License plate legislation aids anti-choice efforts
In the battle over marriage equality in Rhode Island, one of the most vocal groups in opposition to full civil rights for the LGBTQ community was the Knights of Columbus (KoC), a Roman “Catholic fraternal service organization.” The KoC is one of the major, if not the major contributor to the National Organization for Marriage [...]
Providence ranks 4th most post-Christian city
More and more research seems to come out every week that talks about the decline of traditional religious beliefs in the United States. Stories about the “nones” those that that claim no religious affiliation, place the number at about 20% nationally, and here in Rhode Island that figure is over 40%. Now the Barna Group [...]
How the right pushes for exemptions to equality
Marriage equality advocates took lot of hope from April 8th’s front page ProJo article in which Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed anticipated “a full Senate vote on whether to legalize same-sex marriage by the end of April.” Good news indeed, but one needs to continue reading for the unpleasant bit. Paiva Weed is concerned [...]
Rhode Island Religious Leaders Stand Up For Love
On Sunday Rev. Geoffrey Black, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, and Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association spoke at a rally at the First Unitarian Church in Providence on Benefit St. Though opponents of marriage equality often cloak their arguments in dogmatic, Bible-inspired rhetoric it is important [...]
Local Churches Push For Marriage Equality Sunday
The Reverend James Ford of the First Unitarian Church writes: On April 7, 2013, you have an important opportunity to make your voice heard on marriage equality in Rhode Island. Join the Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Rev. Geoffrey Black, president of the United Church of Christ, who will [...]
How Religious Is RI?
Ted Nesi recently wrote a blog post in which he compared data from a series of studies dealing with the issue of just how Catholic the State of Rhode Island actually is. First drawing attention to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolates (CARA) that places the Catholic “baptisms-to-birth ratio” at 34%, the third [...]
Metts Opposes Marriage Equality On ‘Biblical Principles’
Judge Ronald R Lagueux, in his ruling in Ahlquist v. City of Cranston that removed the prayer banner from the walls of the auditorium at Cranston High School West, described the Cranston School Committee’s open meetings to discuss the prayer banner as at times having the tenor of “a religious revival.” This is something those [...]
RI Legislation More Religious Than Rhode Islanders
Religion in Rhode Island is a political force to be reckoned with, according to conventional wisdom, but reality demonstrates otherwise. The only opposition to marriage equality in the state is based on the medieval religious beliefs of a small number of Catholics and Evangelicals who somehow hold an inordinate sway over key members of our [...]
Who Is NOM And Why Do They Hate Equality?
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) was formed in 2007 for the purpose of passing California’s Prop 8 prohibiting same-sex marriage. NOM RI was formed sometime between 2008 and early 2010 and announced publicly at the New England Family, Life and Marriage Summit held on February 27, 2010 at the Ocean State Baptist Church in Smithfield. [...]
RIers, Church Council Support Marriage Equality
A new poll released today shows that Rhode Islanders overwhelmingly support marriage equality with almost 60 percent of the state in favor of same sex marriage. “…voters in the state strongly support legalizing gay marriage- 57% support it to 36% who are opposed,” according to a summary of the poll results. “When we polled the [...]
Catholics Don’t Even Agree With Church Anymore
Bernard Healey is the executive director of the Rhode Island Catholic Conference, the lobbying arm of the Providence Diocese under the direction of Bishop Thomas Tobin. Due to the unparalleled access granted to the church’s representative by some members of our General Assembly, Lobbyist Healey wields political influence incommensurate with the present status of the [...]
Episcopal Bishop Strongly Supports Marriage Equality
Rhode Island Episcopal Bishop Nicholas Knisely has come out in full support of marriage equality legislation before the General Assembly. “Episcopalians are not unanimous in our views, but in the Episcopal Church we find our unity in common prayer, not in common opinion,” he said in a statement released today. “Part of what informs my [...]
Tobin Aligns With Hate Group to Oppose Equality
FAPSMEG (the Faith Alliance to Preserve the Sanctity of Marriage as Established by God) is a coalition of religious and political groups, brought together by the executive director of NOM-RI, Christopher Plante, to fight against marriage equality rights. The coalition marks the first time the local Catholic church, and perhaps the first diocese anywhere, has [...]
Tobin Using Politics to Promote Bigoted Agenda
Why should the citizens of Rhode Island take advice on democracy and equality from a man who works for an organization modeled on medieval concepts of governance with little respect for the value of women? Of course I’m talking about Bishop Thomas Tobin and his latest statement on marriage equality: Governor Chafee’s threat to veto [...]
A Religious Proponent For Marriage Equality
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 [...]
New Episcopal Bishop Embraces Marriage Equality
Rev. Nicholas Knisely, the new bishop of the Episcopal Church in Rhode Island, supports marriage equality and plans to change current local policy to allow priests here to bless same sex unions. He announced the decision in December at the Diocesan Convention just 14 days after starting his new job here in Rhode Island. “I [...]
Holiday Decore Cost More Than Ending Homelessness
One strand of blinking white lights: $5. Six-foot Douglas fir: $50. Ending homelessness in the United States: priceless. Yet, given which seems the better value for our buck, Americans will actually spend more on holiday decorations in the next five years than it would cost to cure the United States of its homeless epidemic. See [...]
Plenty of Christmas Trees at State House, and Creches
The Governor has banned Christmas from the State House! Except, of course, he hasn’t. There is hardly a building in Rhode Island more decorated for the coming Christmas season than the RI State House. Sure, the tree at the center of the State House rotunda (and also at the center of the fake controversy being [...]
Daily Show Declares ‘War on Christmas’ a Joke
Sometimes only the court jester can successfully call out the king for wearing no clothes. While Fox News, John DePetro, Bishop Tobin and Rep. Doreen Costa are hardly still royalty in post-tea party America, John Stewart can still shed some sanity on their completely fabricated and self-indulgent “war on Christmas.” After all, I’m certain the [...]
Bishop Tobin and His ‘Wizard of Oz’ Logic
John DePetro has long referred to Governor Lincoln Chafee by the insulting and disrespectful name of “Governor Gump.” DePetro has taken the name “Gump” from the 1994 Tom Hanks movie Forrest Gump, the implication being that Chafee is in some way as mentally handicapped as the titular character. But there is an older use of [...]
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