Tentacles

[madamesilverspurs]

Marilyn Musgrave has been voted out of office, but the evil she promoted still exerts itself in her erstwhile district. This article is from the Greeley Tribune Nov.21 www.greeleytrib.com



Friends, family of gay man angered about funeral move

by Mike Peters


Friends and family of a gay man who died earlier this month in Greeley are angered about the changes in his services after a church told them the funeral would have to be moved.

Billy Dan Miller, a longtime Greeley resident and former president of the Greeley Board of Realtors, was 71 when he died Nov. 5. In the following few days, Miller’s longtime partner, Bill English, and family arranged for a funeral on Nov. 14 at the Greeley First Assembly of God Church, 3000 16th St.

But two days later, the funeral location was changed to Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 28th St. The reason for the change has been called “intolerance” by some and a “misunderstanding” by the pastor of the church.

English, who is still upset about the change, said it was the first time in his life that he’s felt discrimination in Greeley. “I’m praying now that I can learn to forgive what the church has done,” English said. “It’s also torn our family apart.”

The Rev. Michael Popineau, pastor of the First Assembly of God Church, denied telling the family that they couldn’t have the funeral at the church because Miller was gay. “They wanted the pastor of their church in Fort Collins to give the sermon,”

Popineau said. “I told them I would need to give the message because I was the pastor of this church.”

Popineau added, “I wouldn’t have said anything to condemn homosexuals or the homosexual lifestyle. I believe homosexuality is a sin, but my message at the funeral would have only been a message of comfort.”

He said Stoddard Funeral Home accepted the switch to their building without charging the church or the family.

Charion Greensmith of Greeley is caught in the middle of the debate. She is Bill English’s sister and a member of Assembly of God Church. She said the dispute arose because of who would be giving the sermon at the funeral. “Pastor Michael felt strongly about the sermon not being given by the pastor of a gay church. I agree with him in this case.”

Miller and English were members of the MCC (Metropolitan Community Churches) Family in Christ Church in Fort Collins. Miller was a lay pastor at the church. Although the church has members with a wide variety of views and interests, English said it ministers to many gays and lesbians.

“We were expecting about 150 people for the funeral,” English said, “and we didn’t want to make all those Greeley people drive to Fort Collins. My sister was a member over here, and that’s why we went to the First Assembly of God.”

English said that after the church provided them a move to Stoddard’s Funeral Home, he got a call from the Assembly of God singers on the night before the funeral and they told him “that in good conscience, they couldn’t perform at the funeral.”

Popineau said some of Miller’s friends and members of the gay community are trying to portray him as homophobic, but that isn’t true.

“I don’t preach against homosexuals — I preach against the sin of homosexuality,” he said.

About 160 people attended Miller’s funeral. English asked a friend to stay in the Assembly of God parking lot to tell people the funeral had been moved to Stoddard.

[mitchtv]

1. How very Christian of them

assholes

[Greyhound]

2. Let's be frank here, "I believe homosexuality is a sin" is the root of all the rest.

As long as these people hold on to this belief, they will have to continue to persecute and discriminate against gays, etc.