By Bill Carroll
I recently wrote to my local paper in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which will most likely be up for a vote in the U.S. House soon. The text of my letter is found at the conclusion of this article. Please remember to write your Representatives in Congress, as well as your local newspaper, in your own words. They particularly need to hear from Christians who support an end to workplace discrimination against LGBT persons. As the letter notes, some conservative Christians will try to frame ENDA as an assault on religious liberty, as they attempted to do with regard to the hate crimes bill. This false witness makes a mockery of our Lord’s invitation to simple truth telling and keeps the Church in bondage to the violence of the fallen powers. Our advocacy for full civil equality for LGBT persons is at least as important as our attempts to become a Church that extends an equal welcome to all.
I am convinced that working to prevent violence and discrimination forms an integral part of the Church’s evangelical witness. So too do our efforts to repent of our sins against LGBT persons and to give public testimony to God’s equal love for all. This is crucial if we are to reach coming generations for Christ. I noted with interest the recent report from the strategic planning committee for the Episcopal Church, which listed “reaching youth and young adults” as our top strategic goal. To quote Bishop Tom Breidenthal’s address at our recent diocesan convention in Southern Ohio, which resonates with my own experience working with young adults:
As for college students, every indication is that Generation Next values the older generation, and seeks its guidance. But, as recent graduates of our own diocesan youth program have repeatedly told me, they want a voice at the table and the real opportunity to make a difference rather than just “fitting in.” Again, they have a deep reverence for the past, but they are choosy in this regard. They want the best past, not the worst. They want the ancient liturgy of the church and the sacraments and the creeds. But they don’t want lingering racism, opposition to the ordination of women, and the ongoing questioning of gay and lesbian communicants as proper Christians.
Here is my letter. Again, please don’t forget to write one of your own.
November 13, 2009
To the editor:
The House of Representatives will soon consider H. R. 3017, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. This bill would prohibit workplace discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons.
Opponents will likely play to fears about losing religious liberty. Such fears are baseless. The bill will ensure fair treatment under the law for people who face discrimination in our society. Questions of doctrine will be left for religious communities to sort out for themselves.
I am a priest serving as the rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Athens. As a whole, the Episcopal Church is moving forward to welcome all people equally. In Southern Ohio, our bishop has confirmed this direction by ordaining partnered clergy and permitting same sex unions. Not all Episcopalians agree with this emerging consensus, including some members of our parish. Nevertheless, Good Shepherd gladly embraces these developments and has done so for decades.
We should distinguish between the practices of a given community and the liberties that government ought to secure for all. Since 1976, the Episcopal Church has advocated for “equal protection of the laws” for LGBT people. This stance could be affirmed independently from our commitment to equality within the Church. I hope that other citizens, whatever their own beliefs, will support equality under the law for their LGBT neighbors. Please join me in asking Representatives Wilson and Space to oppose discrimination and vote “yes” on H.R. 3017.
Sincerely,
The Rev. Bill Carroll
The Rev. Dr. R. William Carroll is rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Athens, Ohio. He received his Ph.D. in Christian theology from the University of Chicago Divinity School. His sermons appear on his parish blog. He also blogs at Living the Gospel. He is a member of the Third Order of the Society of Saint Francis.