This past Sunday was the first opportunity for church congregations throughout the country to gather following President Obama’s declaration that he supports same-sex marriage. Needless to say, reaction rocked many pulpits.
Ministers across the country took to their pulpits on Sunday to preach on the issue. But churches, ministers and congregants on both sides of the issue were in conflict, in a battle of church versus church, minister versus minister, and Scripture versus Scripture.
With Barack Obama being the first black president, the issue of him supporting marriage equality has hit the black church the most. Surprisingly, the majority of churches opposed to same-sex marriage have been black churches, which is odd since blacks were once on the receiving end of being told who they could or could not marry.
Ministers such as civil rights pioneer Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery came out in support of Mr. Obama and his decision. But other black ministers allowed the issue to give them permission to turn their backs on the nation’s first black president.
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| Rev. Emmett Burns |
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| Rev. Josepy Lowery |
Rev. Emmett Burns, a politically well-connected black minister who supported Mr. Obama in 2008, held an event at his Rising Sun Baptist Church in Baltimore on Sunday to publicly withdraw his support from the president over the same-sex marriage issue. “I love the president, but I cannot support what he has done.,” Burns announced from the pulpit. Later, Burns predicted that President Obama’s same-sex marriage support would lead to his defeat in November, adding that he “will not vote for Mitt Romney,” but will simply stay away from the polls and not vote for anyone as a protest.
The divisiveness over who can marry who, particularly in the black church, has been astounding. One look inside the church choir or at most Ministers of Music and it’s easy to see how prevalent and active homosexuals are within the church. Yet it’s an issue that is overlooked, brushed under the rug and never discussed. Many black Christians have been told to think and believe a certain way, so they do. That belief system is then passed on from generation to generation, without anyone taking into account the bigotry associated with such beliefs and the pain it inflicts. It’s one thing to not believe in same-sex marriage, but it’s another thing to actively discriminate against those who do, then do everything in your power to try and ruin it.
Homosexuality has been around since the beginning of time. So preventing gays and lesbians from marrying won’t prevent homosexuality. It will only present them with an unnecessary and mean-spirited inconvenience. Now how “Christian” is that??
In the words of Prof. Michael Eric Dyson: “Black Christians must be deeply rooted in their faith, but not deeply rooted in bigotry. Do black Christians really want to become sexual rednecks?”
Yeah DJ you sayin some things today. The black church is one of the biggest bigots there is. They preach about god is love and love your neighbor and all that. Then they turn around and put their nose up at anybody who doesn't think like them. That's one of the reasons I stopped going to church years ago, too many games. All the gay men in the choir, even the preacher himself gay but being a hipocrit. Preaching against gays on Sunday but chasing after boys on Saturday. Its ridicules. Excuse my french but these churches need to STFU get off his back and let our first black president do his job.