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20 Oklahoma legislators vote against recording gay pastor’s prayer in House Journal
February 11th, 2009Scott Jones, pastor of the Cathedral of Hope-Oklahoma City, delivered the opening prayer Wednesday in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, according to this report on Jones’ blog, MyQuest. The Cathedral of Hope-OKC is a congregation of the United Church of Christ that spun off from Dallas’ Cathedral of Hope, known as the world’s largest gay church.
Jones reportedly had been invited to give the prayer by openly gay Oklahoma State Rep. Al McAffrey. At the close of the day’s business, McAffrey made a motion to have Jones’ remarks recorded in the House Journal. Because a Republican legislator objected to the motion, a roll call vote was taken, and 20 representatives, including the infamous Sally Kern, voted against recording the prayer. Sixty-seven legislators voted in favor of the motion, and another 17 were reported absent.
“It was an interesting moment, and rather chaotic,” Jones wrote on MyQuest. “One legislator commented, ‘We always enter the remarks.’ Others wanted to read what I had said, and came over to where I was and read my hard copy and kept saying, ‘What are they objecting to?’ Others came over to apologize. One legislator made a point of order to remind colleagues that if they were in the room, they had to vote, at which some of them fled … “
You can read a transcript of Jones’ prayer by going here. To see a record of the House vote, go here and scroll to Feb. 11.
February 12th, 2009 at 1:31 am
I can’t believe Oklahoma has an openly gay State Rep, when Texas, so much larger, with so many big cities, has none.
But I am glad that Pastor Jones got to deliver the prayer. And no matter how much those 20 legislators want to pretend like a gay preacher didn’t just lead the Oklahoma House of Representatives in prayer, HE DID!!!
But isn’t Sally Kerns’s son gay too.
Bishop T.D. Jakes of the Potter’s House apparently has some trouble with his gay son too.
He got arrested in a gay sex sting at Kiest Park
http://brandonna.blogspot.com/
February 12th, 2009 at 8:28 am
[...] tip: Dallas Voice Blog] For related information, see Aside LINK [...]
February 12th, 2009 at 9:20 am
These 20 legislators do not have the right to be called Christians. WWJD? Obviously, they do not follow Jesus Christ nor do they understand that all of God’s children are created equal in His eyes. God doesn’t make mistakes!!! For those who follow other belief systems, acceptance of all lpeoples should be their crede and I’m certain it probably is.
February 12th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
We ought not have prayers in public buildings at all, nor should we have invocations out of doors for governmental events, whether state or federal.
This case only serves to underscore why it is that in this, our secular republic, the government is not supposed to get involved with religion in the first place.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
To me the most surprising item in this story is that there is an openly gay legislator in OK! Now that’s progress.
February 13th, 2009 at 7:01 am
[...] the enthusiastic public support of Oklahoma-based Exodus ex-gay activist Stephen Black — voted to suppress the public record of the opening prayer for the Oklahoma House of Representatives. (Sixty-seven voted in favor of recording [...]
February 16th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
The objection was to his remarks being recorded, not the prayer. The remarks stated the Pastors recognition to his fiancee, Michael in the gallery. This is not common practice, and to recognize him, he was making it a gay issue, and bringing it into the polital arena by motioning to have those remarks added was nothing but asking for special treatment. This is a publicity stunt for attention.
February 16th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Charles said: “This is a publicity stunt for attention”
If that’s the case, it worked.
February 20th, 2009 at 6:54 am
How many times has a minister making a prayer at the House refered to thier wife? I couldn’t say, because it would be considered insignificant to the members of the house. No matter if he jumped around naked screaming the Magna Carta, you record ALL comments made by someone on the house floor, having lived in OKC I understand, he would have wanted to suppress the comments no matter what he said becasue he was gay, and only the most extreme hatemongering members of the house. the OK House of Representatives has 101 members, 61 Republican and 40 Democrat.
February 20th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Just further proof that, among the Southern states, Oklahoma continues to stand with such colossal embarrassments as South Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama. You know, all the great bastions of illiteracy, homophobia, fanaticism and general ignorance.
I say let the Confederacy have Oklahoma back, along with the rest of the South. They can take Utah, too, just for good measure and one small chunk of the West.