Black gays just wanna have church? The city of Atlanta recently unveiled its multimillion dollar publicity/rebranding campaign touting its "openness" in an effort to pull away from the "city too busy to hate" slogan which saw it through its rise to prominence in the New South.
Perhaps this new invitation of openness is what attracted the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) to begin its antihomophobia tour. And then again, its a lotsa black folks in Atlanta. Scheduled for January 20-21 at the First Iconium Baptist Church, the summit promises to strategize on how to stop homophobia in the church. That's where things get really tricky. These are times when all things religious have had some pretty freaky one night stands with all things political and consequently have produced some very ugly little children.
Such is the case with the NBJC's bogus war on homophobia. This time they are bringing the [Rev] Al Sharpton to berate preachers who won't roll over and play dead as activist homosexuals seek control of the church. Its the church storm of the century. Remember that? Give me what I want and I'll go away. The trouble is what they want. In order to get what they want, black activist gays have played fast and loose with word meanings. The objective, it seems, is to [re]create a syncretized church in which the new paradigm of worthiness is not holiness but mushy co-existence equality.
You know what I mean: tolerance, acceptance, love, inclusion, etc. Clever, illusionary language so that what you appear to be demanding asking for is harmless. But what they mean when they say such words, are a far cry from what the Bible or the church understands them to mean.
Take for example the highly charged epithet "homophobia". To explain it, let's use a little comparison.
Homosexuals contend that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. That's their justification for pushing for its widespread acceptance in the church. Ok, if a+b=c
then, Jesus also never mentioned homophobia. Its not in the Bible either.
Its an old trick applied to an old sin with new faces attached.
One of the "new" faces is Bishop Yvette Flunder. I've written about Flunder here and here and finally here.
Flunder has become the emerging darling of the black gay church movement. She's articulate, top heavy on the Pentecostalism, talented. Early last year she was a panelist at Harvard Divinity School's symposium on Black Pentecostalism. If you've got a few minutes, check out Flunder's spiritual follies here.
I'm not really sure, but it seems AL Sharpton probably was the true catalyst for the event by declaring war on homophobia. He cites his lesbian sister's uncomfortable experience in the church as one of the reasons.
Although I strongly disagree with about 98% of what the NBJC is trying to pull off in Atlanta, there are some points I agree with the activists on.
1. There is way too much invective and senseless anger being "preached" as an answer to homosexuality in the church. But is that necessarily homophobia? I'm not so sure.
2. The church must rethink its tactics in dealing with homosexual members.
But after reading the NBJC's press release, Im not so sure that they just want the church to be accepting to homosexuals. Remember that one night stand? NBJC's ultimate goal is to get the larger black community to sign onto homosexual marriage. That's an overtly political goal.
"The Summit is a direct response to anti-marriage proponents pandering to the black church for their own agenda. It is imperative that religious leaders realize and recognize the contributions of the LGBT community and the impact marriage discrimination will have on African American children and families."So now you know who's coming to town. And what they really want.
6 comments:
You're a very angry person aren't you? Tell me, why does intolerance always beget more intolerance??
You'd have to be more specific.
I cant answer general shot in the dark questions, because I have no idea what you are talking about.
Either bullet or number your specific objections.
I don't think that the issue is intolerence but rather truth. Unfortunately, the conference NBJC is conducting is not based upon truly unifying the church. It's objectives is to get ministries to accept the homosexual lifestlye as the norm and abandon it's foundational biblical precepts. That's the truth of the whole manner. I do agree that homophobia and gay bashing needs to stop in the church. But, the church does not have to abandon it's belief that homosexuality is a sin. They should welcome the homosexual in their church, but not condone the behavior by invoking gay marriage rights. The gospel of Jesus Christ is probably one of the most "non-inclusive" ideologies ever given to mankind. How more non-inclusive can you get when Jesus himself said unless you come through me you won't enter into heaven. So, the root of NBJC's issue isn't the Christian....but the author behind the Christian faith. Jesus Christ himself. They are pushing a "universalism" Christianity....talk about prejudicial. You are asking these people of faith to abandon their 2000 year beliefs in order to accomodate your sexual preferences. Who's zooming who now?
For many years Howard Univeristy has used its Seminary for Interfaith events!
These events in the past were great.
Recently they have turned into a gay recruting network.
There were Human Rights Campaign stickers all over the place.
No one dared chanllenge the gay elite for fear of being called homophobic.
It just broke my heart.
I felt excluded, because I uphold the word of God.
How did this happen?
I do not hate gay people,
but I am called a hatmonger!
This is unfair.
Mary Johnson
Washingon DC
sdg,
well said. Gays are already included. Christ died for everyone, but we (the church) is not at liberty to change the founder's standards...for anyone. Im not sure if they understand that.
Mary,
wow. Can I ask you a question?
Do you think there is anything you can do about this? I know a lot of people who disagree with homosexuality are literally afraid of gay activists. They typically will jump you like a swarm of bees if you are vocal against their agenda.
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