Bishop tells Morristown service to declare gay pride in wake of Orlando shootings

'THE CHURCH HAS A LOT OF REPENTING TO DO' : Bishop Gene Robinson speaks for gay pride at Morristown's Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
'THE CHURCH HAS A LOT OF REPENTING TO DO' : Bishop Gene Robinson speaks for gay pride at Morristown's Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
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Video playlist: Bishop calls for gay pride in wake of Orlando massacre

By Kevin Coughlin

In the wake of this month’s massacre of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, “it is especially important that we stand up and declare our pride in them, and in ourselves,” Bishop Gene Robinson told a gay pride service at Morristown’s Episcopal Church of the Redeemer on Sunday.

Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion, compared the Pulse nightclub to a cathedral, and the murders to a desecration.

Pulse was “a place to try on this notion of being whole,” he said. “It’s an astounding thing to find a place like that. And it was a desecration of that holiness for those people to be shot there.”

Robinson’s election as bishop of New Hampshire sent shock waves through the church. Retired since 2013, he now serves as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. He said the quest for gay equality has made great strides–in spite of the faith community.

“We have to admit that religion has been our biggest problem [and] our biggest obstacle to overcome in the fight for equality. And the church has a lot of repenting to do for the harm it has caused LGBT people,” he said.

'THE CHURCH HAS A LOT OF REPENTING TO DO' : Bishop Gene Robinson speaks for gay pride at Morristown's Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
‘THE CHURCH HAS A LOT OF REPENTING TO DO’ : Bishop Gene Robinson speaks for gay pride at Morristown’s Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

While some consider LGBT rights, compassion and ministry like “an add-on to religion,” that misses the mark, he said. “It is religion. It is the Gospel.”

Too many people twist that Gospel and wield its words as weapons, he said.

Bishop Gene Robinson at Redeemer; Rector Cynthia Black is to his left. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Bishop Gene Robinson at Redeemer; Rector Cynthia Black is to his left. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

“We know what it’s like, instead of having people rejoice with us at our newly found pride, they criticize us, they work against us, and in the name of God they condemn us. Well, shame on them!  Because of Jesus Christ, we not only walk, and run, but we dance.

“You can shoot us. And we will still be here. You can discriminate against us, and we will still fight for our rights. You can tell us that God thinks we’re an abomination. And we will tell you right back: We are beloved children of God,” the bishop said, to applause.

Gays grieving the dead in Orlando should find solace and hope in the message of Christianity, Robinson said.

“We don’t know how long it will take. But we know how it ends: With love winning. With God winning. When you know how it’s going to end, you can take horrible setbacks and still go on.”

Robinson said he has learned from the Black Lives Matter movement. He was especially moved by a hand-painted memorial in Ferguson, Mo., where Michael Brown was shot in a confrontation with police.  It read: “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.”

“They’ve been trying to bury us for a long time,” Robinson told worshipers on Sunday. “They just don’t know we are seeds.”

Multicolored banners celebrate gay pride outside Morristown's Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Multicolored banners celebrate gay pride outside Morristown’s Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion, spoke at Redeemer in Morristown. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion, spoke at Redeemer in Morristown. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

 

 

 

 

1 COMMENT

  1. Great coverage. You got it. Thx for posting the video clips of his sermon, particularly. There was so much to learn that I couldn’t process it enough to be able to articulate it afterwards when I told friends and family. One additional point he did make: conservative think tanks have many ordained ministers on staff. Liberal leaning think tanks? Not a single ordained minister (except Gene Robinson at Center for American Progress). To liberals, religious beliefs = far right views, and they run screaming in the opposite direction. It’s time to put the thoughtful, embracing, accepting parts of religion back in the national dialogue, said Gene. Hmmm. Food for thought.

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