In closing out Sally Kern Week, I wanted to promote this idea originally posted by Joel David of NewsOK.com. Originally, I had intended to go overboard by coaxing anyone who knew a cross dresser, or was willing to be one for one Sunday morning to get out to Olivet Baptist Church (1201 NW 10th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73106) for worship (service begins at 10:50).
Then, after seeing Ellen Degeneres’ heartfelt and classy response, I thought better. Pastor Steve Kern and his homophobic state representative wife would probably enjoy such a spectacle as support of their pick-and-choose philosophy of biblical interpretation. What would be better is if anyone, gay or otherwise, just attended the service peacefully. Just quietly sit in the pew wearing your Sunday best, perhaps making small talk with the other parishioners during fellowship time. Then, when Pastor Steve begins his spiel prior to passing the plate, just stand up and file out quietly–unless you really want to sing “We Shall Overcome” (in which case, the regular churchgoers would at least give you credit for not choosing a showtune).
On the other hand, if you have already purchased your Osama bin Laden costume and prepared your sign saying “Hey, at least I’m not gay” then go ahead and stand outside the church. Just make sure to send us pictures.
Let me say that this:
http://blogs.journalrecord.com/hottopic/2008/03/12/15-minutes-of-fame/
Is not at all related the “Humor” column over at Look at OKC.
If you would have shared your idea with me, instead of schmoozing with the Journal Record, I could have given you the credit.
Not related to this post necessarily, but I saw this article of thought of you guys.
http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2008/03/personal_meanspirited_attacks.html/?adref=NmiF238
Can’t you guys just get along? Please?
Big ups to Joel David!
i had a heartfelt and compassionate response to issue as well, but my friends told me it sounded gay…
Get me to the church on time! I’ll be there Gays for God (used to be Gays for Guad - but I left new Mexico). Thanks for the great idea.
And if you happen to be a member of Olivet who doesn’t have all that much invested in Rep. Kern’s point of view but who has found the church as your place to connect with God, please don’t be offended by the people who’ve come to hijack *your* worship service in order to make *their* statement. They may not know any better.
Thanks, Brett.
How is leaving during the service “hijacking”? On the other hand, if those members want to go to a church where they can connect with God, they might be better served attending a less political chuch. Perhaps Fred Phelps has space for them.
In no way is anyone suggesting *highjacking* a service. A church is, or should be, open to people of any background. If it so happens a particular group of people wants to attend a church service, they are allowed to. Now, if some of those people want to go to a particular church dressed as drag queens so be it. Icing on the homophobic cake I say.
Doing anything during a church service to call and focus attention on oneself and one’s own agenda is hijacking the service.
The proper focus of a Christian worship service is God. Rep. Kern’s poorly-considered remarks would be hijacking the service were she to offer them there. The suggested actions, conducted so as to draw attention to something other than God, amount to the same.
In seminary, our worship professor liked to remind us, “Worship is not about you.” She meant it to help keep us soon-to-be pastors from outgrowing our hats, but it is just as applicable to anyone who walks through the door of a sanctuary.
Against my better judgment, I’m going to weigh in on this subject with a serious response for the first and only time, as the comments have already headed in that direction.
This is, I think, an awkward topic for us to handle, because it is a very serious and important issue and this web site is anything but.
A protest at a church sponsored by writers from The Lost Ogle, the Journal Record, and LookatOKC is certainly an interesting idea, but I’m baffled as to what possible practical effect it could have.
There is a reason Sally Kern and her defenders have tried to make this issue about hate mail and supposed death threats and everything except the issue of her comments. Because, in the end, she loses on the merits. Every time.
That is why those of us who find her hateful comments so deplorable are doing her a favor by taking the focus off of them. Every time this becomes an issue of her house or her son or her church or anything other than the words she spoke it does Sally Kern a favor.
If you are serious about shining a light on her prejudiced, homophobic comments, do it and don’t allow her cover by distracting away from the issue at hand.
If you want to do something meaningful, write her a letter (not an e-mail) telling her that you will donate to and work for her opponent unless she disavows her remarks. And then do so. If you live in another district, write your Rep and say the same thing. And then do so.
We lose potential allies in this argument when we bring family or churches into the discussion. This is about Sally Kern, and her disgusting remarks.
This is all my opinion, of course, and I don’t speak for any of my friends associated with this web site. This will be the last time I comment on this matter. I don’t want to get into a back and forth. Just my own humble opinion.
Now, let’s get back to making fun of James Hale.
Wow, that was long. Definitely against my better judgment!
I wished I’d known back then when I was being tormented and bullied in the halls of Putnam City West that I was actually the real terrorist. That might have given this little 5-3, 115 pound kid a little more moxie.
Whoever impersonated Tony and wrote that post should be ashamed.
(I’ll be here all week folks. Be sure to tip your waitress and bar staff.
James Hale is like that kid in middle school who hung out with the janitor and thought he was cool, but everyone else know he was a tool.
I think you folks should give Sally a break. After all, she has done some serious work in reinforcing the stereotypical views that outsiders have of our home state. Where would we be if Okies were accepted as something other than mean and ignorant. We would have to develop a whole new identity.
To protect the status quo, I propose the following. First, I suggest we outlaw the Democratic Party. Secondly, we should encourage our many sportsmen,aka hunters, to take their guns and round up all the gays and take them to church. We could develop a catchy slogan for the program. How about “grab your gun, it’s time to get a gay to God”. To prove that we are compassionate conservatives, we could give tax vouchers to gays that stop queerin’ off. We could have a fund raiser to support our political initiatives. Rick Perry would make a fine keynote speaker.
Hey Brett, I agree. That being said, intermingling church with state goes both ways. I personally attend a church that is apolitical and don’t have to worry about such things. If you can tell me that Sally Kern and her husband don’t use Olivet Baptist to help her get elected and he never discusses the gay agenda in his sermons, then sure, it’s unfair that Sally brought this kind of attention that will distract from God.
For your parishioners sake, I hope you keep your political views close to your chest when it comes to church business.
Keeping my political views out of my sermons is an old habit; before I was a minister I was a reporter and I was supposed to keep them out of my news stories as well. My denomination has a wide range of folks in it and politicized preachers pretty quickly find large sections of their congregations tuning them out no matter which way they decide to push in that arena.
I agree if Rep. Kern’s husband uses his position to campaign for her he’s crossed the line. Beyond making understandable jokes like, “Well, y’all know who *I’m* votin’ for,” that is.