My Interview

I interviewed my pastor Joan. I interviewed her knowing that she supported same-sex marriage, and that our church is welcoming to everybody, no matter what their race or sexual orientation is.

• I first asked if when a community allows same-sex marriage, does it change that community? She told me that she believes that before people can allow same-sex marriage, the community had to first go through changes that would make it a more accepting place. That is true for most things, the school tells the students that they are going to have the school painted by preschoolers that summer, so that way when the students come back next year, they aren't in total shock. 
• The next question I asked was about God and the bible, how their word is interpreted. She told me that she believed in an all inclusive God. She then went on to tell me about how the bible has many misunderstandings. Things like slavery and a woman committing adultery have a very different perspective today then they did 1,000 years ago. She also told me that in the book of Leviticus, the passage that says a man shall not sleep with another man is near the part where it says you shall not eat shrimp. I thought this was interesting because it showed how people have selective reading.
• We went on to talk how different churches interpreted the bible differently. She told me that Catholics fallow the Pope infallible. For example, if the Pope says that same-sex marriage is a sin, than that is what the people will be preached about. Protestants on the other hand, have people from their community talk about what is acceptable. That the people have a voice in interpreting the bible.
• The next thing we talked about was the role of religion in marriage. She talked about how marriage is more of a legal thing than it is religious. That it shouldn't be up to the church to decide who can and cannot get married. When people get married, they are saying that God is part of their life. 
• My last question was if she thought that same-sex couples affected the church community. Her answer was that they affect the community as much as any other family, a single person, divorced. traditional family and same-sex families. When we accept people, we let God into our lives.

So as interviews go, mine was pretty easy. I have a good relationship with my pastor, and it was easy to talk to her. I think the hardest thing was to keep up with her talking for taking notes. My favorite part of the interview was learning about that thou shall not eat shrimp, is near a man shall not lay with another man. This was a fun interview, because Joan is a fun person to talk to and she has good insight into things.