Its obviously a letter from people who don't support homosexuality. Its not really that surprising that the Anglican and United Church support Munter. Nothing new there, so I don't know what Munter is happy about, he already had their support just for being a homosexual.

I doubt he already had their support for being a homosexual. I do not vote judging by a candidate's sexual orientation, I vote by how I think they can do the best job.

Vote for Alex Munter for Mayor of Ottawa on November 12th.
New energy, new ideas, experience and a courageous man.

Russ-thank you for telling us about the letter-campaign in Ottawa.

I think his homosexual activism had plenty to do with these churches support of Munter. Munter will raise taxes and give taxpayers' money to festivals, including the homosexual one. To me, if these groups want to put forth an event, they should charge for it and supply and demand will dictate whether they are indeed wanted by Ottawa taxpayers.

So ABC< I trust that if a church group wnated to hold a citywide Good Friday walked and were offered taxpayer support you would insist they turn it down.

Oh and it didn't say the curches endorsed his candidacy, just that they had the integrity to let people know something fishy was going on. THe role of the church is to talk about the Reign of God, not to fall prey to the mistaken belief that ANY political party or candidate platform out there is in fact the Reign of God.

the part I liked best was...
...he is open about who he is, but has more important topics to discuss...

In my opinion, a person's sexual orientation has absolutely nothing to do with how well he/she is fitted for any job in our society - including the political field.

A letter like that is appalling - utterly repugnant. And it is shameful that the writer seemed to think that support for this nonsense would automatically come from churches.

What is it with some people and homosexuality???? When there are millions dying of AIDS, people sleeping on the streets in Canadian winters, etc., why do some people insist on making the marginalization of gays and lesbians their top priority? When there is so much potential good to be done in our world, why is it that some people make it their mission to demean and demonize others? What drives people to hurt others because their way of being is different from one's own?

I hope this isn't too provocative, but when people who don't know me well ask if I"m a Christian, I'll answer, "I'm a member of the United Church of Canada", because I want to avoid people's automatic assumptions that if I'm a Christian I must therefore be anti-gay.

I'm so glad that letter backfired.

Aurora God has forbidden homosexuality. Christ Jesus our Lord was sent by the Father to call sinners to repentance. If God the father and Christ Jesus are one, do you suppose Jesus Christ our Lord would go against the Father and say it is ok to practice your homosexuality. Did He not come to reconcile us to the Father. If homosexuals say it is not a sin, does it not make it any less a sin. I could say suppose I am a thief, but it not a sin to steal. It would be something I decided that it wasnt a sin, but it is still a sin in the eyes of the Lord.

Russsp The role of the church is to preach salvation and repentance Not to preach a message that isnt true or is not what the Holy scriptures preach. Homosexuality is a sin. What people need to repent from And whether homosexuals say it is not a sin. In the eyes of the Lord it is still a sin. If I am a thief and I say it is not a sin. The Lord still considers it a sin, It isnt me who decides what is a sin or what isnt. So homosexuals have no right either to say homosexuality is not a sin.

Homosexuality is a sin. It is not appropriate to be promoting it in any sort of position of power as it only promotes the sin. The same could be said about Obama's smoking habit - its a bad thing for politicians to embody transgression.

prodge: "Homosexuality is a sin. It is not appropriate to be promoting it in any sort of position of power as it only promotes the sin.""

And you are a homophobic bigot, what is your point? It also seems that you can't recognize that the letters were not sent by the candidate, they were sent by a foe.

Diana wrote: I hope this isn't too provocative, but when people who don't know me well ask if I"m a Christian, I'll answer, "I'm a member of the United Church of Canada", because I want to avoid people's automatic assumptions that if I'm a Christian I must therefore be anti-gay.

I know exactly what you mean, Diana. It makes me very angry that the term "Christianity" (and "Islam", for that matter) has been claimed by fundamentalists whose agenda is to proclaim hatred and exclusion as loudly as possible. It's too bad that a disclaimer like yours is necessary, but it is.

prodge wrote:
"Homosexuality is a sin. It is not appropriate to be promoting it in any sort of position of power as it only promotes the sin. The same could be said about Obama's smoking habit - its a bad thing for politicians to embody transgression."

Homosexuality is a sin according to the beliefs of Fundamentalist Christians. Since the candidate is not likely a Fundamentalist Christian, and the majority of voters are also not, it is not a sin for them, and is therefore not an issue.

ABC and Sylviac, how do you two get through the day; with so much homosexual agenda conspiracy swirling about you. My goodness it is a wonder that the gay mafia hasn't sent someone out to deal with it (lol). Don't they have weekly homosexual agenda meetings, secret handshakes, wire taps, the whole pink ball of wax....

Do you realize how silly you sound. Of course a gay mayor's only purpose in office would be to fund parades and festivals, you know those gay folks they do love a parade.

And Sylviac for the love of god can you spare us the fire and brimstone speech about what the Lord has apparently told you directly that he wants for everyone else.

Holden

There is an entire book chock full of sins. Everything from blends of fabrics to divorce to shellfish to trimming hair.... Which ones are absolute and which ones are obsolete are determined by religions. Orthodox Jews differ from Reform Jews. The Church of England broke off from the Roman Catholic Church because of divorce... There are many faiths. There are many different teachings. Baptism may be sprinkle of full immersion. It depends on the faith. How we decide faith is God given freewill.

The church I belong to, the UCCan, does not teach homosexuality is a sin.

"Of course a gay mayor's only purpose in office would be to fund parades and festivals, you know those gay folks they do love a parade."

I'm moving to Ottawa if he gets elected. I love parades, too!

Gay Pride parades bring money into the city that hosts them. It is estimated that the 2003 Gay Pride parade in Vancouver brought in about $23 million in tourist dollars. The annual budget for the Vancouver Gay Pride parade is $250,000, which includes $13,000 for street closure and garbage pick-up and $5,000 for police (which is not paid by the city).

Let's look at Toronto:
Pride Week is a free event to attend because Pride Toronto's staff, volunteers and supporters raise the almost $1,000,000 annual budget needed to put it on. Toronto Pride had 5 full-time staff members and 700 volunteers.
According to estimates, Pride Week contributes about $80 million to the local economy. Major sponsors give the event their support...

Sadly, this thread is ancient. He didn't get elected. Instead, we got a VERY conservative person who thinks that business principles solve all problems. Current seemingly false accusations against our new mayor aside, I think the city is in for some big trouble for the next little while.

On the upside, one of his dumb positions was outvoted by council yesterday. w00t!

May I add that the Catholic church is the largest and oldest Christian Church. With about 1 billion members. Seems to me that fundementalism on that scale should be called moral authority.

prodge; The Roman Catholic Church is not fundamentalist, it is a papacy, and there is a HUGE difference between fundamentalism and papacy. One thing that is in common between fundamentalism and the current papacy is that they are both ultra conservative.

At one time the pope was the legal moral authority in much of the world; but never in Canada or the US. Times have changed -- even the Italians have told him to butt out. Yesterday, a group of prominent Catholic intellectuals issued an open letter to the Vatican warning the Church that it had a concord with Italy that in return for the Vatican being regarded a separate state within Italy it would not interfere in politics.

The pope used to have moral authority over much of Latin America -- not any more. The Catholic church no longer has influence in Ireland. The same thing is happening everywhere.

Sorry but the Holy Roman See will always have moral authority. Love thy neighbor, Turn the other cheek, all of the other parables do you think the Canadian government legislated these??? Moral authority is very different from legal authority. Right and Wrong are different from the subjective man-made legal codes.

Do you really believe that the catholic church has a monopoly on "Love thy neighbor" and "Turn the other cheek"? How many people use contraceptives? How many people are Pro Choice? How many people give a rat's ass about the pope?

I'm very sorry that Alex Munter did not win.

And the Pope? Well, I guess to be the pope or any of those guys in Rome you've got to love wearing dresses and hats and sitting for hours in a stuffy church. Oh dear. I suppose the Queen does that alot too. However I'd rather listen to the Queen than to the Pope.

What is the "See" of The Holy See?

prodge said: "Sorry but the Holy Roman See will always have moral authority."

Over...who? You, prodge. But not me.

And not over the United Church of Canada, she says, proudly.

When the Pope appears on television I like to start channel surfing. This man has no connection to my life.

Pride is a sin.

Is there an "ignore user" function on this forum?

I guess television is the closest you may ever get to religion but that does not make it right for you to make fun of it.

OK prodge:

If you came upon a channel which had a United Church minister extolling the wonders of same-gender marriage, or who based her/his sermon on Bible passages which indicate absolute proof of the existence of homosexuality in Jesus' town of Nazareth, would you stay rooted in your spot or channel surf?

"Homosexuality is a sin" wrote prodge.

Well. I'm sorry you feel that I made fun of religion (or your religion).

Your statement above and other posts of yours that I have read feel much worse than just making fun of my 'lifestyle'.

Who is making fun of religion? I make fun of bigots and homophobes, especially those who use the bible in an attempt to justify it. I also channel surf when the pope comes on TV.

Robert Adler, who is one of the two engineers who are credited for inventing the TV remote control, and won an Emmy Award for doing so, died on Feb 16th.

I have been reminded before that despite the fact that it was a Jesuit who taught me the phrase "Benny the Rat", I shouldn't use it. So I am not doing so.

I feel deep sorrow for the intelligent, wonderful, responsible members of the Roman Catholic church who have had the current Pope inflicted upon them. I am exceedigly greatful that that man has no authourity over me. I wish, for the cause of building ecumenical relationships, however, that a new Pope could come about. And soon.

I am not trying to get the schoolyard to laugh at you. When I come upon a channel extolling the virtue of homosexuality I watch it - because I respect all opinions even though I might believe them to be morally wrong. I am in dialogue with this blog am I not? I did not intend to hurt anyone with my views, my appologies if I have.

It is a shame that a persons sexuality must come into play at all during an election. I must say that this discussion could go on for ever more. I am thankful that I have been able to raise my children in a time and space were I was able to teach them to respect others, that it is not their place to carry judgement on others and that God has made each and every one of them ,... straight or homosexual.

Of course you don't "intend" to hurt anyone with your views prodge. however, you cant expect any of us here to sit back and accept these views considering their logical conclusion; a society based on exception and bigotry. i salute everyone her for opposing this nonsense. quite frankly, i find the whole idea of a homosexual takeover amusing. most homosexuals are way too intelligent and well-educated to form their own conspiracy!

Homosexuality may or may not be a sin. Obviously exploitative, promiscuous or abusive relationships - gay or straight - are sinful. Relationships based on fidelity, trust and monogamy aren't.

Regarding, what the Bible says: All ancient and modern commentary around the Leviticus passages agree that one act and only one act - male to male anal sex - is condemned. And given how Jewish law works, needing the testimony of witnesses to convict, the act would have to be public. (There are other lists that condemn sins done in private in Deuteronomy and male anal sex is off that list) Many gay men don't have anal sex.

The Romans passage is clearly discussing promiscuous sexual acts done in pagan temples. Romans 1:23 even tells us what the pagan gods looked like and 1:25 reemphasizes that it's idolatry that is the problem. If you read about the Cybele/Attis cult, which was Christianity's biggest competitor at the time, you'll see that this is probably what Paul had in mind. This passage doesn't address Christians in monogamous gay relationships. No 1st and 2nd Century Christian commentary uses Romans 1 to condemn homosexuality in any form. (Google: Paul, the Goddess Religions and Homosexuality to read more on the topic.)

Finally, no one can agree on what "arsenkoitai" (which literally means "man-f**k) means in 1 Cor 6:9. For 2,000 years the Catholic Church used the passage to condemn masturbation and Martin Luther translated the word to mean child molesters. It was only recently that that Bible translations rendered the word as "homosexual" and most mainstream Biblical scholars believe this is a contextless translation of the word.

Don't let the religious right hijack our Bible. They ignore what the Bible says about divorce, charging interest on a loan, materialism, and pick and choose, even while condemning others of doing that. This is exactly what Jesus fought against.