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Pastor halts funeral over affectionate photos between two women


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A Colorado pastor halted the funeral of a 33-year-old mother of two over the weekend, reportedly because a memorial slideshow featured kissing and other moments of affection between the woman, Vanessa Collier, and her wife, Christina Higley. As a result, the crowd of more than 150 mourners moved flowers, programs  and Collier’s body in a casket  from the New Hope Ministries to a funeral home across the street. The situation has since ignited impassioned anger both online and in the streets outside the church in Lakewood, where a large crowd of friends and supporters, unmoved by a reported apology from pastor Raymond Chavez, held a protest on Tuesday, chanting, “Shame on Pastor Ray!â€

Collier was “a loving wife, daughter, mother, sister, friend  that’s who she was and that’s what she should be judged based upon,†Jose Silva, a family friend and protest organizer, told Fox 31 in Denver while speaking outside of the church. In a Facebook post announcing the protest, Silva noted, “I am a child of a lesbian mother and if my mom was to die, I would want ‘Dignity in her Death.’ As a Christian, I am against bigotry and stand with my friend Vanessa Collier’s family in seeking an apology and refund from Pastor Ray Chavez and New Hope Ministries. The acts that took place at her funeral were wrong and no family should ever have to go through that.â€

Chavez could not be reached for comment Wednesday, as a person answering the phone at New Hope Ministries told Yahoo Parenting, “I’m sorry, I don’t have anything to say, but thanks for calling,†before hanging up the phone.

According to USA Today, Collier died “when her gun went off while cleaning it.†Her daughters are 7 and 12 years old.

While several news outlets have reported that Collier’s service had been halted because she was a lesbian, Higley posted the following clarification to her Facebook page on Wednesday: “Vanessa’s services were NOT refused because she is a ‘lesbian.’ Her services were refused because we would not let New Hope Ministries ‘edit’ her life which was a slideshow of our family photos including our engagement and family photos of her and I with our two children! It never crossed my mind that it would be an issue considering we paid to use their facility ONLY. We brought in our own Pastor to facilitate.†(It’s unclear who that pastor was and how Chavez, the pastor for New Hope, came to be the one to halt the service.)

Higley continued, “I’m not asking anyone to go against their own beliefs and religion. I only hoped we could find a house of God to celebrate my beautiful wife and her life (HER WHOLE LIFE) and lay her to rest in God’s arms. Is it too much to ask for? To reflect on how beautiful her life is, with all of her family including myself, her children, her family and closest friends? I lost my best friend, the love of my life and our children lost their mother! How would Ray Chavez explain to them why our family photos were inappropriate for her services to be conducted in that house of God?â€

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/moms-funeral-halted-by-pastor-over-affectionate-108083889917.html

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It happens. It can accidentally go off if you forget to remove ammo.

That's so stupid...

If you're stupid enough to own one, at least be careful with it :emma:

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Caesium

The good sis Vanessa should've risen from the dead and knocked some sense into that bastard

 

undertaker-scares-orton-o.gif

Put your white tennis shoes on and follow me
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The Child

When will the world change ? I'm tired of stupid things like this still happening, just because she's lesbian.  :grr:  :wtf:

‘If religion be the cause of disunity, then irreligion is surely to be preferred.’ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
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Prometheus

That's so stupid...

If you're stupid enough to own one, at least be careful with it :emma:

Insulting the dead?

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