The Crystal Cathedral church in Garden Grove, Calif., is finding itself steadily losing favor with its parishioners, and its founder.
It started with some financial irregularities that came to light when the church declared bankruptcy. The Crystal Cathedral's financial records showed huge payouts and tax allowances for church insiders and their relatives.
Their most recent misstep? They made the choir sign a covenant stating that God intends sex to be between a married man and woman.
Church spokesman John Charles told reporters the covenant wasn't meant to be exclusive. “We're asking people to follow the teachings of Christianity, and this is what we believe. We take the biblical view. I think [choir members] are taking it as anti-gay when that is not the full intent. It's anyone who has a promiscuous lifestyle.”
Oh, right. Because same-sex attraction is totally a “promiscuous lifestyle.”
“I have a reputation worldwide of being tolerant of all people and their views,” church founder Robert H. Schuller told the Orange County Register. “I'm too well-educated to criticize a certain religion or group of people for what they believe in. It's called freedom.”