God punishing Texas for being anti-gay; North Carolina and Mississippi next?

"Oy vey iz mir," said God, shaking his head

Satire by Larry Murray

Why is God punishing Texas?

Since 2005, when the state passed a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage, the Lone Star State has been visited by severe flooding. And after a decade of flood after flood, it just got even worse as the worst rains in 15 years drowned the Houston area.

 Kim Jackson, a spokeswoman for Harris County Flood Control District. admitted they weren't prepared for such a deluge. “We didn’t expect the magnitude of storm that we received.” Churches in the area held prayer vigils hoping to get God to change the weather.

But He was not listening. He was pissed.

Then, Saturday, AP reported: "Flood-weary residents of Texas and Oklahoma had no reprieve Friday as more rain fell in a region where two weeks of storms have swollen rivers and lakes beyond their limits. . . .

 The Rev Al Sharpton drew lightning last year when he tweeted out a question asking whether his followers believe the deadly storms in Texas represent God's wrath over the almost unanimous positions of Texas politicians who continue to deny climate changes.

Prostrate on a raincloud, God was bummed and feeling depressed.

"Oy vey iz mir," he shook his head. "What have I done?"

He was lamenting the homophobic former Governor of Texas Rick Perry and evil-incarnate Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz who have continued their excoriation of homosexuals along with consistent denial of climate change and contempt for the poor.

But they have also incited enough hatred of the LGBT community to earn them a special place in hell.

"No matter how many tornadoes and floods I send at them, they remain oblivious," kvetched the Heavenly Father. "They mistake the evil voices in their head for mine, and are causing great harm to some of my favorite people," How quickly they forget when I sent my son to preach the new gospel that he wasn't talking to them, he was only talking to the Jews. Can I help it if some guy on the road to Damascus was having hallucinations and decided to turn His simple gospel of love and forgiveness into a manifesto that is used for hate and greed? What a bunch of cherry pickers those Bible thumpers are."

These revelations came as the sun was shining in the blessed Berkshires which not only believes that Global Warming is real, but welcomes such groups as the Rainbow Seniors of Berkshire County to its midst. Thus, a winter has just passed that was marvelously mild. It's enough to make someone believe in the Bible again.

So what's going on here.

American Christianists periodically "explain" apparent natural disasters as a form of divine punishment. The devastation of Hurricaine Katrina was blamed on multiple divine causes and imagined sins. The TV con artist Pat Robertson, for example, linked it to legalized abortion.

According to Hal Lindsay, "It seems clear that the prophetic times I have been expecting for decades have finally arrived. And even worse, it appears that the judgment of America has begun."

Repent America claimed that "this act of God destroyed a wicked city." And Fred Phelps called it God's wrath against gay people.

 "It does seem to me that dams, not walls should be built," said the omnipotent being, "but Donald Trump, well, he doesn't listen to anybody. So what's a God to do? I'm almost ready to give up on the human race, and start over again. And maybe this time I won't tell Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge, but to go ahead, indulge. The human race has got to get a lot smarter than it has been lately.

"Look, I'm not into making prophesies, but let me tell you this. You want to see the apocalypse? Then let the gullible evangelicals keep deciding the winner of America's elections. The current crop of Republican candidates depend on them since they can't tell truth from fiction. And oddly enough, they can't wait until the end times, but sorry about this folks, but I don't want them here. They're lousy tenants, look what they have done to the earth.

And as to all those gay boys and lesbians, didn't any of these religious dimwits get my message? I created them to help you slow down population growth - there are more people than the planet can handle. Humans are killing off so many of beautiful creatures I helped to create. (However, please note that Darwin was right, I just started the ball rolling, and evolution did the rest.)

 "This is not what I had in mind, folks. Wake up. Or do I have to send some tsunamis into the Outer Banks and up the Gulf into Mississippi?"

Welcome to the Berkshires, Rainbow Seniors

When this blog began, it was difficult to find other LGBT folks in the Berkshires, but since our first post, much has changed. We are delighted with the beginnings of a new LGBT group called Rainbow Seniors — a senior citizens program with a special outreach to LGBTQ elders and their friends. They hold monthly potlucks and programs in Williamstown at the First Congregational Church on the third Tuesday of each month, as well as meeting in Pittsfield on the first Saturday of each month from 2 to 4 pm in the Berkshire Athenaeum conference room. To learn more, visit their website at rainbowseniors.wordpress.com

MOVIE DEAREST - Cinematic Views and Reviews for Gay and Gay-Friendly Movie Fans

My colleagues at Movie Dearest, Chris Carpenter and Kirby Holt, have locked horns and decided which films they would choose for the major Academy Awards. And they have some stunning poster designs on display as well. Enjoy.

MOVIE DEAREST - Cinematic Views and Reviews for Gay and Gay-Friendly Movie Fans

Berkshire Churches More Accepting to LGBT community

I don't write here very often, but some wonderful news recently arrived for LGBT folks who have wanted to reconcile their personal spiritual beliefs with the hatred inflamed by misguided Republicans in search of a few votes from those that hate and revile gays.

Joe Durwin reported on progress being made here in the Berkshires on accepting a broader spectrum of humanity into their churches. Recently Pittsfield's Congregational Church issued a stunning affirmation of welcoming diverse worshipers.



The First Congregational Church statement reads as follows, and there are reactions from me and others.:

"Following the spirit of Jesus, we embrace the diversity of God's creation. We welcome people of any sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, race, ethnic, or cultural background and ability. Everyone is invited to participate fully in the worship and ministry of First Church."

Jason Verchot, president of the LBGT advocate organization Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition, said he applauds First Church "for stepping forward and promoting a message of acceptance."

"I think it's reaffirming to see religious institutions change their views in order to be more accepting of diversity. As their statement says, Christ promoted acceptance of all God's children, and if you preach Christianity, then I believe you should embrace the entire message, not just the parts that are convenient for your world view," he said.

Larry Murray, who pens the blog Gay in the Berkshires, said that Pittsfield's First Congregational had been identified to him earlier as one that welcomed same-sex marriages.

The full story by Durwin has just been posted on iBerkshires and you can read the article here: http://www.iberkshires.com/story/40599/First-Church-Looks-to-Expand-Dialogue-About-Diversity.html?source=top_stories

Why are those Smiling Mormons so happy to take away our rights?

I've met those happy, smiling, deluded Mormons many times over the course of my life. My first experience with their Stepford Wives style bliss was when I was in the Navy, and let me tell you, it was a lot like that wonderful movie, Latter Days. Only back then, Mormons treated not only gays as sinners, but black folk were not fit to be part of their church either. But this is not about a religion that discriminates, it is about a cult that tries to make LGBT second class folk, as they did with their energetic support of banning gay marriage by funding the Proposition 8 campaign in California. Not only did they provide most of the money for the misleading television ads that led to the electoral disaster for us, but they provided the boots on the ground to sway the public which had been supportive prior to the involvement of the Mormon church and its supporters.

In the Berkshires we can see two aspects of this epic battle between the gay community and that church in two upcoming events. They document the Mormon role in gay oppression, which when combined with the hostility from the Roman Catholic hierarchy, continues to give bigots cover for their ongoing discrimination against hard working, tax paying LGBT's.

8:The Mormon Proposition

The first of these is a March 17 screening of the Dorian Award winning documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition at Mass MoCA with the filmmaker, Reed Cowan, present for a follow-up Q & A afterwards. It should be a fascinating evening. Full details of this event can be found on our main site, Berkshire on Stage.

As California's anti-gay marriage proposition 8 languished in the polls, Mormon Prophet Thomas S. Monson issued a call from Salt Lake City to millions of Mormons all over the world. His was an order to action containing the secret code language of the highly secret Mormon temple ceremony. The action alert commanded Mormons in and out of California to do all things necessary to insure the passage of California's Proposition 8. Within days, hundreds of thousands of Mormons all over the United States funneled thirty million Mormon dollars in to California coffers to purchase the passage of California's anti-gay marriage Proposition 8.

Before the Mormons and their participation in the passage of Proposition 8, evangelicals were flopping in the fight. After Mormons got involved, the fight flourished.

During the fight, the Mormon Church media-engine, including mega-million dollar public relations and political consulting firm support, barraged Californians with a suffocating number of misleading television and radio ads and door-to-door campaigns manned by the Mormon NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE.

When Prop. 8 passed in California by a slim margin, Mormons were quick to take credit for the success. But when backlash from LGBT citizens targeted Mormon temples throughout the United States, the Mormon Church was the first to complain that they were the ones being persecuted.

In the wake of it all, documentary producer Reed Cowan was collecting secret recordings, secret documents and never before seen footage exposing Mormon efforts to quash ANY rights for LGBT citizens anywhere in the world. 'As a former Mormon missionary, I am appalled in knowing that a church which itself worships the practice of alternative marriage (polygamy), would become so vehemently involved in the marriage debate,' he said.

Mormons, Mothers and Monsters
Happy Mormon Missionaries
Meanwhile on a lighter and more sympathetic note, there is the new Will Aronson musical Mormons, Mothers and Monsters that will receive its world premiere at Barrington Stage Company this summer. The tale of a young, emotionally tortured Mormon with a secret, it has a wholly new score with some delightful songs in the spirit of Broadway musicals. I was fortunate enough to hear some of them last Labor Day weekend, and was so impressed I wrote about them in Berkshire on Stage. You can find lots more information on this important event from the Barrington Musical Theatre Lab in this article.