Gene Dyszlewski – RI Future

June 26, 2015June 27, 2015

On the joyous occasion of marriage equality in America

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As leaders of faith communities that uphold same-sex marriage, we are delighted that the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled in favor of inclusion of all American Couples. Now, all couples will enjoy the same rights and benefits.

From a religious perspective, affirmation of same-sex marriage is fundamentally about love and the recognition of the dignity of all people. The bible teaches that God created every human being in the divine image and every one of us is a manifestation of God’s goodness and beauty. All couples have the potential to be holy and they deserve our support and encouragement. Biblical teaching is clear that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts and to love one another as we love ourselves.

As pastors, we value all the families in our congregations and we are pleased that the hurt and the stigma that always comes with inequality has been removed. Jesus taught a message of love and inclusion. We can only be pleased that the Supreme Court of the United States, through reasoning with a totally secular perspective, has concurred.

We remember fondly the many advocates who have given voice to a demand for justice. We recall with gratitude the legislators in the Rhode Island General Assembly who took a reasoned stand for fairness and a supportive Governor who signed the bill.

We pray for people of conscience who may struggle with this decision. We call for mutual respect, civility and understanding among all people of faith. Reacting with rejection and negation will not lead to a healing solution. Tolerance requires respect not agreement. Let us embrace each other lovingly in a spirit of humility. Especially in Rhode Island, where tolerance is in our cultural DNA.

January 11, 2013January 11, 2013

A Religious Proponent For Marriage Equality

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As the chairperson of a coalition of religious leaders inRhode Islandwho favor marriage equality, I find myself in conversation about marriage being about love, commitment, nurturing and soul building. Discourse in the context of religious diversity gives rise to a considerable appreciation for religious liberty and the freedom of conscience.

America, with its constitutional principle of separation of church and state, is a wonderful and safe place to walk life’s journey with integrity and conviction. But, diversity among religious leaders implies difference may occur on just about anything. And so it does, particularly when I read Bishop Tobin’s recent statement on marriage equality.

Without question I disagree with the bishop’s position on marriage equality. The Bishop addresses the issue of marriage from a Catholic perspective and I hold a Protestant view. The Bishop has a right and a duty to teach the merits of Catholic dogma to Catholics. Catholics may wish to engage him in that discussion. What is a matter of concern for me is that he seems to be asking that the Catholic understanding of marriage be enshrined into civil law in Rhode Island. Not a good idea.

To be sure, the State’s understanding of marriage has never been totally consistent with the restrictive concept of marriage held by the Catholic Church. For example, it is not a requirement for civil marriage in Rhode Island that couples produce children. Divorce and remarriage has always been allowed. This has posed no more a threat to Catholic religious liberty than same-sex marriage will. It is and always will be up to each church to decide who to marry based upon their beliefs.Rhode Islandcan’t protect religious freedom by becoming a theocracy; it is only by remaining a secular civil society that religious freedom is safe.

In his admonition against same-sex marriage, the bishop makes numerous bald declarations with nothing to substantiate his claims. These alleged problems are believed to be known to those who regularly visit his column. Since I am not a frequent flyer, I can only raise concerns with the allegations that he actually makes.

Emblematic of the bishop’s thinking is his struggle with modernity. One example is his appeal to natural law theory. It sounds authoritative but such medieval thinking pales in the face of the informative weight of contemporary behavioral science. However, science is evidence based and invites critical thinking, neither of which appears to be consistent with the bishop’s arguments. There is not a single note of awareness of any contemporary science based understanding of homosexuality. In addition, the use of the phrase “homosexual lifestyle” is dismissive of the complexity and psychodynamic nature human sexuality.

Modernity requires recognition that today we live in a science based, pluralistic, secular society. Diversity abounds. Each of us may formulate and act upon our own beliefs. However, it is not okay to require others to be governed by laws deduced from our own religious convictions.

For Marriage Equality advocates there is a totally different conversation. No one is asking anyone to stop believing anything. No one is trying to redefine anything. Even the heady vision of a more just society falls short of the basic ask: respect. People just want to be treated as people. Gay and lesbian couples want to marry for the same reasons straight couples do. – to demonstrate their love and commitment to each other. Allowing committed gay and lesbian couples to get married does not change the meaning of marriage. What defines marriage is love, commitment, and the ability to nurture and protect your family.

Marriage equality is necessary:

Marriage equality improves the lives of thousands of people
Marriage equality restores legal rights and privileges for numerous couples
Marriage equality strengthens the social fabric of our community.
Marriage equality harms no one.
Marriage equality is unquestionably the right thing to do.

The Rev. Eugene T. Dyszlewski

Chair, Religious Coalition for Marriage Equality

Ordained Minister, UnitedChurchofChrist

Community Minister for Social Justice, 1^stUnitarianChurchProvidence

August 24, 2012August 24, 2012

Gene Dyszlewski: Senate Candidate for Cranston

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I’m Gene Dyszlewski and I am pleased to have won the backing of prominent progressive and feminist advocacy groups for the Democratic primary for the District 26 seat in the Rhode Island Senate.

Ocean State Action, the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America and Clean Water Action have recently announced their support for someone they see as a longtime community activist and an advocate for working families. The Campaign has also earned the support of the Rhode Island National Organization for Women, Planned Parenthood Votes!Rhode Island, Marriage Equality Rhode Island, and the National Association of Social Workers Political Action for Candidate Election.

I am focused on giving support to Rhode Island families by strengthening the state’s economy, creating opportunities for small businesses to thrive, and promoting economic fairness. My concern about the struggle of working families in Rhode Island came about because of the many families I have met with in my role as Church Pastor. I have met with many working families in Rhode Island who are struggling to hold on to their homes, put food on their tables, and pay their medical bills. Economic fairness is a key to the solution. We should assess every piece of legislation with, “How does this help Rhode Island families? How does this promote economic fairness for families?’ ”

In addition to economic issues, women’s issues have emerged as critical in the campaign. I strongly support women’s health care access, family planning services, and reproductive choice. Women’s issues have become a prominent concern because some state legislatures are foolishly attempting to erode women’s healthcare choices. There have been bills sponsored by Conservative Democrats in Rhode Island that sought to diminish women’s health choices. Fortunately they have failed. Let’s not take any chances.

This whole attack on women is senseless. We already trust women to make 80 percent of the health care decisions for their families. We already trust women to be the major caregiver when a child falls ill. In fact, we trust women to be the major caregiver when any family member falls ill. So we certainly should trust women with medical decisions over their own bodies.

Frequently, the anti-woman issue is couched in a “religious” package. As a deeply religious man, I am offended at any attempt to inflict someone’s religious thinking on others who don’t think that way. Ours is a secular civil society and the legislature is not a place for theological debate, let alone the imposition of one religious perspective on everybody else. Clearly people who are religious do not all think alike and not everybody is religious.

This same misapplication of religious thinking has plagued us on other issues, for example, marriage equality. A cramped restrictive view of human sexuality and marriage is used to disenfranchise an entire class of people. Too often the religiously insecure want to impose their beliefs. I need to be secure enough to not require everyone to think and act the same way I do.

An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, I believe strongly in the separation of church and state. As a community activist, I have collaborated with people of various faiths and with people with purely secular belief systems. I am a founding board member of the Riverside Family Center, which provides after-school arts education for children. I am also a founding board member of We Share Hope, a food rescue organization that delivers to 90 soup kitchens, food pantries and faith-based organizations in Rhode Island. I chair the Rhode Island Religious Coalition for Marriage Equality and I am a member of Clergy for Reproductive Choice. I have served on the board of Marriage Equality Rhode Island.

For more information, visit my website, JustCallMeGene.com or contact me on facebook.com/JustCallMeGene or twitter.com/ReverendGene.