→ First of all, happy Memorial Day. On Friday Pastor Bob and I went to see the movie Battleship. (PB phoning me to go: “Battleships and aliens! The ultimate combo! I’ll pick you up in ten!”) The movie’s plot hinges upon a group of WWII Navy vets coming out of retirement to fire up and sail back into thundering battle the decommissioned USS Missouri. It is a most stirring sequence—and did put me in mind of how grateful I am for all the men and women who put serving their country above just about anything else in their lives. Where—and what?—would we be without such heroes?
→ Speaking of Pastor Bob, we will not for awhile now be hearing from him: he is soon leaving for a four-month sabbatical, during which he will be finishing up his doctoral dissertation in the field of Islamic studies. Soon thereafter he will be Dr. Pastor Bob. But I remain confident that no matter how many degrees PB acquires (this will be his sixth) his taste in movies will remain popcorn-munchingly boyish. I am, in fact, depending upon it.
→ A doctoral student who keeps the Chinese-language blog Love Has No Boundaries wrote to say:
I am a lesbian Christian in Taiwan who has read your blog for years. Here 99% of our churches are anti-gay: they support Exodus, buy media to disperse their beliefs, and even prevent schools from teaching balanced sex education—including the stopping of bullying those who are different. Sadly, my parents are among those pastors. I came out sixteen years ago, and my parents are still in denial. I have read your blog for years. I really hope that I can translate your brilliant essays (like To Christians Who Still Believe Homosexuality Is a Sin) into Chinese to help my beloved people to know the truth.
I suggested she start with The Best Case for the Bible Not Condemning Homosexuality. You can see the Chinese (Mandarin) translation of that essay by scrolling down on this page. More to come.
→ This morning one Todd Rogers posted this on my Facebook page:
Hello John! I just finished (like literally in the past minute) your wonderful book, Unfair: Why the ‘Christian’ View Of Gays Doesn’t Work, and I feel so much stronger in my knowledge of the Scriptures as they pertain to gays (and not to mention immensely relieved) and my place within them.
I have been a gay man and a Christian (self-identifed) for over 22 years. For years I literally felt alone in my faith. But now, having read your book, the essays and many letters from others like me, and the supporting biblical passages and socio-political references made by you, I finally feel like I can amicably marry the Christian side of me with the homosexual one.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for writing this book!!!
I pray that this work opens the eyes of the vast majority of Christians out there so that they would more fully understand and appreciate God’s Infinite Love that He has for all His Children!
May God continue to bless you and yours Mr. Shore!
Thank you for these kind and encouraging words, Todd.
→ Thanks also to Slacktivist for last week quoting from and linking to my post One of Pastor Worley’s disturbing flock defends him [Brain-frying VIDEO].
→ Thanks also to a new online friend, Friendly Atheist, for doing the same.
→ And thanks to Advocate.com for using this screen save of mine for their piece on Pastor Charles Worley’s now infamous video.
Sure, they didn’t mention where they got the image—but just knowing it was mine (from the image’s attached title, if nothing else) is thanks enough for me.
→ It would be pretty extremely easy for me to make an mp3 recording of me reading my posts, which I could then simply add to the end of each post—or just the bigger ones, or whatever. They’d then be available for free downloading at iTunes, etc. If that sounds like anything in which you’d be interested, lemme know.
All right! Again, happy Memorial Day to you. And if you happen to be in the service, or have a family member who is, please allow me, on behalf of my online friends here, to very sincerely thank you.
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