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The Almighty
LMAO... tell us, what does procreating have to do with the benefits of inheritance rights, property rights, visitation rights?
LMAO... tell us, what does procreating have to do with the benefits of inheritance rights, property rights, visitation rights?
poet
Banned
Oh, please. Homophobia has long been part and parcel of the black church, which was the impetus for the Calif. blacks who voted for Prop 8.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/09/26/inam.lee.black.church/index.html?hpt=T2
Editor's Note: Shayne Lee, Ph.D, is an associate professor of sociology at Tulane University. He is the author of "T.D. Jakes: America's New Preacher," which analyzes major changes in the black church culture and contemporary American religion, and co-author of "Holy Mavericks: Evangelical Innovators and the Spiritual Marketplace," which looks at the appeal of celebrity preachers. His recent book, "Erotic Revolutionaries," explores the topic of black women, sex and pop culture. Next week: The Rev. Al Sharpton writes about his personal faith and finance. CNN's "Almighty Debt: A Black in America Special" premieres October 21.
(CNN) -- As a sociologist who studies black churches, my research allows for compelling conversations with some of our nation's most powerful religious leaders. But my most memorable interview to date was not with a celebrity preacher, but a lesser known young gay Christian I'll call David.
Like many black Christians, David grew up in a theologically conservative church culture that views the Bible as the authoritative word of God. This supplied David with a healthy dose of guilt and regret for succumbing to same-sex cravings, eventually leading to his despondent spiritual state. In gripping detail, David recalled spending many days and nights fasting and praying for God to "deliver" him from his homosexuality.
The recent allegations of four young men against Atlanta, Georgia, megachurch pastor Bishop Eddie Long have curious onlookers marveling at the irony of how a prominent preacher could find himself staring at the barrel of the same gun he aimed against homosexuality for years.
Whether or not these charges against Long hold true, David's struggle sheds light on a church culture that often requires biblical leaders to vigorously and rigorously uphold biblical injunctions against homosexuality, despite the inherent visceral conflicts such a position might present.
It's no secret that a large majority of African-American Christians are theologically conservative. The Pew Research Center's national study of American religion lists African-Americans among the most religiously committed American ethnic groups. They are more likely than the general population to interpret the Bible literally and believe in God with absolute certainty. Considering the theologically conservative disposition of black churches at large, it makes sense that many black Christians take the Apostle Paul at his word when Paul portrays homosexuality as an act of depravity and perversion in his letter to the Romans [1: 26-32].
The resistance of many black churches against same-sex lifestyles has not gone unnoticed by leading religious scholars. Noted theologian Kelly Brown Douglass wrote her classic text "Sexuality and the Black Church" and presented numerous keynote addresses to confront what she perceives as a perennially homophobic black church culture. Similarly, in response to the allegations against Long, Princeton University religion scholar Wallace Best griped that maturity and honesty about sexuality is dangerously low in a great many black church communities.
But scholars often overlook that many black Christians pride themselves on a plain reading of Scripture, making it virtually impossible to foster an inclusive embrace or acceptance of homosexuality. As long as African-American Christians adhere to biblical mandates as authoritative prescriptions from God, they won't be easily dissuaded from rejecting same-sex lifestyles as viable alternatives to heterosexual norms.
What this means for Long is that the walls of his spiritual empire will ostensibly crumble if he is unable to launch an aggressive and cogent defense against these allegations. If, indeed, as F. Scott Fitzgerald maintained, there really are no second acts in American lives, then how much narrower the space for the redemptive comeback of an evangelical spiritual leader who is abruptly tainted by the unyielding taboo of homosexual conduct?
Yet, more sadly, what this conservative black church culture means for countless Christians like David is a long, hard stretch of restless days and sleepless nights of inevitable beseeching that God Almighty would somehow deliver them from the evil plague of homosexuality.
If there was one thing learned from disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard, it is that a murderer has a better chance of redemption and launching a second spiritual act of leadership than an evangelical pastor outed for same-sex erotic urges. In the particular case of black Christian leaders, exiting the closet is absurdly akin to entering an inescapable dungeon.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Shayne Lee
poet
Banned
Right. And no heterosexual teacher has ever "indoctrinated" or been inappropriate with any children. Don't make out like being gay, is automatically default to criminality and predation.
Alias
Banned
Using our public schools to indoctrinate children that homosexuality is as normal as heterosexuality and people are born homosexual or heterosexual is wrong. Leave your agenda at home.
Alias
Banned
All those black homophobes in our society. We are really a very sick nation. How sad for us.
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Darla
Whose idea is this?
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Darla
Oops! Wrong again, wouldn't you know it. Boy, you're batting zero huh?
In fact, expanding civil rights is based in logic and fairness. While withholding rights is based on hate and bigotry - emotions.
Alias
Banned
Your definition of "rights" is the problem. Not everything is a "right". Just because you want something to be so doesn't automatically make it a "right". Idiotic.
poet
Banned
And why would it be wrong? Are you telling me that there is something inherently wrong with me being who and what I am? Of course you are. That denotes a bigot (which you are, "in spades"...in addition to being a bona fide racist...just an "all-around" no-good-nik). Instruction would fall under "sex education", in lieu of parental guidance.
I know the reality conflicts with your beliefs...and the notion that you could ever be wrong, or less, admit to it, is remote...nevertheless, the general consensus is that you're mentally ill, or so blind in your hate and bigotry, as to not allow for others to enjoy the same freedom and immunity from stigma, in their make up as you do.
I don't have an agenda, other than being who I am, without fear of oppression or repression from Neanderthals like you. I'm comforted by knowing that you and folks like you are in the minority, and will not prevail over the voice of reason and fairness.
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Darla
This is the old bigot's canard of "next, people will be marrying their dogs."
What I said precisely, is that with modernity, marriage has moved from being based on expanding and maintaining property rights, to romantic love. People rarely used to marry for romantic love. This has changed. However, two people of different genders can and do marry for many reasons, and though in modern times romantic love is the ideal, it certainly is not always the basis of a marriage. Nor would i pass any judgement on whether or not it should be.
Gays as well will be able to marry for the same variety of reasons heterosexuals now do.
No one has to name a "government interest" in expanding civil rights to gays, nor did anyone, least of all myself, claim that the government has an interest in romantic love. Another of your word-salad, incoherent, strawmen. Civil rights are about the interest of the individual and the minority. Just because you wanted to come along with your faux-intellectualism and change the definition of marriage, doesn't mean anyone has to go along with it or pretend it's a serious argument. You don't have a serious argument.
Your stupidity is showing again.
dixon76710
New member
One of the parents dies, the children still need to be provided for. A wife, who has spent much of her adult life pregnant with a child, nursing a child and caring for her children frequently need to be provided for.
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Darla
Another paternalistic view of marriage. Tell us Mr. Misogynist, what on earth does that have to do with gays marrying??? You didn't even answer his question, in context. In context, he wanted to know what procreation has to do with denying gays the legal rights that heterosexuals enjoy to visitation rights, inheritance rights, and property rights.
You posted word salad in response.
Alias
Banned
You can be who you are, no problem. The problem is when you decide to teach in our public schools that you were born that way and you are as normal as heterosexuals. That is a lie. There is no scientific evidence you were born that way.
dixon76710
New member
Dont know. Seems to preceed recorded history. I suspect it was fathers with young, pregnant daughters with no man to be responsible for providing and caring for her or her children
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Darla
So in other words you pulled it out of your misogynistic ass and pretended this antiquated "idea" has anything to do with gay rights.
Got it.
This thread has gone on too long. It's time to sum up.
Here's the deal, bigots. 100 years from now, and probably much less than that, homosexuals will be able to marry like anyone else, and have those marriages recognized, on an equal footing with heterosexual marriages. No one will even question it, just as we do not now question the right of women to vote, or African Americans to own land.
Progressive thought always wins in the end. Always.
Here's the deal, bigots. 100 years from now, and probably much less than that, homosexuals will be able to marry like anyone else, and have those marriages recognized, on an equal footing with heterosexual marriages. No one will even question it, just as we do not now question the right of women to vote, or African Americans to own land.
Progressive thought always wins in the end. Always.
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Darla
Exactly. And you're right, this has gone on too long. It's utter nonsense.