Ryan's classmate invited us to help him celebrate his 5th birthday at Chuck E Cheese today. It was a lot of fun! For Ryan. I appreciated it up to a point. It was fine when we were at the table. The rest of the place was a madhouse. I don't let Ryan run around like a nut, why can't other people control their kids? I understand the whole excitement factor but geez. None of the kids in our party were like THAT. What is so hard about telling your kids (and making sure they listen) to walk and use an indoor voice.
Or maybe I am just getting O.L.D.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Yes, I am a Christian and today I wasn't ashamed.
Normally I tend to keep religion out of my daily rantings. Mainly because I know not everyone shares my beliefs and I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. So if God talk gives you the squirmies check back later.
Ryan and I got up (semi) in time for church this morning. I am proud to attend Waipahu United Church of Christ. We are a small and (much) older congregation. With very little young blood and no (openly anyway) homosexuals that attend regularly, one would think WUCC would be less progressive. However sitting in church today, listening to the sermon and singing one of the songs chosen for today, I felt...comforted. Pastor Hirano talked of truly loving everyone. He told us what a blessing it is to live here in Hawaii where there is true diversity, unlike what he saw when he lived in the mainland. Part of his message in the newsletter this past week was to encourage everyone to "support legislation that gives rights to all people, especially those that don't have any."
With the anger and hate charged lingo that flies out of the mouths of many loud Christians it was nice to reaffirm my belief in my religion. My religion is loving and accepting. I was taught and I believe that I am NOT worthy to pass judgments about other people. The Bible as God's word would naturally be somewhat difficult for mere mortals to decifer. Since God gave us the freedom to make our own choices doesn't it then follow that this would apply to the Bible too? Why write a Bible (even by proxy) that people should follow verbatim if He gave us the freedom to choose?
A hymn by Julian Rush written in the late 1980s while he was working with AIDS patients brought tears to my eyes because it was so fitting.
"In the Midst of New Dimensions"
In the midst of new dimensions, in the face of changing ways,
who will lead the pilgrim people wandering their separate ways?
God of rainbow, firy pillar, leading where the eagles soar, we the people,
ours the journey now and ever, now and ever, now and ever more.
Through the flood of starving people, warring factions and despair,
who will lift the olive branches? Who will light the flame of care?
God of rainbow, firy pillar, leading where the eagles soar, we the people,
ours the journey now and ever, now and ever, now and ever more.
We are men and we are women, all persuasions, old and young,
each a gift in the creation, each a love song to be sung.
God of rainbow, firy pillar, leading where the eagles soar, we the people,
ours the journey now and ever, now and ever, now and ever more.
As we stand a world divided by our own self seeking schemes,
grant that we, the global village, might envision wider dreams.
God of rainbow, firy pillar, leading where the eagles soar, we the people,
ours the journey now and ever, now and ever, now and ever more.
Ryan and I got up (semi) in time for church this morning. I am proud to attend Waipahu United Church of Christ. We are a small and (much) older congregation. With very little young blood and no (openly anyway) homosexuals that attend regularly, one would think WUCC would be less progressive. However sitting in church today, listening to the sermon and singing one of the songs chosen for today, I felt...comforted. Pastor Hirano talked of truly loving everyone. He told us what a blessing it is to live here in Hawaii where there is true diversity, unlike what he saw when he lived in the mainland. Part of his message in the newsletter this past week was to encourage everyone to "support legislation that gives rights to all people, especially those that don't have any."
With the anger and hate charged lingo that flies out of the mouths of many loud Christians it was nice to reaffirm my belief in my religion. My religion is loving and accepting. I was taught and I believe that I am NOT worthy to pass judgments about other people. The Bible as God's word would naturally be somewhat difficult for mere mortals to decifer. Since God gave us the freedom to make our own choices doesn't it then follow that this would apply to the Bible too? Why write a Bible (even by proxy) that people should follow verbatim if He gave us the freedom to choose?
A hymn by Julian Rush written in the late 1980s while he was working with AIDS patients brought tears to my eyes because it was so fitting.
"In the Midst of New Dimensions"
In the midst of new dimensions, in the face of changing ways,
who will lead the pilgrim people wandering their separate ways?
God of rainbow, firy pillar, leading where the eagles soar, we the people,
ours the journey now and ever, now and ever, now and ever more.
Through the flood of starving people, warring factions and despair,
who will lift the olive branches? Who will light the flame of care?
God of rainbow, firy pillar, leading where the eagles soar, we the people,
ours the journey now and ever, now and ever, now and ever more.
We are men and we are women, all persuasions, old and young,
each a gift in the creation, each a love song to be sung.
God of rainbow, firy pillar, leading where the eagles soar, we the people,
ours the journey now and ever, now and ever, now and ever more.
As we stand a world divided by our own self seeking schemes,
grant that we, the global village, might envision wider dreams.
God of rainbow, firy pillar, leading where the eagles soar, we the people,
ours the journey now and ever, now and ever, now and ever more.
Friday, February 27, 2009
HB-444 Civil Unions
My small universe, the island of Oahu, is on a roller coaster. On my birthday, also the day one of our greatest presidents was born, the state House of Representatives passed the third reading of House Bill 444 - Civil Unions. With only 17 Representatives voting NO HB-444 was passed onto the state Senate. A date to hear testimony to determine whether or not to bring it to the floor was set for Tuesday, February 24 at 9am. Here is where the bulk of the trouble began.
Emails, faxes, and hand-delivered testimony flooded the capitol between February 20 and February 23. In order to testify, written testimony must be received by 4pm the day prior to the hearing. The testimony is available for the public to view online. While the supporters of HB-444 represented themselves in a respectful and eloquent manner, the opponents were largely crude and hateful. One by one the opponents took the microphone and hailed insults directed at the gay community. Their reasons against HB-444 were not rational and often peppered with obviously incorrect "facts." As Alan Spector of Family Equality Coalition revealed during a radio discussion on February 26, during the 18 hours of testimony nearly all the opponents hurled insults and false accusations towards the gay community. On public television and for public record these people either said or wrote hateful words to describe and classify members of the gay community.
What has happened to the seemingly "normal" residents of Hawaii? Members of the gay community are just like members of the straight community. The only difference is that they are not guaranteed the same rights as straight people. This bill is only talking about civil unions, not marriage. In what I think is an attempt at compromise on behalf of the gay community, this bill only addresses civil unions because marriage is too much for some people to accept at this point. This bill has taken too long to come to fruition and is taking far too long to pass. This is a civil rights issue, not a religious issue.
Opponents like to argue that the state voted on this almost 11 years ago in 1998. A lot can happen in 11 years. For instance, since 1998 I have ceased to be a minor. There are thousands of other adults like me that could not vote in 1998 but are now of the age to vote. What about our voice? Since 1998 a host of newly out-of-the-closet members of the gay community could have swayed their parent's thoughts on the matter.
Please contact the senators of Hawaii and let them know you support HB-444. Though the committee failed to pass it because of a 3-3 split there is still a chance. We need to show the state that the red shirts are a vocal minority. Read the testimony online, educate yourself on the bill and you will see that it needs to be passed. Union after union support HB-444. Please join in our fight to secure equal rights for all of our residents. Those of you that oppose think about your reasons. Are they valid? NO Are they legal? NO We voted on marriage almost 11 years ago. It is time for discrimination to end. Next time you act like Council Member Gary Okino remember that homosexuals are people too. Be nice...
www.capitol.hawaii.gov
I also have to caution supporters. If you read the testimony be prepared to read some ignorant, foul, and crazy things. People are nuts, what can I say?
Emails, faxes, and hand-delivered testimony flooded the capitol between February 20 and February 23. In order to testify, written testimony must be received by 4pm the day prior to the hearing. The testimony is available for the public to view online. While the supporters of HB-444 represented themselves in a respectful and eloquent manner, the opponents were largely crude and hateful. One by one the opponents took the microphone and hailed insults directed at the gay community. Their reasons against HB-444 were not rational and often peppered with obviously incorrect "facts." As Alan Spector of Family Equality Coalition revealed during a radio discussion on February 26, during the 18 hours of testimony nearly all the opponents hurled insults and false accusations towards the gay community. On public television and for public record these people either said or wrote hateful words to describe and classify members of the gay community.
What has happened to the seemingly "normal" residents of Hawaii? Members of the gay community are just like members of the straight community. The only difference is that they are not guaranteed the same rights as straight people. This bill is only talking about civil unions, not marriage. In what I think is an attempt at compromise on behalf of the gay community, this bill only addresses civil unions because marriage is too much for some people to accept at this point. This bill has taken too long to come to fruition and is taking far too long to pass. This is a civil rights issue, not a religious issue.
Opponents like to argue that the state voted on this almost 11 years ago in 1998. A lot can happen in 11 years. For instance, since 1998 I have ceased to be a minor. There are thousands of other adults like me that could not vote in 1998 but are now of the age to vote. What about our voice? Since 1998 a host of newly out-of-the-closet members of the gay community could have swayed their parent's thoughts on the matter.
Please contact the senators of Hawaii and let them know you support HB-444. Though the committee failed to pass it because of a 3-3 split there is still a chance. We need to show the state that the red shirts are a vocal minority. Read the testimony online, educate yourself on the bill and you will see that it needs to be passed. Union after union support HB-444. Please join in our fight to secure equal rights for all of our residents. Those of you that oppose think about your reasons. Are they valid? NO Are they legal? NO We voted on marriage almost 11 years ago. It is time for discrimination to end. Next time you act like Council Member Gary Okino remember that homosexuals are people too. Be nice...
www.capitol.hawaii.gov
I also have to caution supporters. If you read the testimony be prepared to read some ignorant, foul, and crazy things. People are nuts, what can I say?
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