News from Different Churches on Civil Rights

• Here are two interesting articles. Glad to see that the Catholics in the U.S. are not putting up with the political crap the church is trying to thrust on them. I believe the Catholic and Baptist churches also didn't want mixed-race couples to marry... As for the Southern Baptists, well, they appear hopeless on civil rights issues, and always have to be made to understand what "all equal in the eyes of God" really means. Sigh.
•   IN OTHER NEWS- Finally, the GOP stopped harassing the military about allowing gay members to serve in the armed forces. Yay.
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• Catholics disagree over church role in marriage debate
  Some Catholics who are fighting an attempt to ban marriage equality in Minnesota say they feel out of step with a church they otherwise admire, but polls find they are among a majority of Catholics who support the rights of same-sex couples to marry. Minnesota church officials contend their role in trying to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples via a constitutional amendment should not be seen as anti-gay. CNN/Belief blog (6/20)     

• Southern Baptists say LGBT rights are not civil rights
  Southern Baptists, at their annual meeting this week, adopted a resolution stating the denomination opposes “gay-bashing,” whether through violence or rhetoric, but said it rejects the idea that LGBT discrimination is equal to race-based discrimination. “We deny that the effort to legalize 'same-sex marriage' qualifies as a civil rights issue since homosexuality does not qualify as a class meriting special protections, like race and gender,” the resolution said. MSNBC/The Associated Press/Reuters (6/20)     

• FINALLY: Gays in military called settled issue

  By Donna Cassata
  Associated Press
• WASHINGTON - The Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said Thursday that allowing gays to serve openly in the military is a settled issue that he will not try to reverse even if Mitt Romney wins the presidency in November and the GOP captures the Senate. Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon of California said his focus is on restoring money for the military after the latest round of defense cuts - a planned reduction of $487 billion over 10 years that could nearly double if Congress fails to avert automatic, across-the-board cuts that begin in January.
  Pressed on the divisive issue of gay rights that roiled Congress two years ago, McKeon said he would not revisit it.  "We fought that fight," McKeon told reporters at an hour-long breakfast interview. He said his goal is to "get the things that our war-fighters need."
  The committee chairman said other GOP lawmakers might try to reinstate the "don't ask, don't tell policy" that was in effect for nearly two decades.  "That's not something that I would personally bring up," he said.