A plethora of black pastors throughout the country along with their black congregations, have been some of the most vocal opponents of same-sex marriage. Now their hypocrisy is about to be blown wide open.
Anthony Heilbut, a leading producer, reviewer and historian of black gospel music for almost 50 years, has come to know many performers who were gay or bisexual. With such close proximity to these performers, he has been careful to treat their private lives as private. But with the emotionally charged national debate regarding same-sex marriage, Mr. Heilbut has thrown the doors open to what he calls the “secret closet” of gays in gospel.
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| Anthony Heilbut |
In his upcoming book The Fan Who Knew Too Much, he not only pays tribute to the artistic role of gays and bisexuals in the church, but also accuses black Christians and clergy of blatant hypocrisy in their opposition to same-sex marriage — even while relying on gay people for much of the sacred music of the black church.
The idea of same-sex marriage has forced the black church as an institution to face its conflict of being ideologically liberal but theologically conservative. This conflict has brought to light the awkward coexistence of gay musicians in the church right alongside anti-gay preaching and casual ridicule.
“The family secret has become public knowledge,” Mr. Heilbut writes in his book, “and the black church, once the very model of civil rights, has acquired a new image, as the citadel of intolerance.” Left unchecked, he continues, the trend “would introduce an ugly but not uninformed term, ‘black redneck.’ ”
DJ, first let me say…Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
I heard about this story earlier this week and I was hoping that you would do a post on it.
Second: I am so pleased that a man of Mr. Heilbut's scholarly standing and historical expertise has stepped forth and shown the Courage to do what, IMO, has been long overdue…OUT the Black church for its blatant HYPOCRISY towards gays and bi-sexuals in the church.
Third: So what will the Black church do now? Sit down all of the gay and bi-sexual music directors, lead singers and choir members? Lol. Yeah. Right.
And what about all those gay and bisexual pastors/preachers and deacons running rampant through the Black church? Surely they will be stripped of their positions too right? <side-eyeing>
Anyway, I plan to buy the book. I do hope it lives up to the hype.</side-eyeing>