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About ‘For the Bible Tells Me So’
Dan Karslake's provocative, entertaining documentary brilliantly
reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture, and in the process
reveals that Church-sanctioned anti-gay bias is based almost solely
upon a significant (and often malicious) misinterpretation of the
Bible. As the film notes, most Christians live their lives today
without feeling obliged to kill anyone who works on the Sabbath
or eats shrimp (as a literal reading of scripture dictates).
Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very
American families—including those of former House Majority
Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson—we
discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of
having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond
Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, and Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg, For
the Bible Tells Me So offers healing, clarity and understanding
to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Betsy Pursell, Vice President for Public Education/Outreach,
Human Rights Campaign
Betsy Pursell oversees the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's work
for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality in the areas
of religion and faith. Prior to HRC, Pursell was a high school principal
and career educator. Most recently, she was the executive director
of a Washington, D.C.-based anti-bullying and violence training organization.
Chrissy Gephardt, featured in For
the Bible Tells Me So The first openly gay family member
of a presidential candidate in history, Gephardt is an accomplished
spokeswoman for LGBT issues, and gave issues of equal rights and
social justice a prominent place in the 2004 campaign. She
currently lives in Washington, DC.
Tom Yates, Board of Directors, DignityUSA Before
moving to the DC area in 1980, Tom served as coordinator of the Broome
County Gay Alliance (BCGC). A long term (24 year) member of Dignity,
Tom has served three terms on the board of directors of Dignity/Washington
and was a charter member of the Washington chapter of the Defenders
LLC (the Leather adjunct to Dignity. Tom also served as president
of Brother Help Thyself (BHT) for seven years.
John DiNapoli, Westminster Presbyterian John DiNapoli
brings his passion for the arts into his current position as Chair
of Southwest Renaissance Development Corporation, whose mission is "human
and community development through economic and artistic opportunity." Recently,
Mr. DiNapoli formed the Westminster Presbyterian Alphabet Initiativeî. Its
mission statement, 'Many Letters: One Alphabet,' exemplifies the
goal of leaving the labels of GLBTTQS aside and developing "sexual
preference neutral" social and cultural events and performances.
• View
the trailer for this film.
• Read
The New York Times review of this film.
Resources
In response to the screening of For the Bible
Tells Me So, One In Ten and Reel Affirmations would like
to offer some online resources to members of our community seeking
well-researched, reliable information about gays, God and society.
The links below give objective alternatives to literal interpretations
of Scripture, news on issues of glbt/faith in most major religions,
and opportunities to take action in spreading understanding of religious
tolerance in our society. This is not a comprehensive list, but it
will give a great start to deeper exploration through the World Wide
Web.
For
the Bible Tells Me So web site
The film has opened for theatrical screenings nationwide. View a
list of screening dates and locations. Learn how you can bring the
film to your community. View the trailer; sign up for e-mail bulletins
about the film.
ReligiousTolerance.org — This
is a vast, objective resource about the diversity of religions and
their positions on most major issues, including homosexuality. It’s
especially detailed and insightful in small, impressive ways: The
definition of tolerance, the four major ways to interpret Scripture,
etc. "We don't care what your religion is. We only care about
whether you are willing to be religiously tolerant—that is
to accept the right of other folks to follow their own spiritual
path even if it is very different from your own.
“In this web site, we try to:
- Explain objectively all of the major North American religions;
- Explain all points of view on controversial religious and moral
topics, like equal rights for homosexuals, abortion access, spanking
children, etc.
- Promote religious tolerance: treating others fairly and with
respect, even though they follow a religion that is different from
yours.”
The
Human Rights Campaign Religion and Faith Program — The
articles section offers “Stands" on glbt issues taken
by most major faiths.
Faith
in America: Don’t Accept Bigotry as Religious Truth — Founded
and financed by furniture mogul Mitchell Gold and directed by the
Rev. Jimmy Creech, this group produces a web site that offers resources,
news and paths to action to fulfill its mission:
“The emancipation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
people from bigotry disguised as religious truth. ... By exposing
and rebuking religion-based bigotry, Faith In America, Inc., appeals
to and honors both the authentic religious and democratic ideals
that rest in the soul of the American people.”
Soulforce web
site
Soulforce’s mission is “to cut off homophobia at its
source—religious bigotry.” An activist organization
(it was co-founded by Mel White, the former ghostwriter for fellow
evangelicals, Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, Jim Bakker, and Jerry
Falwell), the web site focuses on action opportunities. Resources
tend to be synopses of White's publications, and come with an activist
point of view, however the well-researched updates on major denomination’s
policies and positions re: lgbt members and clergy is useful in tracking
recent developments at the national level.
Recent articles of interest re:
God and gays
USA TODAY — ‘Dear
Abby’ says she’s for gay marriage — The widely
read national columnist and purveyor of just plain common sense says, "I
believe if two people want to commit to each other, God bless 'em.
... Women were once considered chattel, and slavery was regarded
as sanctioned in the Bible. However, western society grew to recognize
that neither was just. Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain
have recognized gay marriage, and one day, perhaps, our country will,
too."
NEWSWEEK — Love
Thy (Gay) Neighbor — Senior Editor Lisa Miller reports,
“It is undoubtedly getting much easier to find evangelicals
with authentic Bible-belt credentials expressing love and support
for their gay friends and neighbors." This speaks to a panelist’s
point Sunday that our community has friends who must be approached
if understanding is to spread.
NEW YORK TIMES — A
Nation of Christians is Not a Christian Nation — In an
op-ed piece, Jon Meacham, Newsweek editor and the author of American
Gospel, which describes the ideological roots of the Constitution’s
separation of church and state, writes: “The founders were
not anti-religion. Many of them were faithful in their personal
lives, and in their public language they evoked God. They grounded
the founding principle of the nation—that all men are created
equal—in the divine. But they wanted faith to be one thread
in the country's tapestry, not the whole tapestry.” Meacham’s
book is an antidote to the “nation-founded-on-Judeo-Christian-beliefs” line.
This op-ed piece notes that national leaders since the founders
have written and acted to preserve religious freedom and inclusiveness
and to distance both politics and government from religious organizations.
Humor
Dear,
George W. Bush—“As you said, ‘in the eyes
of God marriage is based between a man a woman.’” I
have some other Biblical interpretations I need help with: “Leviticus
25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided
they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims
that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify?
Why can't I own Canadians?” Etc., etc. |
