I THOUGHT WE WERE ALL GOD’s CHILDREN

CNN published a piece yesterday about the question of the Black church and same-sex marriage. Ministers quoted in the piece point to everything from Scripture, history, culture, and sadly even to their own personal feelings. What happened to “We are all God’s children? Judge not lest ye be judged?”

The article also notes some pastors’ concerns with the reality of many couples choosing not to get the blessing of the church for their relationship, i.e. marriage. The data on marriage and successful relationships do not bode well for this argument. The realities of our world- among men and women -suggest that curiosity and openness with regard to sexual activities and relationships are not in sync with many in the Black church, most notably the Black church leadership.

Same-sex marriage isn’t the issue. The paucity of mature, faithful, and responsible partnerships is. We are raising children in a confused world with seemingly few standards. Moms, dads, and grandmas too allow young men and young women to leave home for school or the workforce inappropriately dressed. Young men with their pants hanging down, young women exposing as much skin as if they were at the beach… who is telling them this is unacceptable? What happened to the body is a temple? We are collectively lacking a moral compass. I think it muddies the water to blame social ills on same sex marriages. We need our children raised in homes with loving, mature, and responsible adults. Single moms and dads have done a great job; we just don’t hear as much about their stories.

The Bible the pastors quote was written by men and history is replete with examples of men relying on “the Word” to get, keep, and maintain control of society and its people. Chauvinism has been a hallmark of “church” for centuries; homophobia has been as well. The Civil Rights Movement in retrospect really did not embrace all civil rights or the issues that pertain. The GLBT Movement has much to teach us. It’s past time for us all to pay attention. We are all God’s children. Judge not lest ye be judged.
Good words to live by don’t you think?

Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair (Nina Simone)

The crayon color black is a word used to describe a color of something. The notion of a red truck, a blue sky, etc. is self-explanatory. The use of black when it refers to people does not relate to a descriptive color, but rather the race of the individual/group. A Black man refers to a man from a specific race much like a German man or woman refers to someone from a particular country/nation.

I believe it is time to recognize and honor the difference between a descriptive adjective (a black book) and a noun (Black man). The Black church does not refer to a building that is black in color, but rather to the people (Blacks) who are its members.

It is important to note this pertains to White people as it has similarly pertained to Spanish men, German women, and people from other nations. Race matters. It is beyond time to recognize the difference between the use of a color to describe an object and the reference to a race/ethnicity of men and women.