Rev. Kim Rogers speaks at Texas Capitol in opposition to SB 6 and HB 2899

The following remarks were delivered by Rev. Kim Rogers, pastor of Central Presbyterian Church, at a recent rally of GOP women, business and faith leaders at the Texas Capitol, in opposition to HB 2899 and SB 6.

Good Afternoon, I am Rev. Kim Rogers, I am a pastor just a few blocks from here at Central Presbyterian Church.  Part of our Church’s Mission Statement is that we seek to be “Deliberately Diverse and Fully Inclusive.”  At Central we believe that God has called us to continuously seek ways to open our doors a little wider so that ALL people feel welcome and included.

I am here today because legislation that is being proposed will impact our beloved church community. 

The God that we follow is One who seeks to include not exclude. I implore our Texas legislators to soften their spirits and open their hearts to a God who says, I love you just the way you are, gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender.  

We cannot keep trying to push legislation through under the pretense that it is religious freedom. Hundreds of faith leaders across the great state of Texas have prophetically shared that this type of legislation, based on discrimination, is NOT our religious belief. And it is certainly, not something we believe that God would be pleased about. God does not discriminate!

This type of legislation only further marginalizes LGBTQ people placing them at greater risk of violence, hate crimes, bullying, and suicide. 

It was not that long ago when we used religion to justify the evil that was slavery.  Where black men and women were read scriptures from the epistles that told them that slaves were to submit to their masters. It is a dangerous game we are playing when we use religion to exclude, to segregate, and to discriminate against people and call it freedom. 

The bathroom bill and all the other anti-LGBTQ bills proposed in this legislation are based on unfounded fear. Fear of what we do not understand, fear of the unknown.  Instead of fear, what if we did like Jesus, and built relationships with people who are different from us, built communities of people who have various backgrounds and stories.  Building relationships is key to ridding us of biases, stereotypes and instead, binding us in love and empathy for one another.    

In a letter signed by over 200 faith leaders in Texas we said, “We will continue to speak out against all attempts to use religion to demonize, discriminate against or bring harm to our LGBTQ sisters and brothers. And we encourage you, as leaders in our state, to support policies that treat all Texans equally under the law, including the LGBTQ community.”

At Central Presbyterian, we worship a God of love. I pray for the day when love will overcome fear. I believe supporting policies that seek equality, is a great way to start. 

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