The Double Standard of Equality

The head of a Virginia pro-family group is angry that a lesbian was allowed to pray for "gay rights" in the House of Delegates, where the name of Jesus is not allowed to be spoken. Debra Peevey, an openly homosexual pastor, recently used her invitation to pray in the House to condemn lawmakers who opposed granting special privileges to homosexuals. The Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals -- whose jurisdiction covers Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina -- ruled that the name of Jesus could not be mentioned during a state-sponsored prayer. Joe Glover of the Family Policy Network says he believes there is a double standard when Jesus cannot be mentioned but a lesbian can pray for a sinful lifestyle to gain acceptance. "But in the same Fourth Circuit ... one cannot pray a prayer seeking the righteous, holy face of God, who condemns such sin, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ," says Glover. "This is a double standard; the court was wrong in making this decision -- and hopefully at some point the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn that wrong-headed decision." In her prayer, Peevey prayed that lawmakers do not "use their power to harm gays and lesbians."