[Fwd: Judge rules on 'acceptable' churches]

[Larry Ingle]

Here's a news release that appeared on another list that I'm on.
Perhaps you all would like to sink your teeth into the issues contained
herein.

Larry Ingle
Chattanooga

> N E W S   R E L E A S E
>
> April 27, 1999
>
> >From The News Service of The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
>
> Contact:  James N. Birkitt, UFMCC Director of Communications
>           Universal Fellowship of Metropolitican Community Churches
>           (310) 360-8640, Ext. 226
>
> TEXAS JUDGE RULES WHICH CHURCHES ARE ACCEPTABLE FOR GAY FAMILIES,
> DECIDES METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH NOT ACCEPTABLE
>
> (DATELINE, TEXAS) -- A district judge in the Texas court system has released
> an official ruling that the predominantly gay Metropolitan Community Church
> (MCC) is not an acceptable church for the daughter of a lesbian mother.
>
> The ruling came in the midst of a custody ruling as part of a divorce between
> the lesbian mother and her husband.
>
> "I'm holding the judge's order in my hand and reading and re-reading his
> words. I can hardly believe what I am seeing," said the Rev. Troy D. Perry,
> Moderator of more than 300 MCC congregations.
>
> In his legal opinion, Judge Keith Nelson of the 78 Judicial District of Texas
> wrote:
>
> "The primary issue is where the child would attend Sunday school and church .
> . . the intent was for mainline churches to be utilized in the religious
> training of the daughter. This would include the Catholic Church, and churches
> in the Protestant faith such as Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Christian,
> Episcopalian, which are considered to be the standard religious institutions
> in the Protestant field. The Metropolitan Community Church does not fall
> within this category."
>
> "This is a violation of the First Amendment protections to freedom of
> religion," said Perry. "We have joined hands with the National Center for
> Lesbian Rights to fight this injustice and protect the constitutional rights
> of this lesbian mother and her child."
>
> "This is not only shocking," said Perry, "it's an attack on GLBT [gay,
> lesbian, bisexual and transgendered] families and people of faith. Because
> we're gay or lesbian, this homophobic, sexist judge feels he can decide by
> official government decree which churches or synagogues are "acceptable" and
> which are not. What in God's name will it take to get the government out
> of our lives -- or from attempting to control our GLBT families?"
>
> The lesbian mother reports she tried to comply with the judge's ruling and
> attended the types of churches listed in his order. "We never felt comfortable
> in those places," said the mother, whose name is being withheld to protect her
> daughter's legal rights. "My heart almost broke when my daughter begged me to
> take her back to the MCC church."
>
> "I am asking all people of goodwill to support this case. And I encourage
> those who believe in prayer, to remember this courageous mother and her
> beautiful young daughter with their prayers," said Perry.
>
> According to Perry, an appeal of the judge's decision was filed in the Texas
> court system on Friday, April 23. "I have made a personal commitment to this
> family that we will pursure the appeals process as far as we have to to ensure
> that justice is done, and to protect other GLBT families from this kind of
> government interference into our personal, family and spiritual
> lives," added Perry.
>
> Since its founding in 1968, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
> Churches (UFMCC) has been at the forefront of the drive for spiritual and
> social justice for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons. The
> denomination successfully fought for the of rights of gays and lesbians to
> serve as chaplains in public jails, and has fought a variety of anti-gay
> laws and ballot initiatives.
>
> UFMCC is composed of more than 300 local congregations in 15 countries. UFMCC
> has 42,000 official members and adherents, and more than 225,000 persons
> attend the services and programs of UFMCC annually. Additional information on
> UFMCC is available on the Internet at http://www.ufmcc.com.
>
> # # # #
>
> FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:
> James N. Birkitt, UFMCC Director of Communications
> Universal Fellowship of Metropolitican Community Churches
> 8704 Santa Monica Blvd., 2nd Floor
> West Hollywood, CA  90069
> Tel. (310) 360-8640, Ext. 226
> Fax: (310) 360-8680
> E-Mail: Info at ufmcchq.com
> Web site: http://www.ufmcc.com
> -------------------------------------------------