Right now in Georgia, there is an effort underway among fringe faith groups to incite hatred against our LGBT community members and use it to lobby lawmakers for harmful legislation that gives license to discriminate in the name of religion.
Today, the Georgia Baptist Mission Board is holding their annual conference, at which their Public Affairs director, Mike Griffin, is slated to host a session entitled: The Church Responding to the Gay Agenda.
The fact is: There is no “gay agenda” attacking our churches or any other places of worship. There are many faith communities in Georgia that are LGBT-inclusive. And there are many LGBT Georgians who are also religious.
300+ faith leaders have joined Georgia Unites in opposition to legislative efforts to legalize LGBT discrimination in the name of religion. And yesterday, ally Reverend David Key issued an appeal to people of faith across Georgia to take a stand against efforts to divide our communities and to join the faith coalition against LGBT discrimination.
Read his message below, and click here to add your name to the coalition.
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I’m a life-long Baptist and have been a reverend in Georgia for the past 24 years. But lately, I am increasingly concerned with the un-Christian rhetoric some of my peers are pushing across our state and in the legislature—specifically, exclusionary rhetoric that targets the LGBT community for harm. As a devout Christian, I know my faith calls me to treat others as I would like to be treated—and that includes our LGBT brothers and sisters. Moreover, as a person of faith, it is my duty to stand up to those who would use religion as an excuse to discriminate against LGBT people—and say ENOUGH. If you identify as a person of faith, join me and 300+ faith leaders as we build a groundswell grassroots faith coalition dedicated to halting efforts to legalize LGBT discrimination in the name of religion across Georgia. Click here to add your name. Tomorrow, the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s Public Affairs director, Mike Griffin, is slated to speak at their annual conference with a presentation called: The Church Responding to the Gay Agenda. Griffin is notorious for having equated LGBT people to child rapists, and criminals who have sex with animals. His church statement of belief states: “homosexuality and lesbianism are aberrations.” The description of his presentation says that he will share“policies needed to protect your church from the LGBT agenda.” These abhorrent, deceitful comments are not the marks of a man of good faith. Yet still, Mike Griffin remains the public face of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. As someone who believes that ALL men and women are created equal in God’s image—these heinous statements from a fellow Baptist are shameful. I cannot and will not sit idly by as core faith values of tolerance and love are subverted for devious and discriminatory political means. Will you join me? Click here to add your name to the faith coalition dedicated to putting an end to LGBT exclusion and discrimination under the guise of “protecting” religion. It’s time for people of faith to come together and demand a cessation to the harmful rhetoric that seeks only to divide us further. It’s time—now more than ever—for unity. Reverend David Key for Georgia Unites Against Discrimination |
@GeorgiaUnites