Church Cancels Veteran's Memorial

24 hours before Cecil Howard Sinclair's memorial service, officials at High Point Church in Arlington, Texas found out he was gay. Their reaction: Cancel the funeral. 46-year-old Sinclair, who worked at the church but was not a member, served in the Navy in the first Gulf War. (more on gays in the military)

Rev. Gary Simons of High Point told the AP that "the church believes homosexuality is a sin, and it would have appeared to endorse that lifestyle if the service had been held there."

The family, namely Sinclair's sister Kathleen Wright, responded to this latest claim of religious fine print. "It’s a slap in the face. It’s like, 'Oh, we’re sorry he died, but he’s gay so we can’t help you,'"

Rev. Simons did attempt to assure the family that the church had fulfilled its duties. "Even though we could not condone that lifestyle, we went above and beyond for the family through many acts of love and kindness." Sadly, even in the act of bigotry, Simons sees his congregation as one based on love.

Wright and family held the memorial service for Cecil Howard Sinclair at their home. It's unclear whether any of the 5,000-member High Point congregation attended. (full story)

Reactions:

• "So much for the God = love thing" (benny77)
• "That is disgusting. It is so disrespectful!" (mushaboommoon)
• "What a mean nasty thing to do. I can imagine the pain the family was already going through. The church sucks!" (SCREAMMMMM)
(more reactions...)

Extremes of Religion-Based Bigotry:
Gays Blamed for Hurricane Katrina
Should Jerry Falwell Be Remembered?
Religion and Homosexuality

Gay-Affirmative Faiths:
Find a gay-friendly church in this directory.

_{Image © Raymond Mimick.}