Response to Jim Jakubowski re Domestic Partner Registry

Dr. Kenneth W. Chalker

Jim,

Thank you so very much for your comments in response to my 01/10/09 Plain Dealer article.

The Domestic Partner Registry is in no way an effort to “elevate” domestic partner relationships to the same status as a heterosexual marriage commitment. But, even if it was, I would support it.

Why should committed partners not have the ability to visit one another as family in a hospital setting? Why should committed partners not be able to care for adopted children with equal authority? These are only two questions which are so very important to consider.

Marriage as defined as “between one man and one woman” is a definition that is our Western cultural understanding more than it is rooted in some eternal biblical message. Marriage, as was known and practiced across the nearly 4,000 years of ancient history which is the background for the 39 books of the Hebrew Bible and the 27 Books of what Christians call New Testament, was an often complex practice. It included the  recognized right for men of nobility to have “harems” and for landowning, adult, male, Jews to have as many wives as they could afford.

Marriage also included varying practices of the Levirate Laws and expectations. There was no one form of marriage as defined as it is in the United States now in the 21st century. Also, our country went to “war” with the Mormon Church in the late 19th Century over this very issue. And, the Mormons used the Bible to justify their position on plural marriage!

What I believe to be “biblical” is committed, loving partnerships that value, respect and affirm the soul and dignity of the partner. How does supporting this in any way threaten the marriage relationship of heterosexual men and women? In this context and understanding a great many heterosexual marriages could stand to be “elevated.”

KWC

Invocation for Support for Israel Rally

Cleveland Public Square

12 Noon ~ January 12, 2009

Dr. Kenneth W. Chalker

O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – through whom you have revealed that you are God of us all, through whom you commanded, “Hear O Israel, the Lord Your God is One” – thank you for your love for the earth and for all your creatures upon it.

Almighty Creator, just and merciful in all generations, look with tenderness on this gathering of a portion of your people this day. In a time when, once again, too much of the world seeks to express its condemnation of Israel’s self-defense and raise naïve sympathy for Israel’s extremist attackers, we are gathered here to raise our voices to you as Israel’s friends; as her brothers and sisters in solidarity with her amidst terrible suffering.

Grant us the strength to share the miracle of Israel; a country and people that would share the milk and honey of a free society with all – most especially with Palestinian and Arab neighbors and friends. But, O loving Creator, the miracle of Israel is so often under the cowardly attack of the random terror of religious extremism; extremism that is tearing our whole world apart in a horrific misuse of your holy name.

Be with us in this rally. Amplify all that you find just and honorable in our words. Help us all to know more fully each day the sacred truth of your revelation; the revelation that in spirit we are all citizens of a Spiritual Israel that knows – above all else – that you are holy, that you are one, and that we are all the children of your creation. Amen.

Dr. Chalker in the Plain Dealer-Jan. 10, 2009

We can become significantly confused between religion and faith. No one is immune from it – particularly we who are clergy. One need only think of clergy-endorsed crusades, the horrific wars between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Europe, the slave trade in 18th century America or significant clergy opposition to the civil rights struggle of the 20th century to have a handful of examples when clergy were advocating for religion and thus standing on the wrong side of history.

There have always been exceptions. Clergy have championed and led the cause for liberation, tolerance, educational advancement and all the other things which are spirit-led movements making the world a better place. Such achievements are part of the results of faith. But all too frequently, clergy can be voices of religion instead.

The religious institutional condemnation of gay and lesbian people is another example of our sometimes tragic confusion.

Cleveland pastors advocating a literalist approach to understanding the meaning and message of the Christian Bible, have gotten together to announce their effort to oppose Cleveland City Council’s passage of legislation to establish a domestic partner registry. Their promised, tangible opposition is taking the form of spearheading a drive to repeal the registry.

Pastors who would oppose a domestic partner registry and work to prohibit any public recognition of committed, loving relationships beyond the confines of a particular religious belief, are participating in an act of spiritual tyranny and civic injustice.

It is not unlike the pastors 150 years ago who proclaimed the Bible’s endorsement of slavery as a legitimate enterprise, argued that there was no valid marriage between slaves, and therefore no reason to recognize loving relationships among slaves or recognize, in a legal way, their children.

It is not unlike a number of leading pastors in Birmingham, Ala., who joined together in 1963 to give biblically endorsed reasons why Martin Luther King, Jr. was out of line and moving too fast with his advocacy for civil rights and the elimination of legal segregation based on race and skin color.

It is all the result of confusing religion with faith.

Religion, at its worst, has nothing to do with affirming God in life or advocating and making a just society. Religion is a matter of cornering power, categorizing sinners, gentiles and infidels – all the while arrogantly defending man-made, theological doctrines, catechisms, and all-to-frequent institutional nonsense. It is a terribly trivial pursuit.

Such is the case with opposing a domestic partner registry on religious grounds. Such a course of action claims as its authorization selective, misinterpreted texts from the same sources which were once used to justify slavery, segregation, genocide and the disenfranchisement of women.

Seemingly having forgotten all of this – or worse, ignoring all of this – too many pastors are using these same ancient sources to condemn gay and lesbian people. Such an effort only proves that we are never very far from championing Inquisition or pogrom.

It also illustrates how adept we can be in taking the name of the Lord in vain by using God’s name for the religious sanction for our human prejudices.

The condemnations, spiritual segregation and civic disenfranchisement of gay and lesbian people by religiously certain pastors are, at best, shameful. To take such a stand and advocate such a point of view is to be, as religion so frequently is, on the wrong side of history.

It is to take, defend and advance a religious position with “scriptural” foundation for which our descendants will be offering formal apologies.

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The Rev. Kenneth W. Chalker is senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Cleveland. ¶

A Message from Dr. Chalker

One of the questions in the recent Presidential debates was asked by Saddleback Church pastor, Rick Warren:  “At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?”  Barack Obama responded, “Well, you know, I think that whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.”

Obama’s response, “above my pay grade” when it comes to a theological perspective is one which ought to be taken to heart.  The words are plain – perhaps overly so – but the message of humility before the Creator which they are meant to convey is absolutely appropriate.  Indeed, humility before the wonder and work of God, such as when human life first embodies a divine soul, is one of the resounding messages of the birth of Jesus.

The message of the birth of Jesus is, in part, this:  just when we think we know the ways in which God works, what God means, intends, or expects, the biblical record illustrates that God does the completely unexpected by surprising humanity with new insights, new discoveries, and new directions.  Check out Micah 6:8!

In our theologically divided world of religious certainty we need humility, not more certainty.  Certainty is killing us!  The Taliban comes to mind.

Would we not be in a better spiritual place if we were more humble, if we recognized that it is above our pay grade to be absolutely certain about such questions as life’s origins, ultimate meanings and who they are who receive God’s blessings?  Would we not be in a far better place spiritually if we were more like surprised shepherds falling to our knees than religious authorities making a pronouncement?

Star Child is one of the hymns of Christmas that means the most to me.  It is a hymn that speaks of God’s actions in life as completely above any of our pay grades.  It advocates a joyful humility.  In this respect the phrase of Star Child’s refrain is so very, very important to our theologically certain and judgmental age.  “This year, THIS year, let the day arrive when Christmas comes to everyone, everyone alive.”  Amen!