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May 13th, 2012
01:07 PM ET
Across country, black pastors weigh in on Obama's same-sex marriage supportBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor Washington (CNN) - Addressing his large, mostly black congregation on Sunday morning, the Rev. Wallace Charles Smith did not mince words about where he stood on President Barack Obama's newly announced support for same-sex marriage: The church is against it, he said, prompting shouts of "Amen!" from the pews. And yet Smith hardly issued a full condemnation of the president. "We may disagree with our president on this one issue," Smith said from the pulpit of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington. "But we will keep him lifted up in prayer. ... Pray for President Barack Obama." And Smith said there were much bigger challenges facing the black community - "larger challenges that we have to struggle with" - bringing his full congregation to its feet, with many more amens. Days after Obama announced his personal support for same-sex marriage, pastors across the country offered their Sunday-morning opinions on the development, with the words of black pastors - a key base of support for Obama in 2008, that is also largely opposed to gay marriage - carrying special weight in a presidential election year.But black pastors were hardly monolithic in addressing Obama's remarks. In Baltimore, Emmett Burns, a politically well-connected black minister who said he supported Obama in 2008, held an event at Rising Sun Baptist Church to publicly withdraw support from the president over Obama's same-sex marriage support. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories "I love the president, but I cannot support what he has done," Burns said at the church. In an interview with CNN, Burns predicted that Obama's support for legalized same-sex marriage would lead to his defeat in November. The Rev. Calvin Butts, an influential black pastor in New York City, did not endorse Obama's views but denounced those who are ready to "watch others be discriminated against, marginalized, and literally hated in the name of God." "Our God is love," he said. And like Smith in Washington, plenty of black ministers talked about distinguishing between opposition to same-sex marriage and views about Obama. "I don't see how you cannot talk about it," the Rev. Tim McDonald, based in Atlanta, said earlier this week. "I have to. You can say I'm opposed to it (same-sex marriage), but that doesn't mean I'm against the president." Though African-Americans provided Obama with record support in 2008, they are also significantly more likely to oppose same-sex marriage than are whites. That may be because black Americans are more likely to frequently attend church than white Americans. A Pew Research Center poll conducted in April found that 49% of African-Americans oppose legalized same-sex marriage, compared with 39% who support it. Among whites, by contrast, Pew found that 47% supported gay marriage, while 43% opposed it. African-American pastors have been prominent in the movement to ban same-sex marriage. In North Carolina, black leaders helped lead the successful campaign for a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage and domestic partnerships. In California, 70% of African-Americans supported Prop 8, the 2008 state gay marriage ban, even though 94% of black voters in California backed Obama. McDonald, who founded a group called the African-American Ministers Leadership Council, says he opposes same-sex marriage, but that he is more concerned about issues such as health care, education and jobs. But he says more black pastors are talking about same-sex marriage than ever before. "Three years ago, there was not even a conversation about this issue," McDoland says. "There wasn't even an entertainment of a conversation about this." In Atlanta, at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church - where Martin Luther King Jr. got his start - the Rev. Ralph Warnock addressed the president's remarks near the end of his sermon. "The president is entitled to his opinion," Warnock said. "He is the president of the United States, not the pastor of the United States." Warnock said that there is a place for gays in the church, and that "we don't have to solve this today." Black churchgoers on Sunday appeared split on same-sex marriage, though many of those opposed to it said they still supported Obama. "It's a human rights issue, not a gay issue. All people that pay taxes should get ... the same privileges and rights," said Terence Johnson, a congregant at Salem Bible Church in Atlanta. At Shiloh Baptist in Washington, Shauna King said she does not support same-sex marriage, but that she respects the president's decision on it. "I think he was very honest in what he was saying and personally he decided to do that," said the 38-year-old mother of two. "As individuals, we all have to make that decision for ourselves." "I believe it speaks to what America is," she said. "That we all have different views and are respected for our views individually." Black opposition to same-sex marriage has dropped dramatically in recent years. In 2008, Pew found that 63% of African-Americans opposed gay marriage, 14 percentage points higher than the proportion who expressed opposition this year. On Friday, a handful of black leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton and former NAACP leader Julian Bond, released a letter supporting Obama's position on same-sex marriage but expressing respect for those who disagree. "The president made clear that his support is for civil marriage for same-sex couples, and he is fully committed to protecting the ability of religious institutions to make their own decisions about their own sacraments," the letter said. "There will be those who seek to use this issue to divide our community," it continued. "As a people, we cannot afford such division." But the letter itself was an implicit acknowledgement of discord within the African-American church community on gay marriage. Black pastors who preach in favor of same-sex marriage know they may pay a price if they take Obama's position, says Bishop Carlton Pearson. The Chicago-based black minister says he lost his church building and about 6,000 members when he began preaching that gays and lesbians were accepted by God. "That's the risk that people take," he told CNN. "A lot of preachers actually don't have a theological issue. It's a business decision. They can't afford to lose their parishioners and their parsonages and salaries." Pearson navigates the tension between the Bible's calls for holiness and justice this way: "I take the Bible seriously, just not literally," he says. "It's more important what Jesus said about God than what the church says about Jesus." In Obama's interview with ABC this week, in which he announced his personal support for same-sex marriage, the president talked about squaring his decision with his personal religious faith. "We are both practicing Christians, and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others," Obama said, referring to his wife, Michelle. "But, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it's also the Golden Rule," he said. "Treat others the way you would want to be treated." - CNN’s John Blake, Chris Boyette, Meridith Edwards, Dan Merica and Stephanie Siek contributed to this report. soundoff (3,700 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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For the people against gay marriage I would like a list of several ways that gay marriage will harm society. I expect many of you will respond or I will know that you don't really have a reason.
Something about two guys banging each other in the ass seems just a little immoral to me....But then again that's just me!
Marriage between man and animals!
Marriage between men and men!
Marriage between men and many men!
Marriage will be DESTROYED because all married men will realize they can get married to other men SO THEY WILL IMMEDIATELY but not before the women marry other women...
There is gay marriage in Canada. My wife and I are still happily married, then again, not religiously married. If it was religious maybe my johnson would fall off or something.
For the kids sake.
1. they need mom AND dad
2. its been proven that g a y is a pedo risk
Actually, children with straight parents are at greater risk! The more you know!
How is being gay a pedo risk? And when has it been shown that children are worse off because of it?
See Enn Enn wont allow me to post links. If you do your research you will see it.
I am sure that means the information does not exist. No one else has trouble posting links
@DrDoITT
You said, "See Enn Enn wont allow me to post links. If you do your research you will see it."
If the link text doesn't include any of the words, or word fragments, on the moderation list, it'll go through.
From wikipedia:
n 1980 a group called the "Lesbian Caucus – Lesbian & Gay Pride March Committee" distributed a hand-out urging women to split from the annual New York City Gay Pride March because the organizing committee had supposedly been dominated by NAMBLA and its supporters.[22] The next year, after some lesbians threatened to picket, the Cornell University gay group Gay PAC (Gay People at Cornell) rescinded its invitation to NAMBLA founder David Thorstad to be the keynote speaker at the annual May Gay Festival.[22] In the following years, gay rights groups attempted to block NAMBLA’s participation in gay pride parades, prompting leading gay rights figure Harry Hay to wear a sign proclaiming "NAMBLA walks with me" as he participated in a 1986 gay pride march in Los Angeles.[23]
By the mid-1980s, NAMBLA was virtually alone in its positions and found itself politically isolated. Gay rights organizations, burdened by accusations of child recruitment and child abuse, had abandoned the radicalism of their early years and had "retreat[ed] from the idea of a more inclusive politics,"[24] opting instead to appeal more to the mainstream. Support for "groups perceived as being on the fringe of the gay community," such as NAMBLA, vanished in the process.
--
wikipedia has the research and references too. YOu see a pattern. Initially the g a y s showed their true colors. When they realized what bad PR this was, they tried to distance themselves. go check out yourself the wikipedia page tinyurl DOT com SLASH ycmwtg
@DrDoITT
You said, "For the kids sake.
1. they need mom AND dad"
So are you saying that single moms should have their kids taken away? Or should women that are pregnant, but not married, be forced to undergo an abortion? If a spouse dies, should the surviving spouse also lose his/her children?
You said, "2. its been proven that g a y is a pedo risk"
Bullshit.
Also check out tinyurl DOT com SLASH 7vekrgv
"For the kids sake.
1. they need mom AND dad
2. its been proven that g a y is a pedo risk"
Wow the lies people will tell to justify their prejudices is amazing especially when it's not based on real facts. Social science has shown that the concerns often raised about children of lesbian and gay parents—concerns that are generally grounded in prejudice against and stereotypes about gay people—are unfounded. Overall, the research indicates that the children of lesbian and gay parents do not differ from the children of heterosexual parents in their development, adjustment, or overall well-being.
Kids need mom and dad:
David Popenoe, Life Without Father: Compelling New Evidence That Fatherhood and Marriage are Indispensable of the Good of Children and Society, (New York: The Free Press, 1996), p. 197
"From wikipedia:"
60% of what is posted on this site is wrong. Teachers and Professors won't even allow their students to use this site for research. Duh!
"David Popenoe, Life Without Father: Compelling New Evidence That Fatherhood and Marriage are Indispensable of the Good of Children and Society, (New York: The Free Press, 1996), p. 197"
I am quoting for hundred of thousands of experts that are current today in 2012. LMAO!
Do you have anything recent? What you are posting is from 15-30 years ago, when gay marriage was not legal anywhere in this country.
Wikipedia is just a medium. The article I quoted has REFERENCES in it. go there, read those references and judge for yourself. You dont have to trust wikipedia.
Now, if you want to build a straw man and demolish it, go ahead and rubbish wikipedia
From what I could tell the book that you referenced was talking about one-parent families and had nothing to do with gay marriage.
That Harry Hay endorsed N-A-M-B-L-A is a fact. wikipedia or not. all the [23] like things above are REFERENCES you can read them and figure out for yourself if it is true.
You should try looking at a s3x offender registry website. Many more of the offenders have committed offenses against the opposite s3x that they same s3x
Many of those s3x offender registries are tainted by laws that force 19 year old guys who had s3x with their 17 year old gf on o the list, when the said girl's parents press charges to prove a point. There have been many cases. One woman was talking to TV about how she and her hubby are still in a trailr park because of her mom/dad's vindictiveness like this.
One cannot be sure whats happening here
Many places have the law so that there has to be at least 3 years difference in the age, but that may be true it some places. But even most of the cases where grown men or women are abusing children 16 or under it is almost always the opposite s3x.
When are they going to stand up against bacon and shellfish? Why does judging people always seem to include cherry picking Leviticus for the things that will not mess up a meal?
Maybe the same reason that some Atheist cherry pick the scriptures that they want to highlight.
Deist not Atheist, I believe in God but I don't think God speaks through the words a Bedouins from two millennium ago. I think God still lives.
Also, CNN, how about an article on how California, under Dems/libs is now $16 Billion in debt? Where is THAT story? Oh, it isn't important. Tell that to the people of CA. And, all CA's done is follow policies like Obama has imposed on the rest of us. Think the economy's bad now. Wait 'til "Taxmaggedon" hits in January. Oh, wait...50% of the population doesn't pay taxes. The rest of us are already supporting them. But, God forbid that we don't support them SOME MORE! Talk about a crock of you-know-what! People don't have time to worry about this manufactured issue. We're dying out here. And, you, CNN, are as guilty as Obama for our death. I wouldn't be in either your shoes or his now or in the future. You're both total disasters!
Yeah not too many stories about CA's debts on the Belief Blog.
Dying? Darfur or what? Oh well, R.I.P.
As a California resident, I'm proud that our State has lead the Country in progressive movements. from our environmental policy to technical innovation. The reasons for the budget mess, which is worldwide, are complex and multi dimensional. There is blame to go around from the politicians to the greed of corporations to the stupidity of the populace. To blame Liberals or Obama shows a lack of knowledge and analytical skill. And only insensitive self centered people would characterize this issue as insignificant. We are talking about the human and civil rights of a minority. RightWingNuts will scream about how freedom is worth fighting for and dying for but if it's someone elses freedom, it's of no import. $ are more important then.
Sorry Cherly Obama has nothing to do with your state policies, tallk to you governor and legislature.
Well, which will it be for mitt if he wins?
Swearing in on the bible?
Or the Book of Mormon?
It's bad news either way, but I'd like to see what the
'Angelicals and the Mormons think. Which book?
Nice try, bozo. There is no issue here. Romney believes in the teachings of the Bible and like all presidents, will be sworn in like any other president.
O.K. USE YOUR BRAIN
Use your brain, do some research, and tell me haw every other president swore in.
Guess what, MANY types of books, including a law book for Adams.
Bozo........
Mormons use "The Book of Mormon", they don't use "The Bible".
I agree, Thomas. The Book of Mormon is the Mormon's holy book. So, if he swears on the BOM, he's basically
thumbing his nose at the angelicals. If he uses the bible, he is going against the tenants of his Mormonism, a pretty bad
thing for a Bishop of the Mormon Church. At least, it would seem to me. My guess, it really doesn't matter, either way it's a lie.
nothing to weigh on...its no...thats it...lets stop being politicians ...2012 is now all at wwwTheDimensionMachineCOM
This is not about religion, why can't some of you idiots see that? This is exactly why religion does not belong in government.
Most people that are against gay marriages are uneducated and haven't been exposed to much in their lives. I would love to see a survey done that told the education level of these people that are against gay marriages and those that support it.
Well up until Romney emerged from the GOP primaries and polled even with the President, Obama, a Harvard professor claimed he was against Gay Marriage.
Exactly and it tends to be the mail order uneducated ministers spouting this hate.
And you are ugly and a frustrated individual, remember I can get educated and be happy, you still will be ugly and frustrated.
Do you know all the ramifications or consequences linked to changing the definition of marriage? Do you know the effect on society, children, the economy, government policies, the birthrate, how it opens doors to other types of marriage (animal, plural...).... Eduction has nothing to do with acceptance.
Also, most people are fine we gay couples in civil unions. A civil union carries the same rights associated with marriage. I have gay friends–NONE of which care about 'marriage'.
MBA, still against it.
wait a minute. You mention the name Al Sharpton in the same article with these men of faith. Sharpton is a charlatan, racist, liar, instgator, it's about me type and the only thing holy about Al are the spaces in his gray matter where the neurons fail to connect
CNN, I'd also like a story on Jeremiah Wright being paid $150,000 by Obama and his supporters during the last campaign to keep his mouth shut. Gee, why would Obama do that to his "friend and mentor of 20+ years"? Hmmmm....
There is no story, this has already been proven untrue. Sorry to burst your hateful bubble.
Blocking my comments of peace and repeating the words of Jesus. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." This seems like pretty clear message from Jesus. He sure didn't say find something to judge others with and treat them as unworthy.
Love does not mean accept sinful behavior. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery that he forgave her and then he said.....GO AND SIN NO MORE!!!!
the CNN moderators are P0$'s.
So Jesus didn't die for everyone's sin just some sins? Interesting take you have there.
Why reinterpret the words of your lord? You sound like a blasphemer. Jesus commands you to love, instead you hate.
For shame.
As a black man I am outraged by the comments of some black ministers. This issue is a civil rights issue not a religious one. No church is being forced to perform marriages. Marriage provides legal protections in this society plain and simple and everyone does not get married in the church. Some of my brothers and sisters need to remember, civil rights should be the same for all, if they can't embrace that they don't deserve the rights many died to give them. I am so angry, what hypocrites!
These same minister would do better to address the adultry that is a common occurence in their churches including with them!
Amen!
Your anger is misplaced. He (Obama) says that he is a Christian so that gives us the right as pastors to address his statement. As a Christian he falls under our (pastors) authority. Did you stop to think before you spoke? He is the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! He is endorsing two men to get married and says he is a Christian!!
I'm sure you believe in justice for all. The problem is you is suck 0n the Sharpton T1T and then throw up sour lies
do NOT compare the deviants' campaign to that of our people...
Next the incesters, pedoists, polygamists, animalists will do as as well
Already Kodie from the TLC 'sister wife' program is making noises about moving the courts, saying 'they allow gay marriage so why not polygamist'.. We better lock the barn door before all the horses get out.
How about you treat us like adults and leave us alone. If 8 consenting adults wish to get married then they should be able to. As long as no child abuse or animal cruelty is involved then who cares? Oh yeah, you would rather treat everyone like children because of your own self piety.
"Next the incesters, pedoists, polygamists, animalists will do as as well"
What a lame argument.! This is about two consenting adults that are involved in a loving respectful relationship. Animals and children can't consent. DUH!
Denying rights for some jepordizes the rights of all. Get your head out of you A....
Yeah, what about THREE consenting adults? FOUR? FIVE?
what aboiut brother and sister? mom and son? heck, father and son? where do you draw the line?
For some reason I don't think 99% of the population cares what black pastors say or think. They sure wear expensive clothes though.
I don't think it's only african american pastors that reap the benefits from their congregation. Have you ever seen what these people in mega churches are driving around in these days? It's shameful the way the use it to make more money for themselves instead of helping communities.
Mega churches are some of the biggest social workers in the community, in some communities picking up where the government had failed.
Also, if you take a pastor who writes books such as TD Jakes, is it wrong?
black hypocrites. simple , want their cake and eat it too ! My church said "that's it – enough is enough. Follow the commandments or don't be a christian".
Where does the gay issue come up in the commandments?
@ Bob I AGREE
Black hypocrites??? So how are white evangelicals support of a Mormon any different than black christians supporting President Obama despite his views? Last I checked, Christianity teaches that Mormonism is a cult. Is it ok for me to say "white hypocrites"?
The minister was correct, why just the few gays? What about people who want more than one spouse, or marrying a cousin? Plus the fact that school books and bibles (which has already started), dictionaries and such will be next as far as changing terms and such. People have no idea what they are saying yes to. Then it will not be PC to use the term man and wife any more. The list goes on and on.
Oh no, we should persecute people instead of changing some words.
Yeah, gay people getting married will lead to polygamists wanting to get married, and incest. Hey, I'll do you one better. These gays wouldn't be wanting to get married if straight people weren't doing it first. So, no one can get married. Problem solved.
There's a difference. Polygamy is a choice (which is actually condoned and practiced in the bible), incest is a choice (immoral0 and causes genetic defects over periods of time.
People who are gay aren't born gay, they don't decide to be gay any more than a white person deciding to be white or a black person deciding to be black or a straight person deciding to be straight. Do you really think people wake up in the morning thinking "Boy, maybe I should be edgy and become a persecuted minority"?
OMG, are you seriously that ignorant?????
Why do Christians want the government to be so intricately involved in our love lives? It is crazy that you guys scream about limited government but you push for (and succeed at) having the government force everyone to live by your small minded "values". Ozzie and Harriet do not exist, traditional marriage is not natural or the norm (look around you for the love of God, no one lives by your so called values especially most people of faith) and those that do are typically unhappy about their lives because "traditional marriage" doesn't exist, never has.
If you want to live in a theocracy, you are in the wrong place. It's amazing how the right rails against the government and religious freedom yet uses the government to control the personal lives of people iand force them to live according to their religion.
If that's what you guys really want, why don't you just implement Sharia now? Why disguise it as a "moral battle" when it is more "You will live according to my beliefs and if you don't I will use the government to force you!.
i hope you're aware that it's legal to marry your first cousin in more states than it is for a gay person to marry
{http://boingboing.net/2010/04/27/map-of-us-states-whe.html}
{http://www.cousincouples.com/?page=states}
furthermore, there are already laws banning bigamy, so that polyamory claim is red herring
One has to wonder how hypocritical black pastors and their congregations are. Let's imagine that, before the civil rights movement, black people were not allowed to get married. How would they have felt about it then? Plain and simple, this issue is about civil rights, just the same as it was for black people before the civil rights movement. Why should gay people not be allowed the civil right to marry the person they want to marry? How is this issue different from the denial of rights to black people before the 60's civil rights movement? Now, these black congegations want to treat gay people the same way black people were treated. Shame on you.
Sorry to say, most blacks are only liberal when it comes to their own self interest.
It is shameful that they are preaching the same intolerance that they themselves had faced 50 years ago.
AMERICA VOTED OUT THE WORTHLESS DEMOCRATS LAST ELECTION.... America will vote out the liberals again this election. There is no right we have taken away from fruitcakes.... Marriage has ALWAYS been between a Man and a Woman.
God loves those who keep His commandments.A person is as guilty as the sinner if they condone the sin. Paul told us in this day men will burn for desire for their own kind. Knowledge would increase and there will be a falling away of the church, that is the church that Jesus established, not the churches that men have established under their own doctrines.Anyone who condones such abominations and claim Christianity are liars and all liars have their part in the lake of fire.They are enemies of God who approve that which is against Gods will. Look around the world, prophecy is being fulfilled right before your eyes.Remember all the distructions and wars in the old testament that God took out the rightous before He distroyed a place.Those were warnings to us today and God will take His people before He distroys the earth with its increase.People built up teachers to hear what they wanted. Now we can sit back and watch the fulfillment of the prophecies of the end that we are in.
I cannot believe Christians are turning their backs on God and his word. I would never do that. Everyone will have to stand in the pressence of God some day and we will answer for our time here on earth and these people will have to answer to God why they hurt Christians who were only standing on God's word.
Hey Diana, god doesn't exist. Pics or it didn't happen.
Obama is worthless. He only says what his teleprompter tells him. The failure only tries to make issues. We were all better off without him.
Why do the folks that preach to "judge not" seem to be the first to judge? They sure have a lot of pride and hardened hearts. Now they can throw their weight to the party of greed and have a trifecta.
This is not judging (you really should attend bible study) because the bible (God) has already judge you.
I agree Big_D... and Diana, there is no god.