01/13/2009
Rev. Ed Bacon Clarifies Oprah Remark: Being Gay is a Gift from God
Last Thursday I posted about the Reverend Ed Bacon's appearance on Oprah during her Best Life Week's spirituality episode, on which Bacon told a gay male viewer that "being gay is a gift from God."
Bacon's remarks lit up the forums on Oprah's site with hundreds of anti-gay messages from so-called Christians.
Bacon clarified his remarks on the show via satellite:
"After hearing from Sedrick, who says he had a tough adolescence growing up as a gay teen in rural Alabama, the Rev. Bacon said something Oprah says she has never heard a minister say. 'Being gay is a gift from God,' the Rev. Bacon said. 'But our culture doesn't understand that. And consequently, the culture sends messages that you ought to isolate. And isolation is the antithesis of what all of us need.' To further explain his comment, the Rev. Bacon joins Oprah via satellite. 'I meant exactly what I said,' he says. 'It is so important for every human being to understand that he or she is a gift from God.' Just as the Oprah.com message boards were buzzing, the Rev. Bacon says he has been receiving plenty of feedback. The majority of it, he says, is positive. 'My e-mail was full of comments, and what I gather is that it simply unleashed a flood of healing throughout the country and Australia and Great Britain, across the continent. It was amazing.'"
Previously
Rev. Ed Bacon to Oprah Viewer: Being Gay is a Gift from God [tr]
Posted 9:45 AM EST by Andy Towle in News, Oprah, Religion, Television | Permalink
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i don't know about anyone else, but i like the guy for not backing down or weaseling out. he put the responsibility for painful experience of gayness squarely where it belongs, on a homophobic society.
testify, rev.
Posted by: jack | Jan 13, 2009 10:07:19 AM
Now there's a good man, standing up for truth. His message is surely a beacon of hope for thousands of young people struggling with their sexuality in homophobic religious atmospheres.
Posted by: foolforlove | Jan 13, 2009 10:15:49 AM
It's nice to see a "clarification" that isn't really just backing down on remarks that have garnered criticism. Rev. Bacon seems like a very decent man.
Posted by: Andy | Jan 13, 2009 10:21:22 AM
When I read the title of this entry, my heart sank - I think it was the word "clarified," and I was all ready to read a statement from Rev. Bacon along the lines of "Well, I didn't really mean it the way everyone took it."
How refreshing to hear him clarify - as in MAKE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR - that LGBT people are ... wait for it ... people.
If ever I'm president, I'm calling this guy to deliver my invocation. Just sayin'.
Posted by: Red Seven | Jan 13, 2009 10:32:33 AM
Very heartening. My mother sent me an email last night gushing about his appearances on Oprah. It is very nice. But I don't need any man of God to tell me that I'm worthy... Or not. Too bad so many in our culture still do.
Posted by: Mike | Jan 13, 2009 10:41:54 AM
That earlier thread has been such a joy reading all those comments from the bigots coming here. Poor Majeff deserves a medal for battling those people.
Posted by: crispy | Jan 13, 2009 10:42:36 AM
He also mentioned that most of the negative feedback he received came from "so-called Christians."
It reminds me of Connie Marbles line in Pink Flamingo's..."There are two kinds of people in this world. My kind of people and assholes. Its rather obvious to see which category THEY fit into."
Posted by: Josh | Jan 13, 2009 10:48:29 AM
Same here RED SEVEN, I thought "oh no.."
This was one of the most refreshing things ever to read. To clarify that "yes, I meant exactly what I said"
Posted by: Gabriel | Jan 13, 2009 11:21:55 AM
yeah!
How hysterically refreashing.
Yea, let me clarify....
What I said, well that is exactly what I meant.
Posted by: banshiii | Jan 13, 2009 12:31:36 PM
Talk about a man (and religion) of principles (over personalities).
Posted by: Marc in Chicago | Jan 13, 2009 12:32:06 PM
Same sentiment as above; thank you GOD for not backing off. The Religious Tyrannists will jump on EVERYONE who steps forward and say ONE DECENT THING about us. Now I wish Bishop John Shelby Spong would get more FACE TIME on T.V. - AND his book: The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love.
Posted by: John Bisceglia | Jan 13, 2009 1:43:30 PM
Too bad that Oprah's shocked facial expressions when he said it the first time and then her going to the trouble of "giving him an opportunity to clarify" his statement shows that the possibility that being gay is a gift from God is foreign and shocking to her.
Posted by: Joe | Jan 13, 2009 2:05:27 PM
He figured that prick warren and the other demagogues have the angry evil god market cornered, so he wants to make money with some liberal "it burns when I urinate" god of tolerance. It's all about money and prestige.
Posted by: TANK | Jan 13, 2009 2:08:19 PM
After spending Thanksqiving week with my sister and her three children, I thank GOD everyday that he made me gay!
Posted by: alfredo | Jan 13, 2009 2:08:24 PM
I just sent his church a donation. I hope people do the same because it's people like him that gives me some faith and hope in organised religion. God bless him indeed.
Posted by: Jose Arribas | Jan 13, 2009 5:07:57 PM
Again I ask, where's Oprah in all this? She's had plenty of opportunities to show the LGBT community support [a billion and a half opportunities at least] but I dont see any mention of her. Bacon appeared with other ministers providing a spectrum of views if I read the original post correctly.
Common, O, show us you support us. Discrimination of any form is no good.
Posted by: Ted | Jan 14, 2009 1:01:27 AM