Posted on 01/13/2015 2:34:48 PM PST by Gamecock
DENVER - Family and friends of a Denver woman who died Dec. 30 say they are outraged by a pastor's decision that forced the family to move their loved one's funeral from New Hope Ministries to a funeral home across the street, at the last minute, because the family refused to edit a video showing Vanessa Collier kissing her girlfriend.
A group of loved ones protested in front of the church on Tuesday afternoon, holding signs saying, "Dignity in Death Vanessa" and "You will not find Jesus at New Hope but you will find HYPOCRISY."
"I am a child of a lesbian mother and if my mom was to die, I would want "Dignity in her Death," said Collier's friend, Jose Silva. "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."
The funeral was scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 10.
"People started taking their seats at 10 a.m.," said Silva. "At 10:15, the pastor said, 'Due to technical difficulties, the funeral is being moved.'"
Silva said Collier's family paid New Hope Ministries $400 to hold the service at the church and they want their money back.
7NEWS contacted New Hope Ministries and asked to talk to Pastor Ray Chavez.
The woman who answered the phone said Chavez wasn't available. She provided the phone number for Gary Rolando, the chaplain who conducted the service at Newcomer Funeral Home.
Rolando told 7NEWS that he is a friend of Collier's father.
"I love the family," Rolando said. "I knew the deceased and knew that she led an 'alternative' lifestyle."
The chaplain said the Colliers reached out to Newcomer when Vanessa died.
"Newcomer knew New Hope's policies very well," he said. "But the funeral director on that day came from a different funeral home in the chain, and wasn't familiar with New Hope's policies."
Rolando said Collier's family gave New Hope the video of Vanessa on Friday, Jan. 9, and that "New Hope dropped the ball."
"They lost the video and asked for another copy," he said. "When it was reviewed, they realized there was content that involved (same-sex) kissing."
"We don't want overt, open homosexuality in our sanctuary," Rolando explained.
The chaplain said they explained that policy to the family and asked if they'd be willing to edit out the kissing.
"The family graciously declined," Rolando said.
"They didn't want to edit her life," Silva told 7NEWS.
Rolando said the family asked New Hope to move the funeral to Newcomer.
"As a result, it was a very difficult day," Rolando said. "We had to call the pall bearers… it was a logistical nightmare, but was handled as professionally as I've ever seen."
Rolando said New Hope does a lot to reach out to people living an alternative lifestyle.
"I'm sorry this happened the way it did," he said.
When asked about the family's $400, Rolando said, New Hope walked it over to Newcomer on Monday.
"New Hope is very sorry," he said. "It's very sad that it happened the way that it did."
The church opened themselves up to this by renting out their facility. Seems to me that if you are not a member, no funeral, wedding or ceremony.
God bless this Church.
They did not refuse to hold the funeral because the woman was a sexual deviant, they refused because the family wanted to show a video containing homosexual kissing.
These people define their existance by their sexual escapades. To want to force that filth to be shown on an Altar is discusting.
What hypocrisy are they guilty of?
None that I can tell.
They have to use a funeral to show homosexuality, is there no bounds for these people and good for the church.
Homosexuals need to grasp the simple fact that just because activist judges are on their side it does not mean most of the country agrees with them or their agenda even if the media does
Sure looked like a upstanding Christian woman to me. /s
They should take it to the local mosque (nyuk, nyuk)
That’s not a chick.
That’s Justin Bieber.
“Civil rights” lawsuit to shut down the church in 5, 4, 3, 2 . . . .
It seems to me that even if they offer to rent it, they should be able to refuse for certain moral reasons. Can’t they set rules of behavior for their own facility? All the family had to do was not show that part of the video.
Well put. It seems to me that heterosexuals tend to define their existence in much broader categories. Yes, their gender and their attraction for the opposite sex is a big part of their identity, but so is their occupation, their family roles and relationships, their religion, their ethnic background, their interests and hobbies, their nationality. But to most homosexuals, it is as if their homosexuality is the whole pie. And that whole pie must not only be accepted. It must be celebrated whether you agree with it or not.
Did she die of a skin infection or Tattoo contracted Hepatitis?
Because Damn!
I disagree.
The church was at fault here. They should have said no from the get go. Their refusal to air the video now makes them look like hypocrites.
The church KNEW this was an unrepentant lezzie bfore the service. So they had every reason to believe the queer agenda would be promoted at the funeral.
And it was.
So why did the church object when it was too late?
Her family is so worried about her dignity in death, but apparently not when she was alive.
Yup. What you said.
There is a Unitarian Church in downtown Denver, why don’t they just move her funeral there????
"Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." - 1 Corinthians 6:9,10
“Dignity in Death” is the loved ones of the deceased showing the dignity that not everyone has to agree, religiously or ethically, with what the deceased believed was O.K. about their life.
The protestors want the right to believe as they do, but do not want others to have the right to believe as they do. There is no dignity in that.
So what that someone does not agree with you? It would be disrespectful to the deceased to force others to be unwilling participants in how you honor them.
There are plenty of venues where you can take your services for the deceased that will raise no objections from their owners. Go, with dignity, and select them; and quit your selfish demands on others.
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