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People of faith lobby in Lansing

LANSING – As the United States Senate was debating an anti-gay marriage amendment to the Constitution on June 6, a group of twelve people of faith gathered in the Michigan Capitol to prepare for a day of lobbying and prayer.
The event, a People of Faith Lobbying Day sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and Michigan Equality, began with a morning lecture presented by Hope College professor of psychology and author David Myers. Myers is co-author of a the book "What God Has Joined Together? A Christian Case for Gay Marriage." The book explores the connections between gay marriage supporters and connects the issue to the large conservative movement to save marriage.
"Why is the church so pre-occupied with something the Bible barely discusses?" Myers asked. He said he was moved to begin researching this issue when he saw "false information" in and from the faith community regarding the LGBT community. "I felt a moral calling."
After debunking numerous myths, including that homosexuals can change their sexual orientation, Myers went on to discuss the Bush's push for the anti-gay marriage amendment.
"This is weapons of mass distraction for the family values movement," he said. "You havenÕt made the case, Mr. President."
Myers argues the church and society is in the process of changing. "The church has moved from polygamy to monogamy, from arranged to romantic marriage, from shunning interracial marriage to accepting it, and from disciplining divorced people to accepting them," the scholar said.
"The church is a hospital for sinners. We're all broken in some way," he said, concluding his arguments that gay marriage was important to the community as a whole, not just LGBT people.
One participant asked Myers if he was receiving any negative feedback from Hope College, a private, conservative Christian university. "A little bit," he said. But he indicated it was more of a ribbing than actual negative response, claiming his dean was fully supportive of his travels to promote his book and his ideas. "Ironically, there's been more information out there about my psychology book, because the state of Alabama banned it because of its frank discussions of homosexuality."
"In short I am called to contribute my conclusions to the free marketplace of ideas. Out of that process greater wisdom will come," he said. "That's what I contribute Ñ I hope Ñ greater wisdom."
Following Professor Myer's speech, the group was encouraged to visit their representatives and senators.
"The real value of what you're doing today is putting a face on our issues," said Kate Runyon, director of the AFSC's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues Program.

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