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What happened when a Catholic group decided to form a prayer circle outside screening of “Bridegroom”
Shane Bitney Crone is a classy and lovely man who has shared on Facebook what happened this week when he took his documentary, Bridegroom, to University of Texas at Tyler for a screening.
It tells the story of Shane’s relationship with his late partner, Tom Bridegroom who was killed in an accidental fall from a rooftop. Shane’s grief was compounded when Tom’s family banned him from the funeral and tried to erase all evidence of their happy life together.
Shane tells what happened in Texas:
While the film was playing, a prayer circle formed in the lobby. I watched as the small group congregated, quietly praying for the “Heavenly Father” to “help everyone inside that theatre to see the truth.” Apparently a local Catholic group on Facebook had put out a call to action, urging “prayer warriors” to get down to the screening of the “controversial” film.
When the film finished, I invited the prayer group to join us for the Q&A. They seemed shocked by my hospitality and a few even approached me afterwards to apologize for the fact that I had been discriminated against by other Christians. I appreciated their sympathy, however their sentiments came with a caveat: “But you have a choice to act on your impulses to sin.”
I explained that while it’s important to respect other people’s views, I disagreed with the heart of their statement. “If all sins are equal, then it’s hard for me to comprehend why an entire group of you would have an emergency prayer session outside of the screening of a film that tells a love story about two men. If you are willing to go to such great lengths to stop everything you’re doing to try and ‘save’ everyone who came to the screening, shouldn’t you be having these same kind of prayer circles around divorce attorneys’ offices to ‘save’ people from acting on the sin of divorce? Shouldn’t you be standing outside of every major clothing store praying for those who purchase clothing made up of two different types of fabric, which is an ‘abomination’ in the Bible? Or stand outside Red Lobster and pray for every single person who eats shellfish because that’s also a sin and called an abomination in the Bible? And while you’re at it, you should try and track down every left-handed person because that is also a sin.”
I can’t understand why people go to such great lengths to shout from the rooftops that “Homosexuality is a sin and must be stopped!” when every single one of us is a “sinner” to some degree. I ended the conversation by saying that if or when I come face to face with God, I believe he will not send me to Hell (if that even exists). And if God does not understand that I am only guilty of loving another person, then that is not a God with whom I want to spend eternity anyway.
I am shocked by the amount of time, energy, and money people spend trying to deny LGBT people equal rights. Imagine if that same time, energy, and money were spent combatting world hunger or curing cancer; the world would be a healthier, happier place, I am sure.
Thank you to the University of Texas at Tyler and specifically Londa Jensen for welcoming me and bringing light to these issues. I am truly grateful for the opportunity and I commend you for having an event like this. I look forward to having more conversations like this with people like that. Preaching to the choir is nice and feels good, but we have to start engaging those with different opinions so that we can learn from each other and actually make progress in the places that are the most resistant.
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
K. Martinez says:
I have no use for religious nut jobs and that’s what these so called “prayer warriors” are. I have found it’s a waste of energy trying to reason with those who are hardcore. You can only go so far and then you hit a wall. I’d rather work with people who are sitting on the fence or more opened minded religious people.
As long as religion is kept out of government, that’s all I care about. Screw you, Governor Pence! And screw your so called religious freedom bill.
FAEN says:
Excuse my bluntness but fuck them and their ‘prayer circle’. CINO’s the lot of them.
Rick says:
I am so very sorry for your loss and how your grief was compounded the hateful acts of your partners family. Religion is the root of all evil in this world. It preaches hatred and bigotry and intolerance. The way you handled that situation was remarkable. They could learn by your example.
Daniel Lewis Frommherz says:
That is so sad what has happened with Shane of late. He had been posting on my facebook page and I guess I lost track of him. He is always the perfect young gentleman and through his documentary we have watched him mature into a well equipt young leader in our community. I am especially fond of his desire to spend eternity with a most pleasant attitude telling the prayer sychos: I believe he will not send me to Hell (if that even exists). And if God does not understand that I am only guilty of loving another person, then that is not a God with whom I want to spend eternity anyway. Way to go Shane. TAP TAP TAP
Joey says:
“Bridegroom” is one of the most beautiful pieces of film about the love between two young men. I love how their story was told.
The prayer circle? A non-issue in my opinion.I woke up the next morning and I’m still gay!