Freedom 2 Marry: 12th Annual Week Long Initiative Crosses Blogosphere In Mass Dialouge And Contributions. SJR 15 Rears Its Ugly Head In Hoosier State!

*PLEASE NOTE THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED*

This week from Sunday through Saturday there is a cross blog initiative to petition for equal access under the law and the freedom to marry the partner of your choice, not the choice of the select few who assume that they speak not just to God but for him as well. [Queers United]

Now wait a minute, Bishops speak for God over there flock; doesn't that make you a hypocrite?

No because I don't claim to speak for God. That is what we call a messiah complex, or at best schizophrenia. There is a huge difference in being a Shepherd over a flock and a Leader of a political organization with religious overtones and presentation. One is true religion and spiritual practice the other is fundamentalism unleashed in all of its evil furry. I am proud to of had the opportunity for the former and abhor the latter on many different accounts.

As a Libertarian and an Independent Catholic, I believe that neither government nor the Church has the authority to regulate, license or restrict, personal relationships. As a caveat, I also as a Pastor, do not have to marry someone to other persons if I believe they are not ready for that encounter of ritual joining of two or more people and the unfurling of Sacramental grace on their lives together; but I don't have the historical authority to deny the relationship either, and that is where a lot of Pastors have gone cookie over their power structure that was inherited by Politicians contrition to the Church.

If the Pastor had a historical right to deny a relationship, Mary would not have been able to remain with Joseph, and both would have probably been stoned or beaten, by some accounts Joseph was beaten with a whip in Mary's place, because she told her story of meeting an angel and having the Word of God shoved inside of her uterus.

These truths that our Country were founded on are so profound that we have never been able to live up to them; but instead of continuing to press forward every year, we wait for a forty or eighty years and then make one strong push, then spend another twenty years trying to backslide to a more comfortable position. The basic creed and truth of These United States of America is Equality:

• We have never lived up to that ideal or truth;
• We have fought wars with ourselves to enforce it and preserve it;
• We have passed laws to bring it into common practice;

And yet through all of that We The People have still failed to attain it 230 plus years later.

• If we hold a truth to be self evident shouldn't it be visible in action not just words?
• Is it visible in any fashion and we just cant see it through our filters or biases?
• If all men are created equal than how can anybody deny another man's choice as to whom to love?

All humour and query aside, this debate is going to rage on for another decade or more, unless we come to some basic understandings as to what we believe as Americans regardless of religious or political affiliations, because our Country's collective life force, besides being on the line, needs to have the playing field leveled just a bit.

And now a message from our sponsor


Too Gay for TV Carls Jr Ad by randywombats Hat/tip: Wesley @ Swish Embassy

The economy is another place where we have failed to find equality, or at least equal access. Now because of piss poor decisions dating all the way back to almost 100 years we have found ourselves in yet another position of unstable policy, multiple trillion dollar debts, and absolute corruption by the powers that be (both Democrats and Republicans) because once again we failed to live up to what we wrote down over two centuries ago. The particulars are for another debate at another time, I only brought it up to show that the problem is systematic throughout this land not just one issue over here and another issue over there.

When one can be denied their very Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness over being attracted, not even having sex, just being attracted to a person of the same gender, identity or expression, than We as a People have failed to live up to our Country's creed and self evident truths.

So what is the answer?

The measure of an ideal is just that ideal, being able to measure the ideal out into a pragmatic application to the group dynamic will always leave some in dismay; however what we have done in this country is worse, we have allowed particular ideologies to take control of our truths and usurp them for the sake of power and money, and remain baffled when they fail and contagious when they just grab for *channeling Chris Crocker* more, more, more! power and oversight into our daily lives.

The debate on those issues have already shown themselves in the aftermath of Proposition Hate eer Eight in California last November, which comes up for judicial review on the fifth of March at the California State Supreme Court. Over the last several months the Christian and Conservative opposition, to allowing Equal Access Under The Law in California, by overturning a Supreme Court ruling, that allowed 18 thousand same sex couples to marry in less than 6 months with a ballot initiative, was finally dealt a landmark blow when the Courts forced them to release their donor list to the public so that an honest relay of information could take place and the public could find out who (read which Churches) influenced their vote and with how much money.

Get Involved In The Process And Make Your Voice Be Heard!

Statewide, Indiana Equality is reporting that, Indiana Family Institute's Eric Miller, Micah Clark and Company [Website][Veritas Rex] have managed to get House Joint Resolution 7 & 8/Senate Joint Resolution 15 reintroduced in the General Assembly three weeks ago as mainly authored by Representatives Eric Turner and Dave Cheatham and Senator Marlin Stutzman.

In two days on Wednesday, 11th of February, @ 9A the Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to hear testimony from opponents and proponents of the Senate Joint Resolution 15 (SJR-15). The hearing has been temporarily delayed but could still take place. Passage of SJR-15 by this committee will keep this harmful legislation in play. If approved by the electorate, SJR-15 will forever write discrimination into the Indiana Constitution, affecting thousands of Hoosier families.

Call the Indiana Senate switchboard: 1-800-382-9467. Ask the members of the Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee to vote NO on SJR-15. Afterward call your Representative @ 1-800-382-9842 and ask them to do the same on the following pieces of legislation: HJR 7 and 8. Last, enter into the conversation and forward along this information to your friends and family and tell three other people your story and sacrifice for all of us to be free to love any one we choose!

UPDATE: Indiana Equality (17th of February 2009) is reporting that the Indiana Senate Republican Caucus voted not to consider Senate Joint Resolution 15 during the 2009 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Proposals identical to SJR-15, were also introduced in the Indiana House of Representatives. Speaker B. Patrick Bauer has previously announced House Joint Resolutions 7 and 8 would not be considered during the current legislative session.

AFA and Micah Clark at it again this time on your radio with kids

In a recent press release (copied below), made available to the local bloggers by Dan Turkette of Fort Wayne News, Micah Clark, President of the American Family Association of Indiana Political Action Coalition, has issued a hateful, misinformed, irrational, radio commercial and campaign. Their latest attack on liberty violates the innocence of a child, lambastes GLBTIQAS citizens, and strives to cow toe legislators into pushing this Marriage Amendment to the Constitution, known as SJR7, (which should never be heard by the General Assembly to begin with let alone passed) by the General Assembly, to a referendum by the people. This is bad law and "it don't get mo' simpler th'n that"! (*updated 11 February 08)

"Why shouldn't it be given to the people to decide?" You wonder. Because unlike the common convenient knowledge and presumption by the media, we don't live in a democracy but a democratic representative Republic. Part of the job of a representative government is to stop the idiots within either a majority or minority of the citizenry from having false force in what actually gets signed into law. We elect representatives to not just govern but to protect the individual citizen's Divine endowed rights as well as the collective citizens guarantee of those Divine endowed individual rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The minute you reduce the individual rights of someone based on a social classification or association system you automatically deny their equality and nobility as a human being and relegate them to a status as a beast of burden. That, Mr. Clark, makes you no different than Lucifer to deny the Divine's love for, image in, and likeness portrayed by, all mankind. (ref: Sir Francis Bacon)

Furthermore, and my primary issue with the advertisement, by exploiting the innocence of a child in your commercial, asking him to present outlandish and unfounded questions, and focusing the listener to deny the power of love being more powerful than anything else, you should be ashamed of yourself and "tie the mill stone around your own neck (Gospel of St. Luke 17:1-4)".

Mr. Clark, keep your political religion out of my childrens' personal relationships with LORD Joshua-Emmanuel of Nazareth, aka "Jesus Christ". By the way, just to answer your advertisement's second question, my four sons have three fathers and two mothers combined. You do the math Mr. Clark. That is five times the love and care, for each one of them!

Calling on Legislators to Protect Marriage in Indiana
by Micah Clark, President AFA of Indiana PAC

(Indianapolis) - The AFA of Indiana PAC has launched a groundbreaking radio ad campaign urging Hoosiers to contact their legislators in support of traditional marriage. The ad titled “Confused Children” features children questioning the implications of same-sex marriage in Indiana.

These powerful new 60-second spots are, have or will air on radio stations in the following cities across Indiana: Anderson, Booneville, Elkhart, Evansville, Franklin/Greenwood, Greenfield, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Michigan City, and South Bend. The ads are appearing on talk, country and Christian formats on both AM and FM bands.

The ads are designed to generate phone calls into the Indiana House urging legislators to pass the Marriage Protection Amendment (SJR 7), which recently passed the Senate for the fourth time with broad bi-partisan support. House Speaker Patrick Bauer and House Rules Committee Chairman Scott Pelath hold the fate of SJR 7 in their hands. If moved through the Rules Committee, the amendment would pass with strong bi-partisan support of the Indiana House.

“This ad is designed to urge people to contact their legislators about the importance of protecting our marriage laws. It is also designed to challenge those who mistakenly think that allowing two men to marry is no big deal. Because both mothers and fathers matter, the definition of marriage matters,” said Micah Clark, AFA of Indiana PAC President.

The Indiana House must pass SJR 7 this session, or the amendment dies, and the entire process must begin again leaving Indiana’s marriage laws unprotected until 2012. Twenty-seven states have already enacted Marriage Protection Amendments. Many of those without amendments have faced legal challenges from gay rights groups attempting to use the courts and activist judges to force state governments to embrace same-sex marriage. Next week homosexual activists are gathering at the Indiana capitol for a rally for same-sex marriage, the second such rally in less than four months.

Now that Mr. Clark has gotten his fifteen minutes, let me clarify what Indiana Equality is addressing at its annual rally at the State House. This years rally is entitled “Equality IS a Hoosier Value!” and will be held President's Day, Monday, 18th of February, 2008 from 1:00pm to 2:30pm @ The Indiana Statehouse, North Atrium.

It is more important than ever to help educate your legislators on its hidden dangers. While increasing numbers of representatives are becoming aware of growing problems with “marriage discrimination amendments” passed by other states, we need your help to let them know how they can make the best decision for Indiana .

It is also important to tell our legislators that we want bias crimes legislation to be enacted, and civil rights protections expanded. All Hoosiers deserve not to live in fear for their lives or in fear they might lose their job. Help us cast the widest net possible by ALERTING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS to this important opportunity to make a difference and voice your concerns. Show our legislators that words do matter! Help ensure that Indiana:

· prevents the passage of a DANGEROUS AMENDMENT that HURTS ALL HOOSIERS
· recognizes that HOOSIERS deserve to be PROTECTED from BIAS-BASED CRIMES
· expands its CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS to include ALL HOOSIERS

The Indiana Senate has once again passed SJR-7, and it now makes its way to the Indiana House of Representatives for consideration in the coming days. The Senate had all but decided to not give SJR-7 a hearing this year, but the so called "pro-family" organizations like Advance America, the Indiana Family Institute and the American Family Association of Indiana put extreme pressure on the Senate leadership, and they changed course.

Indiana Equality continues to work closely with leadership of the House of Representatives to make sure that this harmful bill does not see the light of day again this year. While we expect victory again this year, it's clear, as evidenced by the attempt to put marriage language into the proposed constitutional amendment on property taxes, that the proponents of the Marriage Discrimination Amendment will not stop their questionable tactics to keep this hurtful bill in play. Passage of SJR-7 by the Indiana House of Representatives will keep this harmful legislation in play and set the stage for a possible ballot initiative this year.

If approved by the electorate, SJR-7 will forever write discrimination into the Indiana Constitution, affecting thousands of Hoosier families. Other ideas you can do to take action:

· Write the editor of your local newspaper to express your support/opposition to legislation.
· Hand write a letter to your local elected officials letting them know about unfair legislation or practices.
· Talk to your friends, family and neighbors how unfair legislation affects all Hoosier families.

[F6 EDITOR'S NOTES & ADDENDUM:]

+ To hear the statewide version of AFA's new ad, click here (http://www.afainpac.net/Audio/IN-FebAd.mp3)

+ There are many things you can do to stem the tide of the rhetoric of our detractors. For more information, visit Indiana Equality. You will find a wealth of information that will assist you in making a difference.

+ "They that deny a God destroy man’s nobility; for certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body; and, if he be not of kin to God by his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature."
(Sir Francis Bacon)