Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I was deeply disappointed with the media coverage of the Marriage Matters Arizona press conferences. There were several religious leaders of several religious faiths who spoke eloquently about the fundamental right of the freedom to marry at these press conferences. But somehow, their presence and their eloquent words did not make it into any press reports.
No, the media villagers all turned to Cathi Herrod from the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), which professes to support Christian values — if by "Christian" you mean supporting ignorance, fear and hatred for others. I am confident Jesus does not approve.
Who died and made her Pope? (BTW, Pope Francis is more enlightened; he has said he doesn't have any problem with the inclination to homosexuality
itself: "Who am I to judge them if they're seeking the Lord in good
faith?")
UPDATE: Pope decries focus on ‘small-minded’ rules: Pope Francis also says it’s “not necessary” to always condemn abortion, homosexuality and contraception.
Note to the media villagers: Cathi Herrod does not speak for the faith community. She is a lobbyist for a right-wing political organization that opposes women having the right to make their own health care decisions over their own bodies, opposes birth control, opposes sex education beyond abstinence only programs, opposes equal rights under the law for gays and lesbians, etc. Her far-right positions are not the majority view of most Americans, and not even the majority view of most people of faith.
Nor is Cathi Herrod's regressive political agenda shared by most religious faiths. So stop turning to her as if she is the official spokesperson for all religious faiths in the faith community, because she most definitely is not! Try picking up the phone and calling some actual religious leaders for a change.
Cathi Herrod reminds me of the Burgermeister Meisterburger, the grouchy, fun-loathing mayor of Sombertown in the children's Christmas story Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The Burgermeister Meisterburger passes laws declaring toys "illegal, unmoral, unlawful, and anyone
found with a toy in his possession will be placed under arrest and
thrown in the dungeon. No kidding!"
Burgermeister Meisterburger vowed that he and his descendants would hunt
Kris Kringle down throughout the land, and labeled Kris (Santa Claus) an outlaw.
But as time went by, things changed. The Meisterburgers eventually died off and lost power over
Sombertown. By that time the people of Sombertown realized how silly
the Meisterburgers' laws were, and in time the Meisterburger reign sank
into obscurity. It was after the Meisterburgers died out and fell out of power that Santa Claus was no longer seen as an outlaw.
A modern-day parable. Jesus would approve.
Just don’t include Olmstead in with enlightened religious “leaders”. He is far less tolerant than his Pope, attends Herrod’s rallies, and his obsession with homosexual issues and reproduction regulation is an embarrassment. Both of these hypocrites should be more concerned with the poor, and should be tolerant. Jesus himself was berated by religious leaders for dining with the worst of the worst in their society, lepers, Samaritians, prostitutes, and Roman tax collectors. Interesting last name for a Jesus follower.