I’ve got your feel good moment of the day right here!
That’s Pastor Frederick Haynes III from Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and here’s what he has to say about President Obama and his personal stance on gay marriage:
I’m sure some of y’all came here today wondering what I would have to say about what was said by the President of the United States this past week… The president remembered that when, on January the 20th, he lifted this nation by raising his hand of 2009 and took the oath of office, don’t forget that he was sworn to uphold, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States which was born out of a declaration of independence. Do you know the words of the Declaration of Independence? “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men (all people) are created equal.” I gotta hang out there. Notice it doesn’t say that “all straight men are created equal.” It does not say that “all men, unless you are gay and lesbian, are created equal.” He swore upon oath to uphold, protect, and defend the Constitution, not the Bible, but the Constitution of the United States.
He is not the pastor of the United States, he is the President of the United States and for the first time in the history of this nation, we have a President who has dared to use his position to make the democratic promise available, not just for a select few who are up and in, but for everybody regardless of their race, their creed, their color, or their sexual orientation.
And, my brothers and sisters, I salute the President for that. Now, I recognize there are those who are upset about this. I recognize that because I can’t believe how many conference calls I was asked to participate in this week to discuss what the President had talked about. You should have seen preachers just scurrying and hurrying to call a conference call to call out the President for what he had declared (watch this) as a personal opinion. He said it was a personal opinion, but whenever you like to ostracize other people it’s because there’s a fear that you have yourself and the fear that you have finds itself rooted in an ignorance of other people or… in a projection of your issues. Either there’s ignorance or there is a projection of your issues.
Because I’ve been trippin’ — ask some of my colleges. You know what, it really blows my mind how outraged you are, you are so outraged over what the President said. First of all, take a chill pill, take a deep breath, everything’s gonna be all right. You are not going to lose your 501(c)(3) if you do not marry a same-gender-loving couple, you are not going to lose it. Why? And Senator Royce West is right here, back me up State Senator. He is an attorney. Do you not know that marriage, watch this, is a state law. That’s what happens in a state, am I right about it? And in a state, that’s why when I pronounce you husband and wife, I say “according to the laws of the state,” not the United States.
And so he is not saying something that is going to eventuate in a public policy that’s going to cause churches to lose their 501(c)(3) if they don’t marry same-gender-loving people. But I have a question for you:
Why are you so upset? Why did it bother you so? Why were you so emotional that you had to clothe your anger with the Bible and justify your bigotry with scripture? Why did you have to do it? I gotta hang out here because you do know, and I’m going to lose some of y’all right now, we often major in what Jesus minored in.
Have you ever read the gospel and heard Jesus say anything about homosexuality? I’m with Kelly Brown Douglas, black folk can’t even deal with homosexuality because we’ve got issues with sexuality and because we’ve got issues with sexuality we can’t have a healthy discussion about homosexuality.
… Why? Why do you get so upset? Why are you so mad at the President that you got to call conference calls so you can organize the statement that you’re going to make about what the President said? Why are you so angry? Jesus never said a word about it, but you want to major in what Jesus minored in? Well maybe we need to talk about what issues you may have. Because evidently you’ve got some major issues or there is an ignorance that is rooted in fear. Y’all not feeling this, but I’m going to preach the gospel anyhow! Because you do understand, my brothers and sisters, that the sad reality is we love to judge other folks’ sins because it keeps it off of us as opposed to looking at us! Aw yeah!
*Applause*
Yay! Jesus didn’t say anything about homosexuality!
Yay! Maybe if you are so angry about gay folks running around, you should focus on your own issues!
Yay! Don’t look to random Scriptures to justify your own prejudices!
Yay! Preaching to be loving and accepting of other people!
Yay! The Constitution is different from the Bible!
You know, after reading and writing about people teaching their kids that homos are going to hell, or pastors trying to exterminate queers, or ministries trying to shove gay people back in the closet, this was so refreshing! A pastor not only preaching marriage equality, but chiding his congregation for being homophobic.
And he never, ever once said, “This is a Christian nation”!
I could get behind this guy! I say, good for you, Frederick !
It may be a message you’re not used to sending, but if you support what the pastor was saying, let his church know you. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were swamped with negative messages this week.
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