for such change), the problems and injustices will only continue, and at times escalate.

one less idol

one less idol  “It is time we stopped making an idol out of the bible.” Rev Dr Mona West

Too many people have allowed the bible to be a sort of deity in and of itself. When we use the “hard” and social sciences, philosophy, reason, and experience as tools to help us understand the bible, we see that we will not be able to agree with every word. We can value, love, and use the bible, but let’s never be oppressed by it. It belongs to us; we don’t belong to it. We can question it, try on new understandings of it, and remember that it is not the final word on any subject. The bible should not be used to condemn, exclude, vilify, or torment anyone.

I can question any text that has been used to frighten, control, or dismiss me. I affirm my sacred value as I read my sacred texts.

by Rev Dr Durrell Watkins

{Spirit and Truth Magazine}

Response to the Zimmerman Verdict

My dear friends,

 

By now we all know of the Zimmerman verdict. He was cleared of all charges regarding the killing of Trayvon Martin and  feelings are thick in the air like humidity. There is no statement that will appease everyone, and yet, the situation is too heavy to not offer something, if only an acknowledgment that this is a painful, confusing, and utterly unsatisfying moment in history.

Some will say that our emotions are running too high, that legally. reasonable doubt trumps our emotions and perceptions, that none of us were on the jury or, for that matter, at the scene of the incident where a young man had his life taken away. The unknowns, they will say, should keep us from forming opinions or experiencing pain. I, however, strongly disagree with them.

I am not an attorney or a journalist or a sociologist, so I wouldn’t dare enter into the technicalities of the case. But we aren’t outraged or devastated or confused because of technicalities. We are broken-hearted because a young man died, many of us are in no way convinced it was unavoidable, and a grieving family has lost a child and must feel as if they have been denied justice. In our humanity, how could we not ache for the family, for the life that will never get a chance to mature, for the pathology of racism that still infects our society? Our pain isn’t about legal loopholes; our pain is about human life being wasted.

I just keep thinking of the biblical myth of Cain and Abel. Cain slays his brother (feeling justified in doing so), and infinite Love groans in agony as a response. The divine Voice says to Cain, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!”

That’s why we are so upset. Not because of disagreements about juris prudence; but because our young brother’s spilt blood cries out to us. And in response, we cry also.

Is this all complicated by Zimmerman’s racist history. Of course.

Is it complicated by what many feel are draconian gun laws? Probably.
Is it complicated by the notion that Zimmerman never needed to confront the young man face to face?
Is it complicated by the almost certain reality that this is one death that did not need to occur?

For many reasons, our feelings are complex, and they are real, and they cannot be easily dismissed by insensitive comments or myopic suppositions.

So, while I have no answer to what is in so many ways a tragedy, I felt that the issue merited an acknowledgement of its gravity. I felt that our collective pain and sorrow deserved some validation. And I felt it absolutely necessary to affirm a deep sense of regret that a family has lost a loved one, has been denied closure, and has had their pain and disappointment so publicly aired.

To Trayvon Martin’s family, I send, as so many of us do, heart-felt regret and deep sympathy as they face the continuation of their nightmare.

We long with the prophet Micah for the day when swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. But until that day, we continue to work, and wait, and pray. And on this day, we bless Trayvon’s memory and we hold his family in our hearts.

 

Spirit of hope and healing, wipe our tears , renew our faith in goodness, and comfort those who mourn. Amen.

Let's NOT Go Back to the Middle Ages...PLEASE

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/19/13365658-romney-ryan-respond-to-akin-on-legitimate-rape?lite

"Romney-Ryan Respond to Akin on 'Legitimate Rape'"

A Missour Senatorial candidate Todd Akin opposes a woman's right to choose...he even opposes her right to choose to not carry her rapist's child! The Romney-Ryan campaign is trying to distance itself from this heartless, draconian view, but Romney as Governor of Massachusetts and Ryan in the US Congress both supported anti-choice legislation very similar to Akin's views.


The Flat Earth Society used to just be ridiculous and annoying.
Now they are terrifying because they have a constituency.
An anti-intellecutal, anti-scientific, anti-civil liberties, imperialistic, militaristic, heterosexist, misogynistic, white-supremacist theocracy is what they want and there may be enough fools and wackjobs to make their dream a possibility.

Every individual who does not vote in November is endangering our country. Please, please, please vote.

For your LBGT friends - please vote.
For the accessibility of higher education for more than the rich -please vote.
For every woman you've ever known - please vote.
For the environment on which our very lives depend - please vote.
For the elderly - please vote.
For those who now have health coverage for the first time in their lives - please vote.
For the possibility of peace - please vote.
For liberty and justice for all - please vote.

VOTE.

Response to FRC Shooting

On Thursday, Aug. 16^th, 28 year old Floyd Corkins was charged with shooting a guard at the Family Research Council headquarters in Washington, DC.

The FRC identifies as a conservative, Christian organization and they are well-known for their opposition to LBGT equality.

The president of the Family Research Council used the event as an opportunity to vilify the Southern Poverty Law Center, saying, “Corkins was given a license to shoot an unarmed man by organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center.”

The leadership of Sunshine Cathedral is grateful that the guard survived the shooting and we certainly can’t condone acts of violence. However, it must be stated that the Southern Poverty Law Center is an historic, non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry. Using the unfortunate incident to blame and attack an organization committed to working for justice and equality was neither helpful nor fair.

Organizations that advocate for LBGT equality (and for the dignity and well-being of all people) and that respond to anti-gay rhetoric (even when it is cloaked in religious language) are not the cause of violence but in fact are trying to reduce the prejudice and dehumanizing rhetoric that does promote violence and discrimination.

Our best wishes go out to the guard as he recovers from his injuries, and we also continue to hope that those who promote discrimination against gays and lesbians come to realize that they are doing violence too and we pray for an end to all violence in our society.

Yours in shared service,

Rev. Durrell Watkins, D.Min.
Senior Pastor

Let us pray:

Spirit of justice and healing,
        It grieves us that as we work for “liberty and justice for all,” there remain groups and individuals committed to keeping some in the margins of society and that often even blame their prejudice on religion. We work and wait for an end to such blasphemous misuse of religion and we stand up and speak out for true equality and the affirmation of the sacred value of all people.
        While we disagree with the homophobia and heterosexism promoted by the Family Research Council, we would never wish anyone in their organization any harm. We pray for them to become more tolerant, more accepting, and more appreciative of the diversity of the human family, but our disagreements can be settled with discussion, legislation, legal action, and the changing of human hearts and minds. May we never condone the use of violence even in our most vehement disagreements.
        And now, Power permeating all life, let healing energy flow through the body of the one who was wounded, and let healing love deeply touch the souls of all who have been impacted by these recent events, including the shooter. And may the day soon come when all people are treated with dignity and respect, when suspicions and unreasonable fears are healed, and when violence is rare and peace is known everywhere and at all times. Amen.

God Bless America

God Bless America
Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
Sunshine Cathedral
Mark 6.1-14

I once had a homework assignment as a child. One of the questions was “Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?” Rather than do my reading, I thought I would ask my great-aunt Gladys for the answer. So I asked her, “Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?” She said, “At the bottom.”

Did you know…
Sunshine Cathedral shares several members with MCC-Toronto.
About 1/4 of our membership is Jamaican.
We have guests almost every week from nations throughout the world, and people all over the world watch our sermons and read our literature and ask us to pray with them.
Because of our international church family, and because the kindom of God is global, I strongly resist nationalism in the house of prayer…Scripture tells us the worship space is to be a house of prayer for ALL nations (Isaiah 56.7).

And yet this is a national holiday weekend in the U.S., and I do want to highlight the U.S.’s potential, its promise, its successes; and at the same time I must remember that much of what is good about the US is good because courageous people (e.g., Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., & Troy Perry) have always spoken out against what was not yet good so the country they loved might be even better.

As a citizen of this country I want my nation to prosper and flourish, but God forbid that I ever think that we are somehow God’s special chosen people…we must claim our sacred value, but never at the expense of anyone else’s.

Now, let’s be clear. I’m glad that separation of church and state means that government cannot privilege one religion over another or speak against anyone’s religion, and religion shouldn’t flaunt symbols of state as if to suggest that they have religious value. But to speak about one’s country, to honestly address its strengths and weaknesses, and to call the congregation to pray for it and other countries as well…that, I believe, is entirely appropriate. And each week at Communion, we do pray for the leaders of this and every country.

After all, to speak about the bible is to speak about nations and governments. Prophets standing up to kings, Jesus being tried and executed as a revolutionary...that’s our biblical story. We have books of the bible titled “Kings” and “Numbers” (as in census), and “Judges” and the first five books of our bible are called the books of the “Law.” If we take politics, government, economics, controversy, sex, and violence out of the bible, we’ll only be left with a handful of verses from Proverbs!

Moreover, I recognize that the Independence of a great nation offers hope and inspiration and I am in the hope and inspiration business. So, after much thought, prayer, and deliberation, I have chosen to honor the country of my birth not with empty praise, but with truth about the greatness it has known, and the goodness to which it must still aspire. And, as a person of faith, I also want to pray for my country, wishing it not only peace and prosperity, but also integrity, health, and the will to be as great as its promise.

Our ancestors rejected the colonialism of the British Empire, but they betrayed the indigenous people of this land. They rejected the aristocracy and class system of Europe and they declared all men are created equal…but they meant only men, and only free men, and only white free men. They preached equality while denying the vote to women and while allowing the enslavement of their fellow human-beings.

This country bravely defended its borders and territories against a threatening Japanese Empire in WW2; but out of fear of their enemy they denied liberty to loyal Japanese Americans as they put them in internment camps because of their heritage.

This country stood up to the evil of Hitler’s anti-Semitic, racist Third Reich, but has often ignored the problems of racism, sexism, and homophobia at home. The US made noble sacrifices in WW2, but has since rushed to other wars that did not have the same moral justification.

And in this country, we pledge allegiance to a republic that is one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all; but as of this moment, GLBT people are not universally included in that “all”.

We each love this country, whether we are citizens or guests. But we love it from our experience of it; and we must never forget that some of us have enjoyed more privilege, more opportunities than others. So we can’t dismiss those who call for change as being malcontents, or unpatriotic. They may be the greatest of patriots, taking great risks to make sure that the American dream is not for a few, or even for just the majority, but truly for all people.

The Reverend William Sloane Coffin, a protestant minister known for his years as a chaplain at Yale University and later as the pastor of Riverside Church in New York, preached a sermon a few years ago where he said there are three kinds of patriots. The first kind is the patriot who is an uncritical lover of the country. They turn symbols of state into idols of veneration and they will not listen to the voices of those who have been left out of the American experiment. These uncritical patriots don’t help their country get better, because they are not willing to see where their country needs improvement.

The second kind of patriot, Coffin said, is the patriot who is a loveless critic. Coffin said that you must hate what is wrong with the country you love so that you can help heal it. But if you hate what’s wrong more than you love what’s right, you become bitter…you become a good hater, but not a good patriot.

The third kind of patriot, Coffin insisted, is the patriot who loves his or her country enough to hold it accountable, to address its flaws because this patriot knows how great the country can be and ought to be. It’s like Mark Twain said, “Patriotism means being loyal to your country all the time and to its government when it deserves it.”

Let’s be clear…patriotism is not nationalism. Nationalism is just another prejudice, like sexism or racism or classism…it says “we” are superior to “them.” Nationalism is the misguided belief that one’s nation is God’s chosen among all nations. But patriotism is a genuine love of country, and love always has room for more. Good patriots may love their country first, but not only. Spanish Cellist Pablos Casals once said, “To love one’s country is a wonderful thing, but why should love stop at the border?”

Our readings today are about healing. In the gospel lesson, Jesus raises his prophetic voice, but in his own community he isn’t heard. He isn’t taken seriously. He is dismissed as being pretentious, or crazy, or unqualified to speak to his neighbors. But those few who would listen experienced healing in their lives; and Jesus kept preaching beyond his community to people who would listen so that the healing could spread. Prophets always call a people to their high potential; they address weaknesses so that they may be replaced with health and strength. They use their courage to help heal the wounds of apathy and injustice. And as they do, individuals and societies are healed along the way.

And so, in the prophetic tradition, I recognize today this country’s great promise and potential; and I call us to work together to help it be all that it can be. But let us remember the US isn’t the only country in the world, it certainly isn’t the only country in the kindom of God; it isn’t even the only country in this church.

May we love this country so much that we won’t settle for it being less than it can be. May our love of country be so genuine, that our love doesn’t stop at the borders. May we love this country enough to challenge it when it is wrong, and to praise it when it is right, and to pray for it at all times.

My prayer today is for the health of America:

God bless America to reflect not its own glory, but the glory of God’s realm where neither race nor religion nor economic status nor gender identity nor sexual orientation nor geographic border is ever used to oppress or exclude any person.

God bless America not to privilege some but to promote liberty and justice for all.

God bless America to be generous with her friends and forgiving of her enemies.

God bless America not to forget the mistakes of her past, but to atone for them so that she can be a leader with genuine moral authority in the community of nations.

God bless America, not because she’s perfect but because she is good and can be better.

God bless America, not because she has lived fully into her promise, but because she still can.

God bless America, not exclusively, but to show all nations and all people that God’s blessing is ever available to them.

God bless America, not because she is weak, but so her strength will be used wisely.

God bless America to be a blessing to the whole world. Amen.


© Durrell Watkins 2009

Theocracy Is Always a Bad Idea

As we stand encouraged by the bravery demonstrated by the Iranian citizens as they protest injustice and dictatorship in their country, we should be reminded that theocracy is always a bad idea.

When those who hold secular power believe that they have a God-given right to hold that power and that when they enforce their beliefs, prejudices, and preferences they are acting for God, then the result is bound to be autocracy, and autocracy can never be just.

When people use government to privilege one religion over all others, to insist that everyone live by their religious convictions, they are in fact using religion to control, exclude, or punish people who are different from them. That isn’t democracy. That isn’t justice. That isn’t spiritual integrity.

We see the problems with theocracy when it is a “different” religion in “another” country. But I hope we remember how dangerous and distasteful theocracy really is when people in THIS country want “our” religion (whether Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, or Islam) to call all the shots! When people use religion to argue for discrimination against gays, for mistrust of various other religious movements, for government control of women’s bodies, they are in fact wanting the government to uphold their understanding of God and God’s will. To see how well that works out, we need only look to Iran; and to see how satisfying that is to a people, we need only look to the Iranian public whose vote and voice have been limited by the decree of a religious leader who is the “supreme leader” of the republic. The problem isn’t that the religion in question in Iran is Islam; the problem is that religion is personal and should not married to government. We need never fool ourselves into believing that Christian theocracy would be any less oppressive or any more satisfactory.

Religious people can be motivated by their faith and religious people have the right to express their opinions. But they do not have the right to use religion as the excuse to limit the rights of others.

Theocracy is always a bad idea. Separation of religion and state remains the better way!

Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
Sunshine Cathedral
www.sunshinecathedral.org

Musings of an American Minister After Election Day

We live in a pluralistic society, and therefore we all have different views, values, and philosophies. Diversity, of course, is a good thing! And since we have various opinions, experiences, and desires, we won't all agree on political issues. But the day after an historic election, I believe there are some things upon which we can agree.

History was made!
- Once it was clear that either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama would win their party's nomination, it also became clear that we would have either the first woman or the first African-American ever to head a major party ticket.
- If Senator McCain had won yesterday's election, we would have had the oldest person ever elected to a first term presidency; and we would have had the first woman vice-president. As it is, we had only the second woman vice-presidential candidate offered by a major political party, and the first of that particular party.
So, we knew that history was in the making this election year. No wonder there was so much excitement!

And, regardless which party or candidate we each supported, we can all take enormous pride in the following facts:
- A person of African descent (who spent some of his formative years in Asia and the Pacific), whose father was Kenyan, is now the president-elect of the United States! On January 20th, we will have the most multicultural president in our nation's history.
- Four decades ago, this country was divided on issues of racial equality and civil rights. Schools were then desegregated and progressive legislation was passed, and now, forty-some long years later, our 44th president will be a person of color.

We've come a long way. After a shameful and painful history of slavery, segregation, "Jim Crow," and systemic racism, the majority of voters raised their voices and judged a candidate not by his race or ethnicity, but on his promises, character, and integrity. We chose possibilities over prejudice. I believe our nation has experienced a moment of healing. It's been a long time coming, and there's more to do; but we have made progress.

So, while we long for peace in our world, and while we ache from a troubled economy, we can celebrate that the power of democracy is still very much alive in our midst, and that the divisions which have long troubled us are, in some measure, beginning to heal, or at least the opportunity for healing is very real.

This leads to my next point: So much more healing is needed! In this election, the word "Muslim" was used as an insult, as a word meant to provoke fear, as an attempt to demonize opponents. In a country where we celebrate the freedom of religion, such behavior was an outrage and certainly didn't reflect the "better angels of our nature." More healing is needed.

And whereas Senator McCain last night, and President Bush this morning, were very gracious and congratulatory of our new president-elect, the crowd to which Senator McCain spoke last night occasionally demonstrated less than gracious behavior (including "booing" when the winner of the election was named). More healing is needed.

And finally, this country elected by a wide margin a candidate who has worked hard to speak to issues of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation; and at the same, draconian anti-gay marriage and adoption measures were passed in four states. Liberty and justice for "more" have been achieved; but liberty and justice for "all" have not. More healing is needed.

So, members of all political parties in these UNITED States can be proud and hopeful today. And while we celebrate the hope and the progress that this election year has represented, where neither age, nor gender, nor race could disqualify anyone from the highest office in the land and where record voter turnout assured the on-going strength of our democracy, let us be aware of the healing that our nation and our world still needs. AIDS is still a threat. War continues to plague our planet. Global warming is a real concern. Poverty must be addressed. Universal health-care is becoming a universal value. And homophobia still infects our national consciousness. Let us celebrate our victories, but let us also resolve to remain diligent until religion, gender variance, sexual orientation, immigration status, and all other issues historically used to divide us are no longer barriers to equal opportunity and we can finally live up to our pledge of allegiance to a country that offers "liberty and justice for ALL."


Durrell Watkins
Sunshine Cathedral
www.sunshinecathedral.org

Prayer for Peace in Iraq

Spirit of Wisdom, Goodwill, and infinite Compassion, please fill the hearts of our lawmakers and leaders with a desire for peace and justice. May the suffering in Iraq come to an end. May we be forgiven for the suffering we have caused and allowed. May we contribute, finally, to the healing of the human family and to peace in our world. Amen.

Enough?

Ted Haggard? Larry Craig? When do we decide its enough? When will the self-loathing, closeted 'mos realize that bashing the gay community won't make them straight? If we could stop demonizing same-gender loving people then maybe all people would be free to live honest and fulfilling lives without marginalizing the gay community and without people in power feeling like they must live a total lie to keep their positions of influence. Equal rights for all people would have prevented the Haggard and Craig travesties. If they could have explored their sexuality in honest and healthy ways, they wouldn't have felt the need to condemn gay people, and then they wouldn't have suffered the embarassment of being exposed as hypocrites. Maybe, please God, we'll finally learn the live and let live lesson and stop using gays as social scape goats. Then, ministers and senators who discover themselves to be gay can come out and live honestly and with pride as the same-gender loving people they are, or at least they won't have to cheapen their own feelings by condemning others who share them. Let's finally be a country where liberty and justice for all is a reality. Homo-hatred is as ugly as any form of bigotry, and apparently, as debilitating.

A response to recent remarks made against the Ft Lauderdale Gay Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22nd, 2007

A response to recent remarks made against the Fort Lauderdale Gay Community (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-821naugle,0,1222411.story?page=1)


Homophobia is not Love
by the Reverend Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div.

We read in the Christian bible “Slaves obey your masters…” and “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.” I do not believe that either of these biblical passages justifies the evils of slavery or misogyny, and I do not believe that finding these sentences in the bible “proves” that God condoned slavery or that God privileges men over women. In my theology, any text that dehumanizes people cannot stand alone as if it were a message from on High to be uncritically embraced. Similarly, when the bible is quoted to promote prejudice against gay and lesbian people, I must object.

The mayor of Fort Lauderdale continues his anti-gay verbal assaults. But what concerns me even more is that religious leaders are suggesting that the mayor is somehow speaking for God! It’s an age-old trick for a group to say that their enemies are also God’s enemies, but I hope in the 21st century none of us will fall for that anymore.

Those who dare to suggest that God shares their homophobic prejudices claim they are motivated by love. The targets of their inflammatory speech, however, probably disagree. You see, you can’t judge me to be a sinner and then claim to love me. You can’t use language that dehumanizes me and claim it is for my good. As the saying goes, “Please don’t spit on my boots and call it rain.” There may be a lot in this world I don’t know, but the difference between being loved and being condemned is easy enough to figure out.

Those who are spewing the homophobic rhetoric lately may believe they are right, and they are certainly entitled to their opinions, but they can’t believe that what they are doing is kind or loving. You see, according to the very bible they use to justify their anti-gay rhetoric, “Love is patient and kind…[and] never rude…” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).

Let’s be clear - the venom being spewed at the gay community in Fort Lauderdale is not about love, righteousness, or even public safety. The recent attacks are just what they appear to be: unkind, prejudicial, divisive remarks meant to justify homophobia; and homophobia is not love.

/End/

[Rev. Durrell Watkins is the Canon Precentor and Canon Pastor-elect of Sunshine Cathedral MCC in Fort Lauderdale. He is a graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York City and is in the doctoral program at the Episcopal Divinity School.]


Rev. Canon Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div.
Sunshine Cathedral
http://www.sunshinecathedral.org/