Black Clergy Usually Oppose Sodomite “Marriages”

Black preachers presently face a dilemma.  They support President Barack Obama in some issues and African-Americans generally actively support the Democratic party, along with its liberal agenda. But they face the problem that the President has raised.

Democrats in general support and promote sodomite unions. The Vice-President has come out clearly for this immoral relationship. And now, President Obama has also openly voiced his approval of sodomite “marriages.” (Obviously, we deny that there can be a sodomite “marriage” since marriage, my definition, is the union of a male and female.)  Although the NAACP has expressed its approval of sodomite unions, they are not representing blacks in general in this stand.

Last week, the Conference of National Black Churches met in Washington. At this conference, “most of the ministers, pastors and theological scholars expressed firm positions on marrying same-sex couples” (“Black Clergy Divided on Same-sex Marriage,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram).  Bishop John Adams, an African Methodist Episcopal minister (who is former chairman of the conference) said, “I love all homosexual brothers and sisters, but my discipline says I can’t marry them.”  He went on to say, “Same-sex marriages are not being approved by the Christian community because it is a contradiction of creation. . . . The species continues by the procreation of male and female.”

Michael Eric Dyson of Georgetown University charged that African-American clergy “rail against gay marriage and homosexuals yet still take donations from them and allow them to serve as church ushers and to sing in or direct church choirs.”  He went on to deride black preachers, “Some of the most homophobic preachers there are probably [sic] gay themselves.” Could this be true? Do black preachers speak against homosexuality and refuse to unite sodomites, but at the same time do they turn a blind eye to those who do practice this immorality?  The quotation above by Adams did call sodomites “brothers and sisters,” thus would this indicate his acceptance of the relationship? I once knew a black musician of a black church in town who died—and it was discovered that he was an open, practicing sodomite.  How can this hypocrisy exist?

The article in the local newspaper ended with the statement: “The nine denominations of the Conference of National Black Churches, which reach 10 million people, all oppose gay marriage, said the Rev. Franklyn Richardson, the group’s chairman.”

What direction with black churches go in the next election?  Will they continue to support the President or will they allow Scripture to form their conscience and refuse to put this sodomite-supporter into another term?  Will black opposition to sodomy continue and increase, to the point that they exclude sodomite members?  Or will they continue to hypocritically condemn sodomy but tolerate or even support homosexuality?  Only time will tell.

For now, we applaud that there are some who oppose this grossly immoral relationship even when it will cost something.  In a country where the percentage of people who endorse homosexuality is growing (especially among younger generations), it is good to know that some continue to support the Biblical prohibition of this immoral practice.

Richard Hollerman