On Gay Marriage -- Round 2

On Gay Marriage

Beloved, I feel compelled to say a word to you about one of the hot topics of the day---Gay marriage.  There is a lot of heat being generated on this subject, even among the clergy, but far too little light.

First, let me say I am quite familiar with what the Bible says about homosexual practice, whenever it is mentioned. Some Christians use these biblical texts to justify their opposition to Gay people being able to marry one another. Depending on your interpretation of scripture, you need not embrace the idea of same sex marriages.  However, I would remind you that just 45 years ago biblical arguments were used to support the law against the marriage of a man and a woman of different races. I refer you specifically to the Loving v. Virginia case in 1967.

Our Federal Constitution defends the rights of religious institutions to oppose, on religious grounds, all kinds of things. But what is not negotiable, what is not subject to a public referendum, is the civil rights of individuals and equal protection under the law---however unpopular these rights may be with the majority. African Americans, more than most, should understand the importance of this.

I agree with Dr. Delman Coates of the Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland, who rightly says we are called to live our faith, not to try and legislate it. We live in the midst of a fragile experiment with democracy, in a radically diverse society, comprised of people who practice very different religions, and of those who practice no religion.  Our public policies must be adopted with the welfare of them all in mind.

The rightness or wrongness or relevance of homosexuality to us as Christians is a discussion we must continue to have among ourselves. But if in the end you oppose Gay marriage, even when conducted by civil authorities, my best advice to you is that you not join any movement that seeks to limit the civil rights of our fellow citizens, but rather that you simply elect not to marry a Gay person yourself.

I hope this is helpful.