Church Founder Slams Antigay Covenant

Crystal Cathedral founder Robert H. Schuller says that the antigay covenant choir members were asked to sign contradicts his group's principles of "tolerance, acceptance and positive thinking."

The Orange County Register reports that Schuller contacted the newspaper Wednesday to say that he was unaware of the covenant and would never have personally approved it.

"I have a reputation worldwide of being tolerant of all people and their views," said Schuller. "I'm too well-educated to criticize a certain religion or group of people for what they believe in. It's called freedom."

Although Schuller said he supports the view of homosexuality detailed in the document, he said he opposes the idea of making people sign a covenant.

The document, which offended some choir members, expresses a commitment to the "biblical view" of sexual intimacy and marriage. A church spokesperson denied that gay people would be unwelcome in the choir.

Schuller's daughter, Carol Schuller Milner, responded to the comments by suggesting that her father's voice and that of the organization are "no longer seamless" now that he is less involved in management. The church has been wracked with financial problems in recent years, including a filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October.