Inspiration:
“Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just.” –Blaise Pascal
Marriage Equality and LGBT Rights
As Unitarian Universalists, we believe that each person has inherent worth. Our Universalist heritage teaches us that nothing can destroy this worth, because it comes from the love of God. To our Universalist forebears, God was a power of such infinite love that forgiveness was automatic and complete for all human beings. I believe our Universalist heritage has a lot to teach us about marriage equality and the full inclusion of LGBT people in our society.
The modern-day legacy of this revolutionary theology has at least two lessons relevant to Unitarian Universalism’s support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The first is that we are called to reject any arbitrary division of humanity because all people are equally loved by God. We reject racism, classism, sexism and other forms of oppression based on this theology. In this case, we come to understand that love is love and that people should not be discriminated against based on whom they love.
A second legacy from Universalism is that love is the most powerful and important force at work in our lives. Universalism teaches us that the love of God can overcome even the most heinous sins. What does that call human beings to do, then? I believe it asks us to accept that love, wherever it is found, needs to be honored, celebrated, and recognized as holy. Further, healthy, loving relationships—regardless of the sex(es) or gender(s) of the people in them—are an expression of the holy and should be treated as such.
by Rev. Dr. Michael Tino, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester in Mount Kisco, NY. TO READ MORE
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