Religious Freedom isn't a Right to Oppress

Against birth control? Don't use it. Disagree with same-gender loving people getting married? Don't marry someone of your gender. As the president has said, "Religious freedom doesn't mean you get to force others to live by your beliefs." Getting a bunch of people scared of an "other" and then holding a referendum to vote against the "other" having equality isn't democracy. It's bigotry pretending to be religion and it defiles both the name of democracy and religion.

Happy Mabon

Dear Friends - It's a rainy day today, one of many in an especially rainy season this year in South Florida. One of the great things about a dark, rainy Saturday is that the mind seems to go naturally and easily to a place of reflection. My thoughts today turn to recent events: The unrest that seems to keep much of the world agitated. The recent deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and other diplomats in Libya. The terrible ways that religion is often misused to create division rather than to celebrate diversity. The recent increase in hateful rhetoric against same-gender loving people. The on-going war on women's independence over their own bodies. If my reflection were to stop at this point, I should be terribly depressed! But I think of the rain and I imagine it washing away the unrest, the fear, the agitation, the hatred, and the mistrust in the world. I think of power and privilege being "watered down" so that justice and equality can flourish. And once I imagine this spiritual cleansing, then I remember positive possibilities that fuel optimism. Today is the First day of Autumn. In fact, Autumn began today, Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 10:49 AM. This day is known in some traditions as "Mabon." Mabon is a weaving festival where members of a community weave strands together to symbolize adding to life as it is whatever they wish for life to become. What a beautiful tradition! So, on this rainy beginning of Autumn, I think of the life I am weaving with my thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and choices. I think of the blessings I would add to my life and the life of my community: I wish for good health of mind and body. And what I wish for myself, I wish for everyone. I wish for prosperity, achievement, and happiness. And what I wish for myself, I wish for everyone. I wish for peace and confidence. And what I wish for myself I wish for everyone. And I wish for the pledge I grew up reciting in this country to become a promise and an experienced reality not only for this country for but all places in the world. I particularly call to mind the words, "One [people]...with liberty and justice for ALL." To the world as it is, may we weave strands of hope, healing, and happiness, peace, purpose, and prosperity! Let this be our prayer and our intention and our commitment. The Psalmist wrote, "The Eternal watches over the steps of those who do justice." That seems like a good Autumnal Equinox affirmation and a call to continued positive action. I hope you will join me for worship tomorrow, Sept. 23rd at Sunshine Cathedral and remember all the wonderful events we have coming up to celebrate the Cathedral's 40th anniversary. But for now, let the thunder be the power of hope in your hearts, let the winds be the breath of life that fills you with peace, hope, and joy, and let the falling rain be a reminder that heavenly blessings are flowing abundantly into your life now and always. Happy Mabon! Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins Senior Minister

Barbra Streisand Calls us to move forward, not back

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbra-streisand/obama-vs-romney-a-clear-c_b_1894001.html

from the article by Barbra Streisand (for full text clink link above)

"Obama has been more fiscally conservative than any other president in recent history, with the exception of President Bill Clinton.

"President Obama has been far better at creating jobs than President George W. Bush. During the 7 years and 8 months of George Bush's presidency, before the financial crash, only 2.6 million new private sector jobs were created. In the final month of George Bush's presidency, the country lost 800,000 jobs, and in the last six months of the Bush Administration, the country lost over 3.5 million jobs.

"However, in the last 30 months under President Obama's leadership, nearly 4.6 million new private sector jobs were created (averaging about 150,000 new jobs per month). In President Obama's last 2 ½ years in office, 40% more jobs were created than in nearly all of President Bush's eight years in office.

"The last President who was elected amidst a severe economic crisis and high unemployment was Franklin D. Roosevelt. His policies strengthened government so that it would protect the people (creating Glass-Steagall to regulate the banks, the FDIC to insure bank depositors, the Securities and Exchange Commission to regulate the stock market, and Social Security to help people build a safety net for their retirement). FDR's strategy to spend money to create jobs and stimulate the economy is what ultimately helped pull the country out of a depression.

"Even though the country's most respected economists have agreed on what history has already proven -- that MORE federal spending, not austerity, is necessary to stimulate the economy and create jobs, today's Republicans categorically reject this strategy. They are running on a platform of further deregulation and cutting spending to the bone, so that those earning millions will get more tax cuts, even though it means Americans who need a safety net won't have it.

"Unlike Mitt Romney, President Obama believes we need to invest in education, energy, innovation and infrastructure and reform our tax system to create good jobs, grow our economy and pay down the debt in a reasoned way. He believes in an inclusive country where all people deserve equal protection and treatment under the law, as well as equal opportunity, whether they are gay, straight, black, brown, white, religious, atheist, old or young.

"The choice is clear. Would you vote for a person who pays his taxes or someone who wiggles his way out of them? Do you want a President who has gained the respect of the world community or someone who on a recent diplomatic trip abroad provoked the ire and ridicule of other world leaders? Do we want a country where everyone is fending for themselves or where everyone is pitching in and working together? Do we want to go backward with Mitt Romney or move forward with President Obama?"

More Than One Way to be Religious

More Than One Way to be Religious

WRITTEN BY REV. DR. DURRELL WATKINS

“Prophet” Cindy Jacobs recently declared that weather hazards and ecological problems are the result of divine wrath in response to presidential decisions. And without offering specifics, she prognosticated that more calamities are on the way. Of course, it’s a safe bet that something unhappy will happen somewhere. It doesn’t take a great psychic gift to make that guess!

Before this embarrassing statement suggesting that weather is caused by the gods and “bad” weather is the result of divine displeasure I had never heard of Ms. Jacobs, but I’ve heard her kind of blame, shame, and scare theology all too often.

I spend my life building religious community. I offer a message of hope and healing to help people navigate the chances and challenges of life. I try to affirm the sacred value of all people. I work to get people to stand up and speak out for peace, diversity, equality, and justice. That is, in my view, is religion's high purpose.

Religion gives us language and space to celebrate joys, face difficulties, and form human bonds that prove to be the cure for loneliness. Religion is not meant to increase our fears, strengthen our prejudices, or give us enemies to blame for the uncertainties of life.

Hurricanes, earthquakes, heat-waves, blizzards, and even terrorist attacks have all been blamed on liberals, pro-choice politicians, same-gender loving people, and whoever else rightwing extremists might name as the reason for misfortune that they insist is Heaven sent.

I remember at the beginning of the AIDS crisis some preachers claiming that the disease was God’s punishment against people who Christian fundamentalists found to be unworthy of respect or even tolerance. Almost as reprehensibly, many other clergy remained silent as people continued to suffer and die from the then little understood but clearly devastating disease.

I don’t know why anyone would choose to embrace an understanding of spirituality that suggests a deity will send disease or any disaster. Such petty instance that everything unpleasant is proof that a supreme being hates all the people they hate makes religion seem irrelevant and oppressive; it also makes representatives of religion seem more committed to hatred and bigotry than to enlightenment and progress.

As a representative of religion (progressive religion, but religion nevertheless), I very much resent that religion is so often misused and I wish to offer a better, kinder, more reasonable, and more useful understanding of faith.

It is the worst sort of opportunism to use tragedies as a means of promoting hatred and intolerance. The appropriate response to tragedy is compassion, not blame. The best use of religion in times of trouble is to offer comfort, not condemnation. And if we listen to the “better angels of our nature” we will affirm human dignity in the face of chaos rather than using chaos as a weapon to further dehumanize those we may not understand or like.

We are each entitled to our own understanding of the Sacred, of course. But I, as a religious person, will have no deity that would not bless same-gender love, that would send storms to punish many just to torment a few, or that would send rather than heal disease.

But thankfully, there are other understandings of the ultimate reality that many of us call “God.” Some of us believe, teach, and experience the divine as a comforting presence, an urge to do good, the capacity to love, forgive, and share, and a deep desire to bring peace, hope, and healing to all people.

We are each entitled to our own understandings, but I for one will always choose those that build up rather than tear down, that heal rather than hurt, and that affirm diversity rather than demand division. I just wanted another religious voice to be heard today.

Durrell Watkins holds sociology and theatre degrees from Henderson State University and Goddard College, respectively, as well as a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Episcopal Divinity School. He is the author of Wrestling with God without Getting Pinned: Old Stories, New Thoughts, & Progressive Spirituality (Outskirts Press, available at Amazon.com), and is the Senior Pastor of the Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale (www.sunshinecathedral.org).

prayer for the world

PRAYER FOR THE WORLD by Durrell Watkins

Universal Spirit of Life,

In the midst of conflicts, fears, troubles, and concerns, we dare to believe in the possibility of peace, in the power of hope, and in the reality of love.

May our world today embrace the amazing potential that lies within every human heart.

May our world today seek peace instead of war, healing instead of revenge, communion instead of conflict.

May our world today choose to be aware of the ubiquitous web of existence to which we all belong, and may human dignity be affirmed and the sacred value of all life be celebrated.

Let blessings now flow into every life and may peace prevail on earth. Amen.

Religion Shouldn't Be an Excuse to Hate

http://gaysofla.com/articles/commentary/268-religion-shouldnt-be-an-excuse-to-hate.html

How I will vote...

Who will I vote for? That's no one's business; but I don't mind confessing that I will be voting for a woman's right to choose, for labor rights, for marriage equality, for accessible health care, for social security and medicare and student loans and for a tax system that asks everyone to pay their fair share. The party and the person that will get my vote is my business, but the issues for me are clear. I will be voting my values, and human dignity and equality are chief among my values.