Current Events Watch

I welcome Republicans and straight people into my house because, well, some of my friends and family are Republicans (still trying to convert them), and some of my friends and family are straight (despite rumors to the contrary, no, there is no gay agenda to convert others to switch teams. Get over yourself, you’re not that hot.) Everyone is welcome at my house, even if we’re different and don’t always agree.

I have just one house. God has many houses, of course. Churches everywhere! With so many, He of course needs caretakers, those charged to make sure everything is in order and that all of the rules are followed while He’s not there. They’re called pastors, preachers, reverends, the titles vary depending on which house we’re talking about. They are hired to welcome the visitors, and take care of their needs on God’s behalf. I think God wants everyone to feel welcome, too.

Some don’t do their caretaking jobs so well, however. Like Rev. Gary Simons of High Point Church in Arlington, TX. I think God would not be happy with Gary’s job performance, and his next performance review might be less than stellar.

His mega-church (one of God’s larger homes, apparently), canceled the memorial service of Navy veteran Cecil Howard Sinclair, who served in the first Gulf War, just 24 hours before the service, after they discovered that he was gay. Church officials apparently knew he was gay, according to his sister, but when the obituary listed his life partner as one of the survivors, they canceled the ceremony. The reverend says no one knew he was gay until the day before the service.

The guy died after a surgery to prepare him for a heart transplant. He was 46.

So when the family was putting together pictures and a video tribute for Sinclair’s memorial, the church officials noticed pictures of him and his partner engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing, and decided to call off the ceremony. Whoa! We can’t have that!

I seriously doubt if the family submitted any posthumously discovered home sex tapes for inclusion in the memorial video montage. That would indeed probably be inappropriate. But apparently the videos and pictures of him and his partner hand-holding, kissing and embracing were, well, I guess still a bit too much.

Simons said the church believes homosexuality is a sin, and it would have appeared to endorse that lifestyle if the service had been held there. Well, I believe Republicanism is a sin (I know, that’s not a word, just making a point), but I’ve never been known to kick a Republican out of my house. Or a straight person for that matter. I might draw the line at bigots, however.

“We did decline to host the service — not based on hatred, not based on discrimination, but based on principle,� Simons told The Associated Press.

Sounds like the typical “love the sinner, hate the sin” rhetoric. Whatever. They canceled his memorial service. I’m sure they wouldn’t have canceled his visit to a Sunday morning service with money in hand for the collection plate, and that he would have been welcomed with open arms. Even with his life partner in tow. I hate this phrase, but it is appropriate in this case, because sometimes we do need to ask “what would Jesus do?” The guy who hung out with prostitutes, thieves, all sorts of folks, even though He may not have agreed with their lifestyles. He turned nobody away.

Gary, you might want to re-read your job description. I don’t think the Boss would be pleased.

gay memorial, gay funeral, Gary Simons, High Point Church, Cecil Sinclair