Over 100 Religious leaders in DC speak out for marriage equality

In our nation's capitol, leaders from across the spectrum of faith spoke out yesterday in support of marriage equality. It sure sounds like an impressive event and destroys the rhetoric from the anti-gay religious types:

About 200, representing nearly every faith, have formed D.C. Clergy United for Marriage Equality. On Thursday night, more than 100 of them gathered at Asbury United Methodist Church in Northwest Washington to support a bill that D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) introduced this month that would allow same-sex couples to marry.

"There is this myth out there that you can't be pro-God and pro-gay," said the Rev. Robert M. Hardies, senior minister of All Souls Church, Unitarian, in the Columbia Heights area. "We are doing the best we can to share the message that there is strong support from within D.C.'s religious community for equality."

The church service comes as opponents redouble efforts to scuttle the bill. Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of Hope Christian Church, and others are seeking a referendum on banning same-sex marriage in the District. On Monday, nearly a dozen ministers asked the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics to approve a public vote.

But after being overshadowed by same-sex marriage opponents, religious leaders who back the concept are speaking out.

Nice work. In the United States of America, religious leaders shouldn't be setting public policy, especially when it comes to preventing basic equality.

Clearly, Bishop Harry Jackson (who doesn't even live in the Distict, but is the leader of the anti-gay side) really doesn't have a monopoly on translating the word of god when it comes to marriage equality.