The Rising Religious Tide in Support of the Gay Community
By Michael Boyajian
As the Pope runs around Europe trying to stop nation after nation from legalizing same sex marriage while looking the other way from Church abuses a counter offensive is going on in New York.
Everyone knows the proverb about a woman scorned but there is another lesser known proverb about the scorn of the devout. This is the story of Michael Sabatino, Jr. and Robert Voorheis devout Catholics who sang for their church choir until they married in Canada and then were asked to leave the choir. Well, they left the church and took Michael’s equally devout late mother along with them to the nearest Episcopal Church where they sing in the choir to this day.
Well the story does not end there. With all the talk about the religious right’s opposition to same sex marriage one overlooks the rise of mainstream religious organizations’ defense of marriage equality and it is being led by the faithful like Michael and Robert.
For instance at Temple Israel of New Rochelle there is an event planned that invites members of other congregations to attend a rally in support of same sex marriage on June 13 at noon. Yes there is a rising tide in religious circles that supports marriage equality in the greatest of terms now taking an active role in the movement.
Temple Israel states that opponents of same sex marriage say they speak for people of all faiths, do not let them speak for you come be heard. The Temple goes onto to say that they plan to educate the faithful about the greatest civil rights issue of our generation, they are in support of the right of ALL PEOPLE to be married.
The event is organized by the Temple’s Kulanu or All of Us Committee. And that is the gist of this issue, it involves all of us standing up against those who wish to oppress our fellow citizens in the name of their own interpretation of faith. Well faith for many goes beyond narrow minded views and that faith is a rising tide in support of the gay community. There is not one viewpoint on this issue for the faithful as some would have you believe but many opinions and they are coming together to be heard not out of hatred but out of love for our fellow citizens on June 13. God is after all Great.