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It is certainly NOT false.  

Scroll down to the "Arguments in Favor" petition submitted by Allen Bethel in support of Measure 36, and notice all those equally bigoted Albina Ministerial Alliance pastors in attendance on the same page...

http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/nov22004/guide/meas/m36_fav.html

You might also wish to check out a more recent and relevant post on this topic from the Portland Mercury...

http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2010/05/21/when-things-get-awkward-for-dr-t-allen-bethel

Despite the obvious desire of many to sweep this kind of appalling and disrespectful behavior under the rug  -   the record is pretty clear.

* In 2004, Alan Bethel and his fellow pastors at Albina Ministerial Alliance churches donated plenty of parishioner dollars (just look up Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, as one example) and engaged in organized, concerted efforts to demonize and disrespect my family and many others as less worthy of civil rights protections than their own.

And the "reasons" for disrespecting and depriving his fellow Oregonians of basic civil protections offered by "Dr." Bethel (and his posse of Albina Ministerial charlatans) were driven by unsubstantiated, evidence-free, supernatural prejudice that a younger generation is (thank goodness) quickly disregarding...

However, a lot of us certainly remember what happened, and still happens, in these churches, and the name "Albina Ministerial Alliance" is pretty firmly, and accurately, linked with past efforts to reduce the legal worth and value of real, contributing families in our state.

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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I always find it hard to listen to the Reverend Allen Bethel, who calls for treating people with respect...

...while leading the Albina Ministerial Alliance, which donated thousands of dollars and preached hate in support of a state constitutional amendment that cut gay and lesbian families off from access to basic American civil rights (the result of passage of Measure 36).

I think it is important to remind people that Allen Bethel acted on his unsubstantiated prejudice against gay and lesbian Oregonians, and fought to disrespect his own Oregon neighbors, co-workers, family members and friends  -  because of whom they love.

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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So what do you say to the young child with two moms, or two dads?  Can they fill out the family tree assignment  -  or would that be TMI for you, too?

Reality, and equality, aren't hard for children...

...but clearly they are hard for adults who'd prefer to cling to religious prejudice against the many qualified gay and lesbian friends, co-workers, family members, and professionals in their midst...

So Mrs. Shannon can talk about her family, and her husband, but Mr. Stambaugh can't?

posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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>TOL couldn't find a more qualified person than this?

The arguments against equality are clearly bogus (my invisible supernatural friend Jesus, or Moroni, or Whatever, apparently hates gay people  -  and my Jesus must trump American constitutional guarantees of equal protection)...

...so Marilyn Shannon is probably about as eloquent in defense of a nasty, baseless prejudice as you're ever gonna get... (but you could always invite the Pope!)

Though what I'd like to hear is a Catholic parent (or a Mormon, or a parishioner at one of the Albina Ministerial Alliance churches) defend their continued financial support of these churches  -  

** Catholic, Mormon and AMA church members raised most of the money for the political effort to pass Measure 36, the constitutional amendment that made sure that if Mr. Stambaugh gets married, his marriage would be illegal in our state...

(though legally recognized, of course, in freer, more equal, less religious parts of the world...).

With gay teenagers killing themselves, and qualified gay and lesbian soldiers and student teachers being routinely fired, and gay families living under legal assault, and inequality...

...how does anyone justify continued support of the organizations that are the actual source of that awful, unfounded prejudice?  

That would be a much more interesting discussion.

posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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So now it's "don't ask, don't tell" in the Beaverton Public Schools..?

Talk about unprofessional behavior  -  the District forced out an enthusiastic, qualified, graduate student teacher because he answered a question about his marital status  -  honestly?

Face it:  religious Oregonians wrote their baseless prejudice against their gay and lesbian neighbors, family members, co-workers and friends into our state's Constitution with the passage of Measure 36...

...which selectively erased the basic civil right of marriage for Seth Stambaugh  -  and for many other hard-working, contributing members of our Oregon community.

Parishioners funded this successful, reprehensible, and un-American political effort to selectively deny us equal protection  -  and if you contribute money to Catholic, Mormon and Albina Ministerial Alliance coffers, YOU remain partly responsible for the inequality suffered by Seth and others...

* To the Beaverton School District:  What sort of message are you sending to gay and lesbian students by endorsing unfounded, evidence-free religious prejudice against a well-qualified, and honest, student teacher at Sexton Mountain Elementary?

Are you actually trying to encourage more Catholic, Mormon and Christian bullying, more bigotry -  like the kind that has led several young people to recently end their own lives?

posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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>That's funny you picked up on that phrase - we did talk about exactly how I phrased that question on the air.

I think that question captured the essence of this issue:  literally, why should we care what someone's imaginary supernatural god or goddess happens to think  -  about anything?

Why do the religious get a free pass when it comes to providing evidence for their (extraordinary) beliefs  -  which are often used to justify prejudice against other Americans..? 

For example...just because the Emperor Klaktu, or the Angel Moroni, or the Holy Spirit reportedly hates lesbians, we're supposed to literally amend our state's founding document to selectively deny lesbians (and gays) the basic civil right of marriage?

Bring out this Jesus, this Mohammed, this Hera  -  I'd like to discuss this further.  Oh wait  -  none of these supernatural superfriends actually exist.  They're just a cover for your prejudice.

So again:  "Who cares what Jesus et al think about government?"

And why aren't the religious asked (by you, for example, on "Think Out Loud") to provide actual support or evidence for their unfounded (and, let's face it, patently ridiculous) beliefs?

posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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Does the County or City care whether they give public money to organizations that discriminate and promote discrimination against, for example, gay and lesbian residents?

Don't the County and City have restrictions on working with contractors that discriminate on the basis of sex, race, sexual orientation, religion, etc..?

Why is it OK to fund Catholic Charities, which works hard to promote violence and discrimination against gays and lesbians (e.g., the Catholic Archdiocese was the number one financial supporter of Measure 36)?

posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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>I figure it is up to God

But which one?  Hermes?  Hera?  The Flying Spaghetti Monster?  Cheesus Christ (from Glee)?  The Scientologist alien Emperor Klaktu?

Religion is a lot of nutty, bogus, supernatural nonsense  -  though a personal "God" (whichever one - or Ones? -  that might be) is so often referenced to deny gays and lesbians basic civil rights, women access to healthcare and education, etc...

Believe and express whatever you like  -  our human-made Constitution guarantees this right  -  but evidence free supernatural musings should not determine, for example, which citizens have access to healthcare options, or basic civil rights.

posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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I agree with many posters  -  religion should have no direct, organizational role in delivering government services...

And I'm heartened by recent polls suggesting that close to 40% of Americans under 30 declare themselves as having no religious affiliation whatsoever.

I echo Emily Harris here:  who cares what your particular imaginary gods or goddesses (supposedly) want or think..?  It's irrelevant, based on utter, evidence-free nonsense, and the source of plenty of unfounded prejudice against other Americans...

The sooner we ditch these groups, and their supernatural superfriends (and there are so many:  Jesus, Mary, the "Holy Spirit," Mohammed, the Great Emperor Klaktu, the Angel Moroni, etc...)  -  and all the associated homophobia, misogyny, scientific illiteracy, child abuse, violence, etc.  -  the better it will be for everyone...

posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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As the parent of two boys (9 and 11), we refer to Shakespeare often.  For example, we all appreciate his expertise in generating amazingly creative insults..!

And of course, there's his observation from MacBeth:  "you doth protest too much."

It applies in so many situations, from family life ("but I didn't DO IT!!!") (hmmm...perhaps you did..?) to the daily news (all that gay bashing from the Catholic Church, for example  -  hmmm...perhaps all those popes and priests are creepy closet cases?  No surprises here, thanks to the Bard's insight).

posted 3 years ago
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It's heartening to hear such a firm rejection of white supremacy in John Day. 

Now if only folks there (and elsewhere in Oregon) would support basic equality for gay and lesbian Oregonians as well.  

Grant County voted overwhelmingly to pass Measure 36, which literally amended our state constitution to selectively deny marriage rights to my family, and many others in our state.  And the homophobic views of the Aryan Nations likely mirrors those of many folks in John Day.

This evidence-free religious prejudice against contributing, fully human gay and lesbian members of our communities is really no different than what's preached regularly at Catholic, Mormon, and many Christian churches in the area (and throughout the state)...

"The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice."

Good work John Day  -  but we're done yet.

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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As gay, married (since 2003, though together 20 years) dads raising two terrific, smart boys in Portland, my husband and I are still in the "we'll believe it when we see it" crowd...

Why?  Well, since taking office, this President has directed his Justice Department to defend (vigorously) both the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Don't Ask Don't Tell.

He has continued to kick honorable gay and lesbian soldiers, Arabic translators, medical personnel, and other highly qualified, self-sacrificing Americans out of the U.S. military  -  for being honest and upfront about who they are, and who their families are.

Of course, last year, we expected better.

After all, this is a President whose own parents' marriage wasn't legally recognized in about 28 states because of religious prejudice  -  the same unfounded sort of nonsense spouted by Catholics, Mormons and many Christians against our equally American families today ("my invisible Jebus/Holy Spirit/Angel Moroni now hates...let's see  -  lesbians").

But, like so many Democrats, the President panders to this prejudice, probably convinced that treating gay and lesbian Americans as second class citizens isn't really a political liability.  Why make religious voters uncomfortable, and where else can gay and lesbian voters go?

So I'd like to see the pretty words translated into action.  Why doesn't the President issue an executive order barring any further dismissals until the policy is repealed?  Is he still going to kick out soldiers, because they are lesbian, or gay?  

And when will my family be treated equally under the law  -  as his parents were, eventually, not many years ago...  Will the President quit pandering to evidence-free, Catholic, Mormon and Christian prejudice, or continue to defend DOMA?

I hope for the best (and we're trending in the right direction), but the President's actions speak a lot louder than his currently empty words.

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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I'm all for re-directing the kicker into some kind of rainy day fund.  

At least until we fix the tax system in this state  -  since we rely so heavily on the income tax, we are guaranteed to suffer whenever unemployment rises.  If only we had a mix of taxes  -  sales, income and property, we wouldn't have to rely so much on such an unstable source...

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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>I don't buy The Oregonian or read it, because I don't think the quality of a paper from a city or state of this size is inherently ever going to meet 'my' standards.

But I would read it  -  and buy it  -  if it offered good state and local coverage.  I'd read it  -  and buy it  -  if it offered investigative journalism on Oregon stories, and did more than protect powerful interests and reprint corporate press releases.

And I don't think that's asking too much of local reporters;  I'm sure that many are also frustrated with the situation  -  and more than up to the task.  

But the corporate owners of this paper, in collaboration with their advertising partners, won't let them do real, and valuable, work.

I agree that this situation isn't unique to Oregon.  And I agree that "alternative" papers are often about as alternative as American Apparel (vs. the Gap)..!

But as an Oregonian, I'm certainly not mourning the slow death of this "newspaper."  The owners (and some editors) freely chose this path...

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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But if the Oregonian doesn't offer decent state, national or international coverage, and enjoys a comfortable relationship with corporate sponsors, usually echoing their interests...

...and if other sources (local and national) often report big Oregon stories (Goldschmidt, Packwood, etc.) first (and often because the Oregonian is working hard NOT to cover these stories)...

Then why buy  -  or defend  -  this shrinking paper, or visit its clunky, awful website  -  at all?

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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And don't forget Bob Packwood.  "When it matters to Oregonians, it's in the Washington Post..."

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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But why buy the Oregonian, if it doesn't offer decent national, international  -  and now even statewide  -  news coverage?  When it largely blasts press releases for corporate sponsors and advertisers?  When the coupons aren't even that good?

I say go with the "fantastic" option.

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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They once published an editorial attacking the Massachusetts Supreme Court for upholding marriage equality.  

I'm paraphrasing, but Bob Caldwell's essential argument was "gays and lesbians should be happy with their new found role in entertainment (I think he actually referenced "Will & Grace!")  -  and not get all uppity about civil rights."

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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Of course none of these concerns are explored in any depth during the "live," on air version of the show..!

Let's not pile on our good friends, eh?

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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Friedman's in the Times (sometimes a day or two earlier...)

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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