July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
A quest for affirmation, acceptance
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
When I was a teen and living with the insecurities that being a teenager brings, I had one favorite place of refuge.
The place was a Christian coffee shop in Hartford City known as "Jacob's Well." (Can you dig it?) I met Christians there that seemed more alive than what I was used to.
They opened their arms and hearts to those society rejected, that the traditional church rejected. Hippies, long-haired guys, drugged and confused girls and guys.
I had a good home but felt the need to rebel a little against my church. My rebellious nature found me at Jacob's Well, singing praise songs and listening to Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, and others. I began going to outdoor Jesus concerts, participating in local community outreach for Christ programs.
I lived and breathed Jesus and believed being in Christ meant you treated those outside your faith with love and acceptance, dignity and respect.
In 1974, I met Ray Boltz, a new believer. I was one of the youngest ones there and most of the time a tag-along. As I grew older and the "Well" was gone, Cindy and I would run into Ray once in awhile. He always greeted us warmly.
On through and past high school, he continued to bless us and encourage us in our faith. I would not say we had a close friendship over the passing years, but we kept in touch, and his wife, Cindy, and I had a warm friendship.
When this friend of ours, after 30-plus years of marriage, revealed to us that her husband was gay and asked us with tears and a broken heart not to hate him (which we could not have done anyway), Cindy and I had a choice to make. We began to read books on the subject of homosexuality and stories from the lives of gay people that wanted a faith community but could no longer hide in the shadows of fundamentalism's rebuke and shame.
After Cindy, Emily, and I were rejected by the church we helped start, a church that prides itself on acceptance then told me I had a demon on me and was deceived, we began to visit churches known to be gay affirming. In Indiana alone, there are over 90 churches that openly accept the GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer) community.
I have met with pastors from United Church of Christ, Metropolitan Community Church, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and Methodist churches across Indiana, and I know one thing: As sure as Christ walked the earth, there is no difference - none - between a loving monogamous gay couple and a loving monogamous straight couple. We follow Christ the same, and He accepts us the same.
Now our scope is inclusive, wanting those that grew up in a church that rejected them to know that once again the church got it wrong. The earth does not revolve around the sun, it wasn't created in a literal six days, owning people is wrong, women are more than property, you can eat shellfish and even eat it on a Sunday in a restaurant! You can own a TV, play cards, and it's not a sin to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered.
But what about Prism GSA? It's not even a Christian group.
I find it interesting that none of you that publicly rebuked Prism have talked to anyone involved with it. One lady bragging about her protest march couldn't even get the name right. Are you sure you know what you are protesting?
This is what you protest:
1. My daughter and her friends accepting others.
That's it.
Prism GSA is a group of kids that accept each other regardless of how someone identifies their sexual orientation.
The American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, and the National Association of Social Workers all affirm the views held by my daughter and her friends.
To those that have so eloquently opposed Ray's concert and Prism GSA, we thank you.
We could not in our wildest imaginations so expressively articulated the need for a Gay Straight Alliance in Jay County.
Tim and Cindy Morris
Portland
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When I was a teen and living with the insecurities that being a teenager brings, I had one favorite place of refuge.
The place was a Christian coffee shop in Hartford City known as "Jacob's Well." (Can you dig it?) I met Christians there that seemed more alive than what I was used to.
They opened their arms and hearts to those society rejected, that the traditional church rejected. Hippies, long-haired guys, drugged and confused girls and guys.
I had a good home but felt the need to rebel a little against my church. My rebellious nature found me at Jacob's Well, singing praise songs and listening to Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, and others. I began going to outdoor Jesus concerts, participating in local community outreach for Christ programs.
I lived and breathed Jesus and believed being in Christ meant you treated those outside your faith with love and acceptance, dignity and respect.
In 1974, I met Ray Boltz, a new believer. I was one of the youngest ones there and most of the time a tag-along. As I grew older and the "Well" was gone, Cindy and I would run into Ray once in awhile. He always greeted us warmly.
On through and past high school, he continued to bless us and encourage us in our faith. I would not say we had a close friendship over the passing years, but we kept in touch, and his wife, Cindy, and I had a warm friendship.
When this friend of ours, after 30-plus years of marriage, revealed to us that her husband was gay and asked us with tears and a broken heart not to hate him (which we could not have done anyway), Cindy and I had a choice to make. We began to read books on the subject of homosexuality and stories from the lives of gay people that wanted a faith community but could no longer hide in the shadows of fundamentalism's rebuke and shame.
After Cindy, Emily, and I were rejected by the church we helped start, a church that prides itself on acceptance then told me I had a demon on me and was deceived, we began to visit churches known to be gay affirming. In Indiana alone, there are over 90 churches that openly accept the GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer) community.
I have met with pastors from United Church of Christ, Metropolitan Community Church, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and Methodist churches across Indiana, and I know one thing: As sure as Christ walked the earth, there is no difference - none - between a loving monogamous gay couple and a loving monogamous straight couple. We follow Christ the same, and He accepts us the same.
Now our scope is inclusive, wanting those that grew up in a church that rejected them to know that once again the church got it wrong. The earth does not revolve around the sun, it wasn't created in a literal six days, owning people is wrong, women are more than property, you can eat shellfish and even eat it on a Sunday in a restaurant! You can own a TV, play cards, and it's not a sin to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered.
But what about Prism GSA? It's not even a Christian group.
I find it interesting that none of you that publicly rebuked Prism have talked to anyone involved with it. One lady bragging about her protest march couldn't even get the name right. Are you sure you know what you are protesting?
This is what you protest:
1. My daughter and her friends accepting others.
That's it.
Prism GSA is a group of kids that accept each other regardless of how someone identifies their sexual orientation.
The American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, and the National Association of Social Workers all affirm the views held by my daughter and her friends.
To those that have so eloquently opposed Ray's concert and Prism GSA, we thank you.
We could not in our wildest imaginations so expressively articulated the need for a Gay Straight Alliance in Jay County.
Tim and Cindy Morris
Portland
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