Pride

Pride. It means different things.

Pride is, depending upon context, either a high sense of the worth of one's self or one's own or a pleasure taken in the contemplation of these things. One definition of pride in the first sense comes from Augustine: "the love of one's own excellence." ^[1] In this sense, the opposite of pride is humility. (wikipedia.org).

The term "humility" is derived from the Latin word "humilis", which is translated not only as humble but also alternatively as "low", or "from the earth", and "humus", humid, which in the past it was believed that emotions, diseases, and depressions were caused by imbalances of body waters.^[1] Because the concept of humility addresses intrinsic self-worth, it is emphasized in the realm of religious practice and ethics where the notion is often made more precise and extensive. Humility as a religious or spiritual virtue is different from the act of humiliation or shaming though the former may follow as a consequence of the latter. ^{(wikipedia.org.)}

Some have considered pride one of the "seven deadly sins" in historical context, and so on the surface it's easy to have a darker connotation to those who would stand against pride in favor of humility.

But today I'm talking about a different Pride. The Pride that some would consider wrong.
Gay Pride. All the colors of the rainbow that represent the human experience in a slightly different framework. I say framework because I want to set a tone of humility, that of being from the earth. No matter who we love we all share this earth. Our children, straight or otherwise, inherit this earth. We all depend on this earth and by extension, each other.

We have black pride. We have Hispanic Pride. we have Asian Pride. We have a Women's History (or herstory, as some prefer to use) Month. We recognize all kinds of other diversity as a good and happy thing, generally. We still have work to do, to be sure, but the simple fact of the matter is that we have a great deal of other groups and titles that claim pride and do so without guilt or shame. We must think of the damage that happens to people who suffer abuse of the spirit. Think of a long term victim of domestic abuse, for instance. Over time, they find themselves at the bottom of the rung and feel themselves to be worthless people.
They need to escape the abuse and re learn how to be human beings again.

So now imagine that you never know who your allies really are. Imagine you have to live in a world where everyone and anyone could decide, outside of who you are, or any legitimate reason:

to deny you visitation of the person you love in the hospital.
(http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=221&topic_id=119230&mesg_id=119230)

To keep you from your children and force you to have a long, horribly drawn out battle for custody just because you are honest with the world about who you are.
(http://www.genderadvocates.org/News/Kantaras%20Decision.html)

To deny you appropriate medical treatment.
(http://www.therevealer.org/archives/today_002272.php)

... or any other of in excess of a thousand rights and/or priveledges that marriage grants.
(http://www.religioustolerance.org/mar_bene.htm)

So what is the problem with Gay Pride? A Religious argument?

How many other religious arguments have we heard in the past? Let's take a trip through history.

Miscegenation? (That's the fancy term for interracial marriage.)

Family Planning? (Yes, contraception was a big social no-no for many years.)

The right of women to vote?

The right of Black Men to vote?

The right to own/buy/sell slaves?

Or, perhaps, going way back, the age old list of what we should do to be strictly biblical.
http://www.uctaa.net/articles/meds/med01/med016.html - (A letter to Dr. Laura, a popular "conservative" commentator.)

Personal Favs from the above list-

• I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself? (Does this include anyone who works a church function for pay??? )

• A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Leviticus 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

The point is, no one can live up to the whole of the Bible because it is a living document passed down through the ages. We can learn from it, glean important things, even try to live up to the examples of Jesus (forgiveness for all) and Moses (take two of every kind.)

Pride is important. Faith is important. Why do they have to be exclusive? I ask this question because the moment that anyone calls out a fundamentalist christian (I use the lowercase here, for obvious reasons, as they are not complete) on any of their practices it is immediately classed as an attack on the freedom of religion and speech. why? No one has used the power of the state to break their family apart. No one has denied them the right to worship freely as they choose. No one challenges the rights they have (assuming a
"straight" family) as listed above. Even to the chagrin of some of the more radical gay rights advocates, they are free to continue what some have called hate speech in Jesus's name unchecked. However, it seems the tide is turning with gay marriage wins in a handful of states, and official legal protection elsewhere in a smattering of localities.

Social Justice is a big part of the United Church of Christ. I feel that Gay Pride is a must, because we are humans without any distinctions to the idea of love and care. If anything, we can try to move these divided boundaries a little bit closer. We need more love and support and more brotherhood (or sisterhood, if you will) in our world.

I ask the question - who would Jesus hate? Not the sin, or the sinner. "Whosoever calls on me shall be saved." Isn't that enough?

See you at Pride!