Room for All was among the signers of a document circulated on October 19, 2010 to national media titled, “Clergy Against Bullying: A Faith Alliance to Stop Bullying of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender People.” After the initial phase of gathering signatures from Heads of Communions and the national staff of ecumenical and denominational LGBT advocacy organizations, others in the faith community have been invited to sign on to the document. To do so, you are invited to go to http://ufmcc.com/ministries/global-justice/special-clergy-against-bullying-cab/ufmcc.com.
Signers have also been encouraged to post the statement on websites, blogs, and other media sites.
Here are excerpts from the statement:
Today, as leaders of Christian communions and national networks, we speak with heavy hearts because of the bullying, suicides and hate crimes that have shocked this country and called all faith communities into accountability for our words or our silence. We speak with hopeful hearts, believing that change and healing are possible, and call on our colleagues in the Church Universal to join us in working to end the violence and hatred against our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters.
We, as leaders of faith, write today to say we must hold ourselves accountable, and we must hold our colleagues in the ministry, accountable for the times, whether by our silence or our proclamations, our inaction or our action, we have fueled the kinds of beliefs that make it possible for people to justify violence in the name of faith. Condemning and judging people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity can have deadly consequences, both for the victims of hate crimes and those who commit them.
There is no excuse for inspiring or condoning violence against any of our human family. We may not all agree on what the Bible says or doesn’t say about sexuality, including homosexuality, but this we do agree on: The Bible says, “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God and God in them.” Abiding in love – together – is the rule we must all preach, teach, and seek to live by.
Today, we personally pledge to be LGBT and straight people of faith standing together for the shared values of decency and civility, compassion and care in all interactions. We ask you, our colleagues, to join us in this pledge.
We pray today that you will join us in being the faces of a faith that preaches and demonstrates God’s universal acceptance and offers to one and all safe space to live, to learn, and to love and be loved.