Our friends at Soulforce and Atticus Circle have launched an innovative — and much-needed — project to foster thoughtful discussion between faith communities and activists for gay and lesbian civil rights.
Between May 17 and June 28, 2009, groups of LGBT and allied people around the country will attend worship services at a church of their choice – a church that is not welcoming and affirming of openly LGBT members and guests. Each group will wear a lapel button that reads “gay? fine by me.”
Details about upcoming training sessions and how to participate in a “Sundays of Solidarity” event are available here. Listen to Rev. Paul Dodd of Austin explain the need for more honest, civil dialogue between the gay and lesbian community and congregants in churches that oppose LGBT rights.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8xF_OpKYaE]
While they may intend for this to foster thoughtful discussion, I predict the congregations of the churches they do this at will view this as an “attack”.
They will indeed.
If the pastor knows they are coming to his church, you can bet that the sermon will be aimed directly at the LGBTs and that the church will hire armed security guards (rent-a-cops) to man the entrances and exits. It will be a really bad scene. This is a bad idea and someone is going to get hurt.