Keeping the Faith

November 4, 2009 Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo

“KEEPING THE FAITH”

Yesterday, November 3rd , at noon, at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, along with forty other faith leaders, I participated in the San Diego gathering of “Keeping the Faith,” a series of talks held throughout the State of California keeping in the forefront of the minds of all Californians the need for Marriage Equality.

The gathering was phenomenal. All of my fellow faith leaders, most of whom were Pastors of local parishes in the greater San Diego area, stressed the importance of looking forward to a time in the near future when traditional American values of liberty & justice for all, traditional family values, traditional faith values are heard loud and clear, again, as they have in the past, making Americans the envy of the world once more and Californians the envy of the Nation for liberty. In one way or another we touched on these themes:

• Dr. Martin Luther King said the arc of history is long but bends toward justice and today we stand together to claim the true American value of liberty and justice for ALL!
• One year ago equality and justice was denied here in California, but we are not looking back, we are marching forward to reclaim the fundamental value of this country: that ALL persons are created equal.
• It is time now to focus on the values that make up a family – not the gender of the couple – and work together to bring liberty and justice to all.
• Today we stand with all who have suffered injustice... whether it is in marriage equality, immigration rights, health care, or equal access to education... to proclaim that justice delayed is justice denied.
• All relationships and families deserve equal protection and equal rights under the law… and people of faith join secular leaders throughout California to speak out until ALL means every same sex marriage and every gay or lesbian family are recognized as equal.

For my part, I spoke humbly to the leaders of the Church: “as the Presiding Bishop and Ordinary of the Diocese of California American Catholic Church, resident in the Hillcrest area of San Diego, as the Apostles of Christ have done in their example of embracing all with love, and as direct descendants of theirs in our Office, I urge my fellow Bishops and our helpers; the Priests, the Deacons, the members of Religious Orders and Communities, with the laity as I join six thousand other faith leaders from across the state of California who are keeping the faith; walking together on our journey for marriage equality.”

While a majority of the speakers spoke so eloquently, boldly, firmly and with strong passion, citing authors of poem and prose in literature, invoking needed emotion to the case for justice, reaching out to the broader audience of the California electorate, I felt compelled to speak directly to church leaders, those in position of power and influence, to step out and be heard on the side of equality, of upholding human dignity and value, codified in our church Canons and the United States Constitution.

Do you know as of today, four, down from five, states (Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, & Iowa) and the District of Columbia have all affirmed that equal protection means equal access for both “same” and “opposite” sex couples to both the rights and responsibilities of civil marriage? Countries on four continents: (Belgium, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Norway. Nepal and The Netherlands) allow same sex couples to marry. Marriage is a civil contract to which the church, in the name of God, adds a blessing. Unlike the opposition who often make claims to the contrary, no clergy will ever be forced to marry a couple if they don't want to do so. No one's religious rights will be violated if same sex couples gain the right to marry. These arguments are scare tactics perpetuated by those who want to see Prop 8 remain in California.

Let us be ready to face evil with good, negativity with possibilities, elitism with equality.

God’s Blessings,

+Thomas