Group of pastors across State and Nation against Prop 8

It's good to hear news trickling in that groups of Pastors and leaders, religious and otherwise, are asking the State of California to vote No on Proposition 8.

As I shared yesterday, in spite of my good Catholic upbringing and urging from the Catholic hierarchy I believe that the best moral decision is to vote No on Proposition 8. A God of love would not be one that supports writing discrimination into our Constitution.

The Yes on 8 campaign has fairly convincingly spread the lie that to be religious--especially, to be Christian--means that you value traditional families and thus will vote yes on 8. On Saturday I stood on the corner of Jefferson and Lincoln to proclaim (by my presence) that I am a person of faith, a person that values families of love and commitment and that I am vowing to vote No on 8. Often I feel alone in walking the line of integrating religion with my homosexuality.

In Monday's news, I heard this:

More than a dozen pastors Monday stood on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, where the fight for same-sex marriage in California began four years ago, to urge Californians to reject a ballot measure that would make gay marriage illegal.

They also announced that more than 2,200 faith leaders from across the country have signed an open letter to religious leaders calling for the recognition of same-sex marriage.

Among those taking part in the event organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, were the Rev. Bishop Mark Holmerud of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; the Rev. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director of the California Council of Churches; the Rev. Mary Susan Gast, Conference Minister of the Northern California Nevada Conference, United Church of Christ; the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Episcopal Bishop of California; and the Rev. Lindi Ramsden, Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry.

The presence of the high profile clergy was meant to dispel attempts by evangelical Christians, the Roman Catholic Church and Mormons that people of faith support the proposed amendment.On Friday, a group of Mormons who support gay marriage delivered protest letters and bundles of carnations to church headquarters in Salt Lake City in an appeal to end the church’s support of the ballot initiative in California. [365Gay]

Thank God for their support and public witness! We know locally that the United Methodist Church, Covenant Presbyterian, and faithful from other religious communities in the Valley have been working to support their LGBTQ brothers and sisters here, including through phone banking for No on 8.

Additionally, today on Pam's House Blend, Pam wrote about Black leaders coming out against Prop 8.

For me, as a Catholic against Proposition 8, Father Geoff's story has been particularly inspiring. I wrote about him yesterday. As I said recently, I know I couldn't do this--this standing up, this speaking out, this coming out--alone.

After yesterday's post I got more than a handful of very kind emails and comments from folks offering their support and their company on this journey. Thank you, I was very touched by your unexpected reaching out. Together we can be strength for the journey.

Who for you has been the most inspirational or supportive in the battle for Prop 8 or in your journey of coming out?