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  • Confronting Religious Arguments

    Recently we released a special report on guidelines for addressing religious arguments. This document can serve as a tool that you can use in your community to create dialogue about the immense harm caused to LGBT individuals, especially youth. Download the report here.

    Watch examples of this messaging at work at a recent community forum.

Evangelical Initiative

One can only imagine the emotional strain faced by a teenager when one of the nation’s leading pastors compares your sexuality to incest.

Rick Warren: “…I’m opposed to [the] redefinition of a 5,000 year definition of marriage. I’m opposed to having a brother and sister being together and calling that marriage. I’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage.”

Steven Waldman: “Do you think those are equivalent to gays getting married?”

Rick Warren: “Oh , I do.” [Rick Warren interview on Belief.net]

Rick Warren’s comparison of gay marriage to incest and his claim that “every single religion” has defined marriage is an example of the work to be done in the Evangelical community. The truth is many faiths including Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ support many rights for gay people.

Rick Warren, Pastor at Saddleback Church and best-selling author of ‘The Purpose Driven Life,’ is a leader in the Evangelical community and must be made aware of the pain his comments and opposition to California’s Proposition 8 bring to many gay people. Teenagers struggling to accept their sexuality because of his religion-based bigotry are hurt even worse. One can only imagine the emotional strain faced by a teenager when one of the nation’s leading pastors compares your sexuality to incest.

In response to Pastor Warren’s comments and teachings at Saddleback Church, Faith In America is urging you to contact Rick Warren and tell him that being gay is not a choice and that you disagree with his literal interpretation of scripture. We no longer interpret scripture to condone slavery and the subservience of women; why is it still permissible to deny LGBT citizens equal rights and compare their lifestyle to incest?

Here is how you can get involved:

  1. Record an open letter or ‘If I were your daughter’ video telling your story of religion-based bigotry or personal views on the issue. Tell Pastor Warren that his views of the LGBT community do not reflect your Christian beliefs. FIA has discovered that showing those who practice religion-based bigotry about the pain their comments cause begins to change their minds and allows them see scripture’s ability to lift people up, not tear them down. Upload the video to Faith In America’s website and we will share it on our YouTube page.
  2. Click here to email Pastor Warren and share your spiritual and sexual orientation journey. Help disprove the myth that being gay is not a choice and it is how you were created by God.
  3. Write a letter to the local paper
  4. Host a letter writing or video party. There is power in numbers!

If you have questions about the Evangelical Initiative or would like help with your efforts email evangelicalinitiative@faithinamerica.org