(NJ State) Senate bans pastor after he condemns same-sex marriage

[deadparrot]

The Rev. Vincent Fields says he didn't plan to speak out against same-sex marriage when he offered the invocation at the opening of the Senate session on Monday.

At first, he prayed for wisdom and understanding for the senators. But then, the Absecon pastor recalled yesterday, "the Holy Spirit took over, and I had to pray what he said."

What Fields said next -- on a day a Senate committee advanced a bill allowing civil unions for same- sex couples -- has gotten the pastor banned from giving future Senate invocations.

"We curse the spirit that would come to bring about same-sex marriage," Fields said in the Senate chamber. "We ask you to just look over this place today, cause them to be shaken in their very heart in uprightness, Lord, to do that is right before you."

[BattyDem]

1. It's moments like this that make me proud to be from Jersey!

:patriot:

[WindRavenX]

6. yup, we may be the dirrty jerz, but we don't take this shit lightly

My RC grandmother *loves* gay people. And she's 81 years old, goes to mass every week, and has the greatest jersey accent :)

[VegasWolf]

7. LOL! Can anyone not from New Jersey ever understand what she says?

:toast:

[WindRavenX]

8. "I sez to her I sez, I gawt a cup of cawfee...."

:)

[VegasWolf]

9. We just had a Carl Jr commercial here where a bunch of guys were

praising the hamburger. My wife couldn't understand what they were saying and thought that they were from a foreign country. No, I said, they are from New Jersey!

:toast:

[BattyDem]

12. ROFL!

:rofl:

A sentence that can only be heard in Joisey! ;-)

[VegasWolf]

15. and I have that Southern accent everyone teases me about! nt

[zreosumgame]

23. I loved the part about how the 'Holy Spirit' made him do it!

LOL!

[BattyDem]

24. Typical fundie ... they blame either God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit for their behavior!

It's as if they're trying to say ...
"I'm not a hateful bigot, but God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit compels me to say and do hateful, bigoted things. It's not my fault!" :eyes:


edited: typo :blush:

[SemperEadem]

27. or Satan

but they never take responsibility for what they choose to do.

No part of God had anything to do with what he said. His pride is what forced him to say what he did because his hubris is such that he never believed he would be censored or reprimanded for allowing his pride to have its head.

Pride goes before destruction and the haughty spirit before the fall.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

29. I didn't know the Holy Spirit was a bigot.

Well you learn something every day. :eyes:

[DUgosh]

2. Wow That Holy Spirit guy

Would never say that, Curses went out with the Old Testament

[VegasWolf]

3. The Holy Spirit is always the meanest one of the Christian's 3-faced God's

(triune god) personality.

[Occulus]

4. They're ALL cruel sons of bitches, though n/t

Note that I'm not talking about the ACTUAL, true Creator, but the fantasy the christians worship.

[VegasWolf]

5. Well, Jesus wasn't too bad, but the old man Yahweh was one mean guy!

The Holy Spirit is a crazy one.

:toast:

[Occulus]

21. Okay, Jesus gets a pass

Why is it that the Big Guy always seems to have some very nasty tricks up his sleeve, though? And ne'er a check or balance on power?

:shrug:

[Pastiche423]

10. He prayed for wisdom and understanding

from the holy spirit?

Ain't that a little like listening to the voices in your head?

[TexasLawyer]

11. the Holy Spirit just took me over

here's what it said:

"%$#@! you, Rev. Fields"

I'm just repeating what I heard. :-)

[BR_Parkway]

13. So the Holy Spirit caused him to pray outloud to God? Why wouldn't

the Holy Spirit have just 'infected' all those senators and cause them to vote down us damn homos? I mean, if it's part of God, the omni-potent and all, why would it stoop to using a human pastor to try to influence the men and women of the NJ senate.

Kudo's to them for throwing his lying ass out of there!

[VegasWolf]

14. He's confused! The Holy Spirit IS ONE of the 3 faces of the Christian God! nt

[JerseygirlCT]

16. How anyone can mistake that sort of hate for the Holy Spirit is

beyond me.

Good for them.

[Zhade]

17. Why is there a "Senate pastor" period?

Hello? Violation of separation of church and state, anyone?

[Skip Intro]

18. seems an apparent violation to me

but then again, so does "In God We Trust."

I doubt any Senator would try to change it, though. He or she would be skewered by those opposed. A battle for another day?

[Bill McBlueState]

19. which day?

I'm getting tired of waiting around for the Constitution to be enforced.

[Ian David]

20. Hallowed are The Ori!

[Chovexani]

30. I am slain.

You, sir, are made of both win and a substantial amount of awesome. :rofl:

(I smell a YouTube video with Pat Robertson shouting about the Ori)

[Laughing Mirror]

22. Doubtful too that his "Holy Spirit" will be speaking at NJ Chamber of Commerce meetings either

once they catch wind of this latest UCLA study.

Studio: N.J. firms would make big money if gay marriage is allowed
Civil unions bill expected to pass Thursday
LOS ANGELES (AP) | Dec 14, 7:56 AM

New Jersey florists, caterers, hotels and other businesses would bring in more than $100 million in additional revenue per year if the state allowed gay couples to marry there, according to a study by researchers at UCLA.

The study was released Wednesday and appears to be on the verge of making a moot point. Both houses of the New Jersey state Legislature were expected to pass a bill Thursday allowing civil unions, giving gay couples in the state all the legal protections of marriage without calling it marriage.

The study's author, M.V. Lee Badgett, of the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, figured that half of New Jersey's 16,600 gay couples, plus more than 16,000 from neighboring New York and Pennsylvania and nearly 43,000 from around the country would tie the knot in the Garden State over three years.

...

While it might not be many couple's dream destination for a wedding, New Jersey would have a corner on the market if lawmakers reversed course and allowed gay marriages.

http://washingtonblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=10466

To the tune of more than $300 million in revenue alone over a three-year time, the study estimates.

Might this mean those miles and miles of Atlantic City boardwalk stand a chance of making a comeback as a rowdy 24/7 non-stop LGBT party town on the shore, a new sort of "Philadelphia on the Atlantic" as it was popularly decades ago? Is it still gambling? Does it still have rides on the midway on the Million Dollar pier? Will it maybe now attract thousands of same-sex newlyweds and/or their kids?

This is good news for New Jersey, being at the forefront of same-sex marriage in the US. It is a state I am not from but have always loved for the impression that it and its people have always made on me, just for being real.

[SemperEadem]

28. The state is after the money, not the equality

It's about a revenue stream that the state wants to get its hand on; it's not about the fairness and equality of GLBT with heteros--that's just a fortunate by product of the state's rapaciousness. If it was about fairness, then they would have called it marriage for GLBT's and not civil unions.

Having said all of that, one thing I will say about "Joizey" is that the people are the state's treasure. They are very friendly and funny, too... one of the friendliest places I've ever lived.

[Jersey Ginny]

25. I love NJ! We are the best kept secret in the US

Well except for the fact that we are the most densely populated state in the US-meaning many people know that this is a great place to live. Civil Unions are not great as we were hoping for marriage, but taking the broader view, we are one of the leaders of the country regarding equality. We aren't perfect and we don't pretend to be. Go RU!

[Jimbo S]

26. "Holy Spirit, Batman!"

[Vidar]

31. Good for New Jersey.

[ima_sinnic]

32. why is there even praying going on in a legislative body? Do they

also sacrifice chickens, consult astrologers, and interpret the lumps on people's heads? These would make just as much sense as praying to whatever they think is Out There listening to their BS.

[SoCalifer]

33. Damn Jesus Freaks

I am so sick of them thinking they're in the right to shove their twisted beliefs down other people's throats.

I am curious. If I wore satanic symbols to church but didn't say anything. What would happen to me? Would I get thrown out?