Before praying, Dr. Jones made the following comments:
Mr. Speaker and esteemed representatives, I thank you for the opportunity to be present with you today as chaplain for the day. I want to thank my representative and good friend, the Honorable Al McAffrey for the invitation. I would also like to acknowledge guests who are present in the gallery – members of my congregation, the Cathedral of Hope, United Church of Christ. Joining them are dear friends, my wonderful parents, and my loving partner, Michael Cich.Dr. Jones is openly homosexual. And to my knowledge, he is the first openly homosexual pastor to become Pastor of the Day at the State House.
Later in the session, Rep. McAffrey moved to place Jones' prayer in the House Journal, a common practice, but State Rep. John Wright (R, Broken Arrow) objected. In my observations of the state legislature, I have never seen a legislator object to placing a prayer in the Journal, but then again, I have never heard of a homosexual pastor become Pastor of the Day.
A vote then ensued, and the prayer was placed in the Journal by a vote of 64-20, with 17 excused. The vote was as follows, with Republicans italicized:
- Aye: Armes, Auffet, Bailey, Banz, Billy, Brannon, Brown, Cannaday, Carey, Collins, Cooksey, Cox, Denney, Derby, DeWitt, Dorman, Fields, Glenn, Hamilton, Harrison, Hilliard, Holland, Hoskin, Inman, Jones, Jordan, Joyner, Kiesel, Kirby, Lamons, Luttrell, Martin (Scott), Martin (Steve), McAffrey, McDaniel (Jeannie), McMullen, McNiel, McPeak, Miller, Morgan, Morrissette, Nelson, Peters, Peterson, Pittman, Pruett, Renegar, Richardson, Roan, Rousselot, Schwartz, Scott, Sears, Shannon, Shelton, Sherrer, Shoemake, Shumate, Smithson, Steele, Thompson, Watson, Williams, Mr. Speaker. -- 64
- Nay: Blackwell, Christian, Coody, Duncan, Enns, Faught, Johnson, Kern, Key, Liebmann, Moore, Murphey, Osborn, Ownbey, Reynolds, Ritze, Sanders, Terrill, Thomsen, Wright (John). -- 20
- Excused: Buck, Dank, Hickman, Jackson, Jett, Kouplen, McCullough, McDaniel (Randy), Nations, Ortega, Proctor, Sullivan, Tibbs, Trebilcock, Walker, Wesselhoft, Wright (Harold). -- 17
I am very disappointed at how some of the Republican legislators voted; however, we are glad that among the brave few voting against it was Rep. George Faught (R, Muskogee).
That's insane! The Bible (I doubt this "pastor" is reading the right one) diqualifies him to be a pastor! I'm going to guess that some Rep. representatives didn't see it as a big deal about adding the prayer into the book. I would have voted "no"...or I would either have been excused because after his little opening I more or less would have left the room until he was out of there! I'm glad some people voted against it...like Kern, Faught, Wright, and Johnson...but am rather disappointed that some of the others did not.
ReplyDelete"We, your servants, are listening."
ReplyDeleteAhem, EXCEPT HIM!!! The Bible says the sodomy is a sin!
"Might a few drops of Your favor fall upon us today"
Sorry Dude, as long as you continue to live your lifestyle...it's not going to happen.
I mean *that :P
ReplyDeleteChristians are now finding out what it is like to be a "voice crying out in the wilderness". Yet, we are never to give up. Keep proclaiming the truth, but use the Holy Scripture...HIS word will not return void and will endure for all the ages.
ReplyDeleteI do have to say in the defense of some of the R's who voted yes...they weren't sure what they were voting on at the time. This isn't the case for all, and I am disappointed in the ones who knowingly voted yes as well. Sadly some of them were just weren't paying enough attention, but is that a surprise to anyone?
ReplyDelete