Human Rights Commission Responds to ‘Hateful’ Message
Message Posted by Medford Square Church Sparks Public Outcry
– Allison Goldsberry
A message recently posted on a sign in front of the New England Baptist Church in Medford Square triggered “a ton of complaining phone calls and emails,” according to City of Medford Diversity Director Diane McLeod.
The message said “Homosexuality, like all sin, is ungodly & unhealthy.” It has since been changed to “Your problem is with God and the Bible, not with this Church.”
The Medford Human Rights Commission has written the following response:
The Medford Human Rights Commission has received many emails and phone calls recently in response to a signboard posted in Medford Square. In response, we feel it is important to reinforce the overall sentiment that the City of Medford is an open, welcoming, and diverse community.
Medford has long been such community and, over the years, has found ways to welcome an ever-expanding array of newcomers. The Medford Human Rights Commission celebrates this spirit of tolerance and openness that characterizes our city. The Commission — whose charter calls upon us “to reinforce a positive community atmosphere……. to promote understanding to eliminate prejudice and intolerance…..†is proud to serve as an amplifier for the voices of good will throughout our city. We have always stood and will continue to stand with other civic and religious organizations that promote tolerance and understanding and call upon all of them to join us specifically in condemning public expressions of hate and intolerance. Hateful expressions of any type, even those protected by free speech, do not foster a positive community spirit we all value so highly.
We thank the many members of the Medford community who raise their voices to foster tolerance and understanding throughout the city and beyond.
The Medford Human Rights Commission
Mayor Michael J. McGlynn
Council President Breanna Lungo-Koehn
Council Vice President Michael J. Marks
Diane McLeod, Diversity Director
Rev. David O’Leary, Goddard Chapel, Tufts University
Rev. Steven T. Savides & the Congregational Church of W. Medford, UCC
First Community United Methodist Church
Rev. Noah Evans & the Grace Episcopal Church
The Kurukella Center
Rev. Hank Peirce & the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford
Steve Honeycutt, Chair Medford Commission for Persons with Disabilities
Dale Bryan, Peace and Justice Studies, Tufts University
Diane Trask-McCue, Medford
Loren Gomez, Medford
Chris A. Miller, Medford
Joshua BrownMiller, Medford
Seth BrownMiller, Medford
Jean Carlevale, Medford
Unid@s: The National Latino/a LGBT Organization for Human Rights
Somos Latin@s LGBT Coalition of Mass
Boston Pride Committee
The Rainbow Times, LLC
Gricel M. Ocasio
Nicole C. Lashomb
Wilfred Labiosa, Medford
John Barter, Medford
Zonta Club of Medford
Rainbow Solutions, Inc.
If this were a posting condemning the United States for whatever reason, there would be little, or no, outcry. Only those whose vested interests are to disrupt the peace of this nation are allowed to speak, and say, whatever they like. All others, please shut up. Seeing all of those from academia on the list, besides the weak willed politicians only furthers my testimony.
Actually, Colin McCauley, “Pastor” Michael (and the term pastor is used loosely), did have a sign condemning a part of America after Katrina. How dare you insinuate that it is “vested interest” groups who you feel should put up with discrimination and bigotry.
Here is that sign for you to read:
Brian Codi hates the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Calls them SINNERS!
http://heartlandval ues.blogspot. com/2005/ 09/medford- churchs-sign- at-odds-with- time.html
Pastor Michael pushes buttons to get the attention. We all know it. At the Performance Evaluation Hearing he didn’t take sides, as long as he gets HIS Free Speech on TV 3, he will accept any help from anyone.
A friend and I were VERY upset by the sign, but we did not file a formal complaint (until now with my personal complaint on this webpage).
By the way, this minority person worked a camera at TV3 FOR Pastor Michael because – though I’m not perfect – I wanted to do what Jesus would do and actually help the man casting stones at me. It was a Deacon of the New England Baptist Church who verbally assaulted me and I’ve not been invited back to the station since December 10, 2002 when I was viciously attacked, with a Bible, by the people I helped run camera for, for their tv show.
No one at the New England Baptist Church has called the TV station to tell the station they were wrong. They don’t want my voice on the air. Now it goes from hateful signs to participating in censorship
Check out the photo of what they said about a city in America:
http://heartlandval ues.blogspot. com/2005/ 09/medford- churchs-sign- at-odds-with- time.html
This is a posting condemning Americans, and previous postings at this “church” have condemned entire regions of our great nation (New Orleans post-Katrina). How did the previous commented manage to ignore the variety of religious leaders signing the letter?
Colin, the only outcry to this posting is yours, so it’s not clear what other outcry you’re writing about. As far as the message posted by the church, an organization or person is free to say whatever it wants, as this so called church is, but so do its critics. Free speech doesn’t mean that this organization has a right to say whatever it wants without criticism. It can put up whatever message it wants on its signboard, but in doing so, it opens the message to criticism. The answer to free speech is more free speech.
BTW, their habit of handing religious tracts to my children when they are waiting at the bus stop WITHOUT MY PERMISSION OR CONSENT violates my religious and parental rights. Fortunately, the kids collect them and find them amusingly stupid.
Are you kidding me Colin? If that sign had read “being American is ungodly and unhealthy”, there would be a significant amount of outcry from the community (from folks like yourself). The sign was changed as a matter of respect to the community, a quality in which they have failed to demonstrate in the past. Kudos to my neighbors of Medford, I am pleasantly surprised with this showing of goof will.
this church preys on the vulnerable and the weak, many of the folks wake up after a while, others are lulled by the gluttonous behavior allowed to perpetuate on the part of many of the long term members, This community is a community known for acceptance, temperance, discipline and tolerance. wake up NEBC please
Where does it say for the person who has sin is supposed to cast the first stone? This is typical of fundamentalist Christians. Attacking because of their views then claiming they’re the ones being attacked for their views. A google search says some scary things about this church.
These people honestly think that by denying civil rights such as marriage and anti-discrimination laws based on sexuality that they will either somehow make people heterosexual or they have such bitter hatred and bigotry towards people based on their sexual orientation, they don’t care what happens to then in society. Enough to the focus on the family mentality of my way or no way. This is a diverse nation. Deal with differences. Jesus did.
Diversity and tolerance only matters to liberals when it is their perverted diversities that are tolerated. Dissenting views or oppinions are viciously attacked with the very kind of hatred and intolerance that they accuse those on the right of having. Perhaps they should take a little advice that they so freely spew out at the church…and practice what they preach!
As far as the Bible goes the sign is technically correct. Homosexuality is not against the law but if you want to get technical the act of sodomy is unhealthy. I am not judging anyone, I really don’t care what anyone does in their bedrooms but the sign was Biblically and factually correct. Those who are offended might not want to hear it but it is a free country and the church has the freedom of speech. We don’t have the right to not be offended.