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July 31st, 2012
04:15 PM ET
Black pastors group launches anti-Obama campaign around gay marriageBy Dan Merica, CNN Washington (CNN) – A group of conservative black pastors are responding to President Barack Obama’s support of same-sex marriage with what they say will be a national campaign aimed at rallying black Americans to rethink their overwhelming support of the President, though the group’s leader is offering few specifics about the effort. The Rev. Williams Owens, who is president and founder of the Coalition of African-Americans Pastors and the leader of the campaign, has highlighted opposition to same-sex marriage among African-Americans. He calls this campaign “an effort to save the family.” “The time has come for a broad-based assault against the powers that be that want to change our culture to one of men marrying men and women marrying women,” said Owens, in an interview Tuesday after the launch event at the National Press Club. “I am ashamed that the first black president chose this road, a disgraceful road.” At the press conference, Owens was joined by five other black regional pastors and said there were 3,742 African-American pastors on board for the anti-Obama campaign. When asked at the press conference for specifics about the campaign – funding, planned events and goals – Owens said only that the group’s first fundraiser will be on August 16 in Memphis, Tennessee. But Owens insisted that “we are going to go nationwide with our agenda just like the president has gone to Hollywood.” In May, Obama announced on ABC News that he thought “same sex couples should be able to get married." The president had previously said that he opposed gay marriage, but said in May that his views were personal and did not represent a policy change. In a fiery Tuesday press conference at the press club, Owens said Obama was taking the black vote for granted and decried the idea of similarities between the gay rights movement and the civil rights movement, an assertion made by the NAACP following Obama’s same-sex marriage support. Owens has long been an opponent of gay marriage and consults with the National Organization for Marriage as a liaison to the black churches. At the press conference, Owens said that Obama’s support of same-sex marriage tantamount to supporting child molestation. “If you watch the men who have been caught having sex with little boys, you will note that all of them will say that they were molested as a child…” Owens said. “For the president to condone this type of thing is irresponsible.” Owens later walked about those comments back, saying he didn’t think the president was condoning molestation. Earlier this year, memos obtained by The Human Rights Campaign in a Maine civil actions suit revealed that NOM aims at making gay marriage a wedge issued “between gays and blacks,” according to the released confidential plans. “The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks - two key Democratic constituencies," one NOM memo states. In light of the release, Brian Brown, president of NOM, said that he is proud of the group’s “strong record” on minority partnerships. 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. But that shows a softening on the position in recent years; In 2008, only 26% of blacks were in favor of same sex marriage, according to the same Pew poll. At the same time, black voters overwhelmingly supported Obama in 2008, while more recent polling shows a nearly equal level of support for the president’s 2012 reelection. In a Public Religion Research Institute poll released last week, 18% of black Americans surveyed said they see same-sex marriage a “critical issue,” putting it behind the economy, education, deficit, a growing wealth gap and immigration. According to Robert P. Jones, the CEO of the polling company, there is no evidence that same-sex marriage is something African-Americans will bring to the ballot box in November. “Among African-Americans, I think same-sex marriage will be a nonissue in the election,” Jones told CNN. “We just have no evidence what so ever in slippage of support for Obama, even after his announcement in support of same sex marriage.” The reaction of black pastors to the president’s support for gay marriage has been as varied as their congregations, ranging from condemnation to congratulations. "We may disagree with our president on this one issue," Rev. Wallace Charles Smith said from the pulpit of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington on the Sunday after Obama announced his support for legalized gay unions. "But we will keep him lifted up in prayer. ... pray for President Barack Obama." At the Tuesday press conference, Owens questioned Obama’s commitment to black Americans, stating that the president is just “half-black, half-white” and has long “ignored the black press.” He is “ignoring the people that put him in the White House,” Owens said. |
  About this blog
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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79% unwed black mother and they are worried about gay marriage, really.
So many black pastors need to take care of their own home instead of criticizing the president. Most of them do nothing for their community and so many of them cheat on their wives. Some of their girl friends actually attend the same church service where the pastors' wives are sitting just a few rows away. Some righteous pastors are indeed gay themselves. Who are they to tell anyone what to do? They're just preaching more hate.
Religion is the Problem!!! Not Obama!!! If these "church people" want to get involved in politics then they should be taxed like every other business. Stay praying to your false idols & stay out of politics. For Blacks to chastise another persecuted group is appalling & shows a complete lack of compassion (& if they claim to be "Christian", a complete lack of faith in their Jesus!!!
Agree about religion staying out of politics. If not tax em. Just think of the additional tax revenue., billions! Bigotry is everywhere. I would expect more from real theologians.
Black pastors supporting Romney makes about as much sense as "Rabbis For Hitler"
winchester74 is wrong. the crazy thing is all blacks voting for obozo automatically, that shows they are afraid to think open minded and vote for who will do the better job regardless of skin pigmentation.
Vote for who you prefer, not just skin color. that goes for any election.
and that's why minorities should vote for Romney – the great white father will lift them out of poverty – and hire them to shine the shoe of the CEO's of the global corporations who own Mitt and all his teabagging buddies. Obama has done much more for minorities than Romney or Bush or any of the other holier-than-thou Aryan Nation shills.
Our conventional family certainly faces many challenges. The ability of loving gay couples to marry is not one of them.
Thank you... so well said (lol). Black pastors voting for a Mormon over a Christian president trying to be inclusive. Go figure..
13% of our nations population is black. so 6.5% are black males. and about 2% are young black males. late teens, early twenties. This TINY segment of total population is responsible for a phenomenal amount of violence, criminal activity, drug dealing, child abandonment and huge Gang activity. This same group contributes nothing positive and will spend portions of their lives in and out of jails and prisons. The lack of parenting skills means, far to often the first disciplinarian for black youth is the Police Officer. Until blacks attempt to fix their totally broken family structure and attempt to be productive as a group, They will continue to be the bottom feeders of society. if you call me names, you proved I'm right!
🙂
You're full of sh1t, and the fact that you can't speak proper English proves you are a retard. (It's "far TOO often") Idiot.
Didn't you get the memo from the black pastors? This is all due to gay marriage! That's why young black males are criminals, uneducated and dysfunctional. It's all because of gay marriage and that is why the black pastors have to fight it: to save their youth. Ha ha ha. What a crock from these black pastors who never can keep their pants on.
and that's why the Republicans want to cut funding for public schools – so ghetto kids will never be able to leave the ghetto because they have no education – and they won't be able to get birth control either so they will proliferate and perpetuate their situation for generations – and this will never stop until America ends its dependence on fossil fools like Romney, McConnell, Cantor, Ryan, The Bohner, Limbaugh, etc.
gerbil,
I want to thank you for confirming my great comment. the fact your only issue was a typo PROVES I'm right! thanks bro!
🙂
let's talk about funding schools. Do you really think a new book or computer is going to make a difference when a gang banger comes to school with drugs and guns? And parents who never mentor their kids and follow their grades closely. When the father is 100% absent. Throwing more money at a school (we already spend a fortune per student) will magically fix everything? heck no. We Need Quality Black Parents! and currently what we see our teen having babies with no father around creating hard kids who will turn out resentful and ultimately will be criminals. This is exactly what we see in society today. come on blacks, give self reliance and hard work a chance for once!!!!
White trash making up bs – again.
White men have been proven to be mass murderers, i.e. Columbine, Colorado, etc. Black on black crime is similar to the Mafia; even though I don't condone it, it's more about a power struggle to gain the upper hand to acquire wealth. What in the hell was Timothy McVeigh, John Holmes, Charles Manson, Son of Sam, Jim Jones saying? Talking about being depraved... Jerry Sandusky? Catholic priest? Please, you're fooling yourself if you're going to try and push that the white race as pure. Far from it. White greed caused this mortgage crisis. What black man sell a bunch of junk products in the 2nd mortgage for profit. For all your intelligence, and know-how?? You're headed for self-destruction. Africans call you all, "white devils"
Once preachers go public as political – they should lose tax-free religious designation.
America created the debt it is going to have to pay for, by living beyond it's means, by charging crap they didn't need, on credit they didn't have,...by going into debt buying houses they couldn't afford, and filling it with furniture they could never pay for....cars, vacations,designer this and that....none of it paid for! ...and no one worrying about their own debt. Credit card maxed?? go get another one! ....how many people 20/30/50/75 grand in the hole?? THAT is not Obama's fault. Responsiblity begins at home! Americans only have themselves to blame. Hard work, and saving for what you want....that USED TO BE the American way.
nope,
you are correct, from a personal perspective, too many people lived well beyond thier needs. so why did Barney Frank push to decrease loan standards for home buyers? why were do many huge loans given to people who had no business taking them. share the blame, personal, and people like f@g Frank who caused much of the problem.
Hey FlashDick2, so you wanna compare blacks and whites. Let's look at the worst countries and best in the world. You will notice a trend. You put blacks on a street, neighborhood, city, country. Where ever there are all blacks, the area turns to $h|T, and that is a fact. You leave blacks alone, they will starve to death. Everything, camera, phone, television, automobile, aircraft, ships, medical advancements, ANYTHING! Blacks contributions will fit in a thimble. FlashFish2? you just keep your mouth Shut Up b|t$h
WORST:
Somalia
Chad
Sudan
Zimbabwe
The Congo
Afghanistan
Guinea
Haiti
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Ethiopia
BEST:
Denmark
Norway
Netherlands
Austria
Finland
Sweden
Canada
What a hideously deranged creep you are! What's the matter with you? Are your knickers too tight? Go away, you nasty rodent!
veritas,
when you call me names. that means my facts are accurate and you're frustrated.
🙂
Thank you for u're support
Has racism in America been eliminated? It is a good thing because I ignorantly thought that it played a critical and evil role in assisting the current condition of black people. LOL!
ffacts is retarded. Please call me a name. It will prove it's true.
Hmmm- The best countries on this list are are also SOCIALIST Democracies. Intestesting. I wonder why.
You are forgetting most African countries have only been independent nations for 45 yrs or less? Even with free slave labor, USA was still in "toddler" development stages 45 yrs after independence. Your "Worst" and "Best" compares the incomparable on so many, many fronts. You can use twisted logic and info to give yourself false comfort justifying the unjustifiable– racism. But it sounds like you are a very proud racist. Keep on hating, the devil loves your company!
These ministers and their churches should be taxed. Religion has no place in any of our government processes. Condemning another mans or woman's right and using a tax dodge as the instrument to do it is not acceptable. We should get rid of tax deductions for any religious organizations. Starting with the Catholic Church and I was raised Catholic and still believe it to be the best of the Christian methods.
I'm Catholic and I say God Bless these good men for standing up for family values; and disagreeing with the Gay lifestyle.
They have the RIGHT to voice their opinions – an d by all accounts a fair number of their congregations agree with them anyway!
Since WHEN do we penalise free speech?
@veritas: so because you are a member of a cult that omehow gives you credibility? I think not. Spend your free time getting an education and then we'll see what you have to say. Pathetic.
Since when is it okay to discriminate against minorities? It's not moral to deprive people their rights on the word of a god you can't even prove exists.
I suggest these black pastors spend their time dealing with the problems in the black community and clean that house before they worry about gays. But, then again, blacks never seem to take any responsibility for their dysfunctional and crime ridden community.
Obama is not doing a "fine job". Wake up people!
1. NATIONAL DEBT 2008 9 TRILLION 2012 15.56 TRILLION (Your taxes will be raised for Obama's spending)
2. Federal Debt (67% of GDP), highest since just after World War II
3. Unemployment Highest since 1983 at 8.2%. 14% Black Unemployment, 11% Latinos (under Bush it was 5.9%).
4. Percentage of taxpayers paying income tax (49%), lowest in modern era
5. Government Dependency (47%) defined as the percentage of persons receiving one or more federal benefit payments: highest in American history
Obama plans to raise the Income tax, Payroll tax, Capital Gains Taxes, Estate Taxes – Don't bother saving any money for yourself or your children because Obama plans to tax it all. How else will he pay for all the debt he created?
Ever hear of a dude called Bush who left this country in shambles that Obama inherited?
All Obama did was make the problem worse. What makes you think he'll do better with a second term? He could not even get his budget passed when the dems controlled all the government!
Actually, President Obama stopped the economic free-fall that this nation was in when Bush left office. That cost a lot of money. But it would have cost a lot more if we'd stayed the course set by Bush and his anti-middle class cronies.
NO DOGMA IN ATHEISM .. you need to get out and meet more people
Grow up. Last week Obama doubled down on his FAILED policy of borrowing money from CHINA. He's borrowing it to GROW government spending - [and we ALL know what THAT means – more of his crony capitalism !] –instead of GROWING the Private sector, and creating JOBS?
Obama SPENT the deficit UP to $15 Trillion -NOW he's willing to borrow a gazillion more to BOOST the deficit??????
And YOU blame Bush? I suggest you grow up Sunshine.
Wrong, W ran the national debt from just over $5 Trillion to just under $11 Trillion. That's doesn't include Obama's first year deficit budget, which was a carry over deficit from W's last year in office and was over by $1.3 Trillion and the debt ceiling was raised. Also, being W left Obama in 2 wars and one was ignored where the 9/11 mastermind OBL was hanging out, and put us in a trumped up war in Iraq with WMD's and both were kept off the books (budget) too. Let alone, a trillion in tax breaks over
10 years for the rich, TARP, AIG bailout, and Medicare D, I'd say Obama was a bargain. Most of Obama's spending was to prevent another depression, also caused by republicans last time too. For some reason you guys forget W inherited a budget surplus. It's like forgetting Ronald Reagan raised taxes 11 times and tripled the deficit, besides making commercials in the 60's opposing Medicare! If you keep repeating the same lies, the GOP lemmings will continue to believe it some more!
@veritas: learn basic English and grow a brain. You are no economist (I am) and you ate way out of your league dude.
So you'd rather this country be in a depression? You'd rather let Americans lose jobs, homes and possibly their lives because you're still waiting for those super-wealthy "Job Creators" to earn those massive tax cuts they received? You're gonna be waiting a long time, "Sunshine", because they're too busy outsourcing jobs to other countries and banking offshore to avoid even more taxation.
I guess you prefer politicians that lie their way into a second war while we're still fighting the first without bothering to figure out how to pay for it, give no-bid million dollar government contracts to their profiteering cronies, then fail to oversee those contracts, leading to BILLIONS of tax dollars wasted. You want to talk debt, start there. At least President Obama is spending money to rescue our economy, not to pad the pockets of his wealthy friends.
Frankly, "Sunshine" you're the one that needs to grow up. I don't like everything President Obama has done, but he's been better than the alternative.
Sean – You're correct, I was wrong. I just rechecked the Office of MAnagement and Budget and Obama's has increased the Nationa Debt now to over $16 Trillion dollars. In 4 years of office, he has spent $7 TRILLION dollars.
Only about $100 billion of the stimulus - one dollar in eight - went to support new infrastructure projects. Obama Spent $800 Billion for Stimulus to the Economy that didn't work, many companies that got money went bankrupt. Failure. Quite a bit of money back to his billionaire socialist backer, George Soros, to help his companies out.
Obama is a manipulative, crafty, President, with his own interests at heart – creating a socialist nation. Research his Czars and see what positions they hold – extreme in many cases.
Poor McIver –l paying lower taxes than during the Reagan administration, but that's not low enough for him, damn it! He doesn't want to pay for anything! He'd rather see the U.S. devolve into a third world country than give a penny to pay for roads, fire departments, police, schools, bridges, airports, the military, social security, medicare or anything else he uses but thinks someone else should pay for.
And because he doesn't like to pay taxes, he tries to create panic by saying "socialist", despite the fact that the term doesn't apply in this situation.
What a shame America finally gets a President, who has some brains and class, and we do our damndest to fight him every step of the way.
you big cry baby. they attacked Bush for 8 years. They attacked clinton for 8 yrs. They attacked Bush Sr for 4 yrs. They attacked Reagan some, and they attacked Carter for 4 yrs.
so you can take your "boo hoo" cry baby BS and shove it where your boyfriends stores his corncob!
ffacts: You missed the part about "brains and class". Bush had neither.
Untied? states of america –
[1] We don't KNOW about the "brains" – his school, College and Harvard records are sealed!
[2] "CLASS" with the disgusting campaign he's been running? Like, Chicago-thug type, attack dog methods?? I don't THINK so.
After watching Mr and Mrs Romney on the Piers Morgan show, I'd say there's no comparison between them – Romney wins in the "Class stakes by a mile!
Questions:
# GW Bush listened to experts and turned Solyndra down. Obama refused to listen to experts and poured $535 Million of taxpayers money down the John. Doesn't that make BUSH the more intelligent?
# If Bush was so bad, why has Obama followed his policies; used his budget and is even extending Bush's tax breaks for the 5th year running [2013]?
Bush lied his way into a disastrous second war, while at the same time cutting taxes. He had absolutely no plan to pay for a war that cost (by conservative Pentagon estimates) $9.5 Billion a month. A lot of that money went not to the soldiers, but to no-bid contracts given to Republican party cronies - with no oversight. As a consequence, billions of tax dollars were wasted or diverted into the pockets of private citizens.
I would rather think that Bush is stupid rather than entirely corrupt, but perhaps he's simply both.
The incidence of HIV is rising the fastest in young Black men. They want to cover this up. SO they deflect attention from this fact. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/29/hiv-black-gay-men-aids_n_1711988.html
What a stupid comment! STDs – including HIV are increasing among white people too.
Do you realise how ignorant you sound?.......................No, Oon second thoughts – people like you wouldn't!
the black family is broken. black men do not want to marry the loud and obnoxious black female. both did not put forth effort in school and dropped out. both are under employed. the first disciplinarian of the black youth is the police officer. black males in the U.S. are the worst absent father in any culture in any country.
The black family is on the verge of total collapse. The same young black who is disruptive in school, and drops out, in 10 years will be the same black complaining there is no good jobs. Yet the reason is because he never prepared, and will live on govt handouts for his entire life. Black youth turn to gangs, and kill each other over nothing. The black society in the U.S. is a mess. Violent and irresponsible are normal. These facts may not be popular, however they are true!
The black family has always been broken. I guess they want to blame the gays for that.
I"is no good jobs"....we see you also dropped out.
When white folk made broad statements like this, it reminds me of what we say in our household. All white men are pedophiles, serial killers, mass killers and serial rapists. Did I miss anything?
Amazing how people who call themselves things like "ffacts" generally make up their own facts.
Would your generalizations mean that whites are wife killers (especially for $$)...pedophiles...rapists...serial murderers...psychopaths?
It is a good thing that racism is completely eliminated in America because I would have said that it played an critical and evil role in assisting the current condition of black people. LOL!
I'm sure you have many close Black friends and truly care about their future! Thanks, for the same old tired dribble. Loads of Blacks, are graduating from colleges with educations, when the can afford it. I'm sure many more then your family or you, seeing you are such an expert on White America! David Duke is looking for an intern, not great pay but plenty of your brethren.
All this judgement is unreal... I would like to see how the "all mighty white devil" would fare with 400 years of free labor. You whites on this blog really have a nerve judging the problems that your racists granddaddies caused. Whites have a notorious history of being oppressors and that's it. That is nothing to be proud of. And that pathetic list of inventions?? How many inventions were stolen before the patent? Like Robert F Kennedy said, "What are you going to do if Jesus is Black? (lol) Can't wait for the day of reckoning.....b/c you guys have fell for the same lie that Satan sold in the garden. You're in for a very rude awakening.
Irony: black men preaching family values. Hahaha! That's a good one.
the left claims to be inclusive. However the more I read posts, I see the left is the most hateful group. The left will attack and call names to anything traditional, conservative or republican. The left will spew it's hate and attack anyone that does not share its radical left viewpoints. The left are the true hypocrites. When the left pretends to be inclusive, yet attacks everyone like filthy monsters, it just shows the left are true Cowards! the left should be ashamed!
You are such a big silly.
Blah, blah, blah.
http://whyimcatholic.com/index.php/conversion-stories/atheist-converts/item/103-atheist-convert-jennifer-fulwiler
So you joined the pedophiles. Congrats on that. Keep your boys away from the priests.
I've never supported this president idealogically or at the polls, but as Owen said, he is the President and I have definitely prayed for him to do the right thing as much as possible. We've always had that in common.
This proves yet again, that when people listen to there faith leaders, they make dumb choices. Obama has done so much for people, but because he is not a hard core christian zealot, they are bashing him. All zealots, of all faiths deserve to be put the f down.
Mickey, Mickey, Mickey. You drank the koolaid. What has Obama done for people? I can assure you that these pastor's have done much more to lead and help the people of their communities than Obama has done in total.
@Mountain Man: yeah, I bet these pastors have done a lot for their community. Wonder how many illegitimate kids these family values pastors have. What a joke they are focusing on gays rather than the hoodlums in their "churches".
Grow up – If you only "BET" that you know about the number of illegitimate children etc – you shouldn't be commenting. You actually knownothing!
Mountain man – Excellent comment. It's good to see a thoughtful post on here. The intelligent posters are as rare as roses on a dung heap!
@Chicagothug: your name says it all dude.
The religious aren't the only ones who cling to religious. Atheists like yourself have turned atheism itself into a religion, a dogma, just as ridiculous as any other dogma. You are no better, and you know no better. You can't disprove god, and they can't prove it. You're both arguing about shadows you can't prove, so you're really just on the same level.
You are not much better than any other fundamentalist, still trying to shove your own views down the throats of others and condemning their beliefs.
Hm. I don't think I've ever done anything but point out that there is no proof of existence for any god. I've never told anyone to stop believing. I've simply mentioned the flaws in their belief.
You are making generalizations based on your opinion, not fact. A lot of believers do that, I suspect because it's easier to paint atheists with the same brush than it is to realize that so many people from so many walks of life have found reason to reject the faith you cling to with such desperation.
Well look what we have here .. an internet hall monitor – again. "I'm telling you I know what you both (sides) need.. more of me and please pay attention to my condescending trash talk about all of you."
Yeh sure skippy.. continue the hall monitor job.