Unlike many bloggers, I still prefer to have old fashioned newspapers in my hand. I do realize this is an unnecessary expense in the age of information, but I read more carefully when I purchase my morning paper.
On page 5A of today’s USA Today, I discovered a huge one page advertisement urging members of congress to vote against Senate Bill 1105. This ad was taken out by the High Impact Leadership Coalition (http://www.hilc.net/) which consists of some very prominent black clergy from around the country. The ad argues that Senate Bill 1105, which is also known as the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, will limit the freedom of religion and the exercise of free speech. The ad warns to not allow misguided compassion to erode America’s most basic freedoms. Needless to say, I was outraged and heartbroken.
When will the black church (as a whole, I know this is not a universal for every predominately black church) stop sending the message that it is acceptable to hate someone or to defame and demean someone because of their sexual orientation?
Almost less than fifty years ago, blacks were the victims of numerous hate crimes across the United States. Some of the same ministers who are arguing for the right to demean individuals due to their sexual orientation were fighting the good fight to simply be treated with human respect and decency by whites.
I am a member of Victory United Church of Christ (http://www.victoryfortheworld.org) and I have been a member since April of 2004, although I started attending in 2003. My church is affirming and supportive. I refuse to put my time, my talents, and my tenth in a system that tells me I am unfit to walk the earth in love and live my life in God’s light without shame. But the pain and hurt of this ad exists nonetheless because I realize that it is the black church that has done so much harm to the black community. Instead of being able to move forward and become accepting of one another and unified as a race of people, the black church continues to drive a divisive wedge between our community’s people. And this wedge simply edges me and those like me, further and further away from my own people.
On page 5A of today’s USA Today, I discovered a huge one page advertisement urging members of congress to vote against Senate Bill 1105. This ad was taken out by the High Impact Leadership Coalition (http://www.hilc.net/) which consists of some very prominent black clergy from around the country. The ad argues that Senate Bill 1105, which is also known as the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, will limit the freedom of religion and the exercise of free speech. The ad warns to not allow misguided compassion to erode America’s most basic freedoms. Needless to say, I was outraged and heartbroken.
When will the black church (as a whole, I know this is not a universal for every predominately black church) stop sending the message that it is acceptable to hate someone or to defame and demean someone because of their sexual orientation?
Almost less than fifty years ago, blacks were the victims of numerous hate crimes across the United States. Some of the same ministers who are arguing for the right to demean individuals due to their sexual orientation were fighting the good fight to simply be treated with human respect and decency by whites.
I am a member of Victory United Church of Christ (http://www.victoryfortheworld.org) and I have been a member since April of 2004, although I started attending in 2003. My church is affirming and supportive. I refuse to put my time, my talents, and my tenth in a system that tells me I am unfit to walk the earth in love and live my life in God’s light without shame. But the pain and hurt of this ad exists nonetheless because I realize that it is the black church that has done so much harm to the black community. Instead of being able to move forward and become accepting of one another and unified as a race of people, the black church continues to drive a divisive wedge between our community’s people. And this wedge simply edges me and those like me, further and further away from my own people.
View the ad from the bastards yourself: http://media.pfaw.org/Right/HILC_Rollcall.pdf
4 comments:
a lot of people with gay feelings shout hateful slurs toward the lifestyle.
a lot of blacks believe that whites introduced their homosexuality to us as a way to keep us enslaved.
but way more seem intent on misinterpreting their favorite passage to support that which they do not like. while not living up to the doctrines with which they aline themselves too.
Not saying I disagree with your argument, but I'm gonna have to read the actual bill itself.
Sometimes other things are added into these bills without people really knowing. Senators and Representatives often vote against seemingly common sense bills b/c of various things that get tacked on.
I won't get into playing devil's advocate and presuming to know the church's stance as I haven't seen the actual bill.
Christianity is about love not hate and those preachers supporting denial of civil rights for any human being are perverting their own doctorine.
These are not my kind of people. They should be shunned until they are able to understand that everyone does not live or live the way they do.
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