Matthew Shepard 10 Years Later
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Matthew Shepard after 10 Years
Science Fiction writer once said, "God is an iron."
His reasoning is that, if someone who commits a felony is a 'felon', then someone who commits an irony must be an iron.
October 12 marks the 10th anniversary of the brutal killing of death Matthew Shepard, a college student from Wyoming. His death shocked the nation and raised awareness of hat crimes against gays.
One of the most shocking things connected to Shepard's case were the protests led by Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church. Rev. Phelps and his followers picketed Shepard's funeral and the trial of his assailants carrying signs with some of the ugliest anti-gay slogans imaginable. Rev. Phelps whole ministry is based on a message of hatred against homosexuals. Lest you think I'm judging him too harshly, you can check out his church's website at www.godhatesfags.com.
Things have changed since that day, 10 years ago, not dramatically perhaps, but inexorably. The message of intolerance and hatred that Rev. Phelps pushed so fiercely has become less acceptable. These days, when I go to ecumenical conferences, I hear something unexpected from some of my more conservative colleagues. I hear people who still believe that homosexuality is a sinful 'lifestyle choice' saying that they have to change the way they talk about, and to gays and lesbians. I hear others beginning to question if sexual orientation is actually a choice at all, or simply a way people are born. I even hear people beginning to say that it shouldn't matter, that we should love each other the way Jesus did. I hear even very conservative churches saying that God's grace has to be our central message.
They're still small steps, but it seems like a definite trend. I can imagine a time in the next generation or so when condemning homosexuals may be as unacceptable in churches as racism has become. When the massage of hate is presented as starkly as Rev. Phelps has done, people of faith will see it for what it is, and head the other way.
I believe we are coming to a time when gays and lesbians will find greater acceptance in the church than they ever have. The irony of this is that Dr. Phelps and his message of hate may have as much to do with this as all the sermons on love and acceptance by all the liberal clergy out there.
God really is an iron.
Science Fiction writer once said, "God is an iron."
His reasoning is that, if someone who commits a felony is a 'felon', then someone who commits an irony must be an iron.
October 12 marks the 10th anniversary of the brutal killing of death Matthew Shepard, a college student from Wyoming. His death shocked the nation and raised awareness of hat crimes against gays.
One of the most shocking things connected to Shepard's case were the protests led by Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church. Rev. Phelps and his followers picketed Shepard's funeral and the trial of his assailants carrying signs with some of the ugliest anti-gay slogans imaginable. Rev. Phelps whole ministry is based on a message of hatred against homosexuals. Lest you think I'm judging him too harshly, you can check out his church's website at www.godhatesfags.com.
Things have changed since that day, 10 years ago, not dramatically perhaps, but inexorably. The message of intolerance and hatred that Rev. Phelps pushed so fiercely has become less acceptable. These days, when I go to ecumenical conferences, I hear something unexpected from some of my more conservative colleagues. I hear people who still believe that homosexuality is a sinful 'lifestyle choice' saying that they have to change the way they talk about, and to gays and lesbians. I hear others beginning to question if sexual orientation is actually a choice at all, or simply a way people are born. I even hear people beginning to say that it shouldn't matter, that we should love each other the way Jesus did. I hear even very conservative churches saying that God's grace has to be our central message.
They're still small steps, but it seems like a definite trend. I can imagine a time in the next generation or so when condemning homosexuals may be as unacceptable in churches as racism has become. When the massage of hate is presented as starkly as Rev. Phelps has done, people of faith will see it for what it is, and head the other way.
I believe we are coming to a time when gays and lesbians will find greater acceptance in the church than they ever have. The irony of this is that Dr. Phelps and his message of hate may have as much to do with this as all the sermons on love and acceptance by all the liberal clergy out there.
God really is an iron.
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