Right is RIGHT ~ Same Sex Marriage vs Black Christians

Disappointed, frustrated, tired are all words I use to describe the reactions I’ve seen in the black community with regard to our ever-popular President’s stance on gay marriage.  With the blink of an eye, the “religious” black people in our community have shunned Barack Obama, the man they fell in love with in 2008 when he proclaimed that he’d run on the platform of change and we all proudly screamed, “Yes, we can!”  I assume that means yes-we-can as long as it doesn’t compromise our personal beliefs and prejudices. 

 

The day after Obama made his opinion public; I posted a Face Book status that sent my Christian friends into a rage that was no surprise for me being raised in Christian faith.  One even asked if those of us who were in support of gay marriage, and Obama’s support of it, would be willing to go to hell with “them”.  I kid you not, this happened.  I can’t make this up.

 

The argument of heaven and hell is strictly religious, we all know that.  Thusly, I only have one thing to offer as a popular comedian once said, “If you black in America, you should automatically go to heaven, because you’re already living in hell.”  The reason why this statement makes me want to scream in agreement is because there is no other race of people on this earth who has endured the torture and torment that black people have for hundreds of years.  No argument to this would even be justifiable so I won’t even entertain one.  That’s enough about hell for heaven’s sake.

 

Now, let’s talk a little bit about the fact that being black in America should lend to softness to any other group of people in minority because we have for years and continue to face discrimination consistently in this country.  That being said, it baffles me that any black person would have the audacity to spew hate against any other person or group of people including those who love someone of the same sex.  How is that even possible?  How can you know what discrimination feels like, argue that it is unfair, unjust, un-American, and still find it fathomable to discriminate against another human soul?

 

Not to mention that it’s all done under the veil of religion.  People are confused.  Religion, whether you consider yourself a Christian or a Buddhist or a Catholic, is founded in the love of God.  It is impossible to love God -who expects our hearts to be filled with love- and then hate someone else.  That cannot happen, realistically.

 

I left organized religion many years ago after coming face to face with the devil in a pastor’s garment.  I realized at that moment, many years ago, that I cannot be offered salvation by someone who is subject to the same sin as I am.  Therefore, it made more sin to me to cut out the middle man and focus on being one with God; one with love.  While I still fall short, I will never regret that decision.  It’s because of that decision that I have learned to accept everyone for who they are and to do so with a loving heart.  In that, I can still love those who go to church Sunday after Sunday, shout and pray for the Love of GOD, yet still come out on Monday and hate their brothers and sister.  Yes, I can still love you.  I can still not pass any judgement of you because I know that your relationship with the CREATOR of all things is YOURS, not mine.

 

Usually when I tell people that, I hear the inevitable argument about "what the Bible says".  Now, I give everyone the respect of believing what they believe.  Just as I expect the same respect in return.  However, I find that in the black community (particularly but not only) the bible is used as ammunition to justify individual beliefs.  It would have to be because there are many inconsistencies to the point where it would be ignorant to make a blanket statement about any one thing addressed in the Bible.  It is the Bible that says, “Love thy neighbor as thy self”.  I don’t believe it says, “Love they neighbor as they self, unless they are gay or lesbian, or black”.  It also says, “Those amongst you without sin, cast the first stone.”  I’m no biblical scholar, but I don’t believe that to mean that if you go to church every Sunday or talk about God every day all day that you are excused from your sin.  It doesn’t even give you the right to pick and choose what sin is, does it?

 

I find it despicable and ridiculous that we still, today, have to continuously fight in this country for our rights to live, love and be happy.  I don’t care if you are black, male, female, gay, or straight.  If you breathe, then you have every right to love who you love.  This isn’t something people choose.  No one wakes up one day and says, “I think I’m going to be gay today.”  Or, “I think I am going to change my skin color to black.”  We are all born to live and no human has any right to steal that peace and joy away from you regardless of what church they go to or what book they read to offer their lives instruction.

 

Stop being so short sighted. 

 

We are all here on this earth for a short journey to something else.  Some believe in karma.  Some believe in heaven and hell.  Some believe when you take your last breath that’s it, nothing else.  The beautiful thing about this country is that we are supposed to all be accepted even in our differences.  The problem, in this country, is that we say that’s the case but when faced with making a choice to live that way, we buckle under the pressure.

 

I am thankful for a President who has continued to play out the same platform that got him elected four years ago.  I am thankful to finally have a person in control that is not partial to influence.  I am thankful that President Barack Obama realized that a good number of you who voted for him (because he was black) would backslide after his statement about gay marriage and he said it anyway. Now, that is leadership!

Right is right and in the end, righteousness will be victorious.