The nondenominational group Faith in America today announced the launch of a five-city "Call to Courage" campaign to educate Americans about what it calls the misuse of religious teachings to discriminate and isolate LGBT people.
The campaign officially kicks off on May 6th in Ames, Iowa.
"Today marks an important day in the shared history of America’s religious and GLBT communities. For a long time we’ve stood on separate sides of an impasse" said Jimmy Creech, Executive Director of Faith In America.
"But through this education campaign we will begin a deep and sustained dialogue, to bridge the gaps of tolerance and understanding in this country." Creech served twenty-nine years as a minister in the United Methodist Church and is considered a leading expert and spokesperson on faith and the GLBT community.
The campaign will provide a forum for citizens to express their sentiments about religion-based bigotry and to discuss its harm on society and the LGBT community.
In 2006, Faith in America initiated a similar media campaign that found that participants were more accepting of 'homosexuals' after the six-month education campaign.
"We're asking Americans to be courageous and to join us in a stand against discrimination in all forms. As a nation, we have exhibited such courage in the past by rejecting the use of religion to sanction slavery and the subjugation of women," said Mitchell Gold, founder of Faith In America and a noted North Carolina furniture designer.
"This campaign is a first step toward putting an end to bigotry disguised as religious truth and creating a just world where everyone will be allowed to flourish in America without prejudice."
The campaign officially kicks off on May 6th in Ames, Iowa.
"Today marks an important day in the shared history of America’s religious and GLBT communities. For a long time we’ve stood on separate sides of an impasse" said Jimmy Creech, Executive Director of Faith In America.
"But through this education campaign we will begin a deep and sustained dialogue, to bridge the gaps of tolerance and understanding in this country." Creech served twenty-nine years as a minister in the United Methodist Church and is considered a leading expert and spokesperson on faith and the GLBT community.
The campaign will provide a forum for citizens to express their sentiments about religion-based bigotry and to discuss its harm on society and the LGBT community.
In 2006, Faith in America initiated a similar media campaign that found that participants were more accepting of 'homosexuals' after the six-month education campaign.
"We're asking Americans to be courageous and to join us in a stand against discrimination in all forms. As a nation, we have exhibited such courage in the past by rejecting the use of religion to sanction slavery and the subjugation of women," said Mitchell Gold, founder of Faith In America and a noted North Carolina furniture designer.
"This campaign is a first step toward putting an end to bigotry disguised as religious truth and creating a just world where everyone will be allowed to flourish in America without prejudice."
Learn more about Faith in America
3 comments:
Why do I feel cynicism running through every vein when I read this? Perhaps it's just me but we'll see I guess.....
TTG someone is finally using religion as a bridge instead of a barrier. Of course, I'm with Leone in that I am skeptical about how well it will work. Still, it beats sitting silently, which is what most people do!
i've seen things like thsi work, but on a very small scale. as i write this i should be writing my sermon on jesus' words: "love one another." makes me think...
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