11:43 AM PDT on Monday, May 22, 2006

By ERIC WILKINSON / KING 5 News

SEATTLE - A move to repeal Washington's gay right's law created a controversial mix of politics and the pulpit in churches across the area Sunday.

More than 5,000 churches across the state were invited to take part in "referendum Sunday" a last minute attempt by Tim Eyman to get his anti-gay rights referendum on the November ballot. 

At Sunday services at Westgate Chapel take on a political tone, parishioners were asked to sign petitions to put R-65 on the November ballot.

Referendum 65 would repeal the state's gay rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“We're taking a stand. Not against homosexual people. We're taking a stand because unfortunately the battle has been brought to us,” Pastor Alec Rowlands told church goers at the Westgate Temple Sunday.

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A DVD distributed to more than 5,000 evangelical churches across the state by the Christian group Sound the Alarm attempts to frame the issue.

“Your child could have a cross-dresser for a teacher and there's nothing you can do about it,” a concerned-looking woman says on the video.

Sound the Alarm is working with political crusader Tim Eyman to repeal the gay rights law saying it's part of a broader agenda to legalize same sex marriage and criminalize criticism of homosexuality as "hate speech".

“If we take a back seat on moral issues, somebody else will take that place. We want to give people a biblical perspective, a Christian perspective,” said Jacinta Tegman, of Sound the Alarm.

But some on the left are now challenging the legality of churches preaching on political issues.   

Seattle blogger David Goldstein is threatening to challenge the tax-exempt status of any church that seeks signatures for R-65.

“They're allowed to do issues, but not actual campaigns like initiatives and candidates and that's what they're doing,” he said.

In the meantime, a small group of demonstrators protested outside Westgate Chapel.

“Gay rights is like the civil rights of my generation and it's just as primitive to think it's okay to discriminate against a gay person as it is to discriminate against someone because of the color of their skin,” said demonstrator Mikal Colton.

Lawmakers passed Washington's gay rights law earlier this year after three decades of debate.