Selling Their Birthright to the GOP; Some black ministers betray their people.
- Originally published in the Los Angeles Times February 3, 2005
Copyright 2005 Los Angeles Times
By: Madison Shockley and Kelvin Calloway
Madison Shockley is the minister
at the Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad. Kelvin Calloway is
the pastor of the Second AME Church in Los Angeles.
It
is a sad beginning to Black History Month when a group of black
preachers have so forgotten the past that they agree to be tutored in
"moral values" by Republican operatives in sheep's clothing.
Don't
get us wrong: Some of our best friends are Republicans. But the recent
invasion by Karl Rove's minions into the heart of black communities and
black churches across the country -- most recently on Tuesday at the
Crenshaw Christian Center, one of Los Angeles' biggest churches -- has
been downright offensive.
Seventy
pastors apparently turned out for Tuesday's meeting, which was
supposedly organized by conservative black ministers who had backed
George W. Bush in November and who are seeking to promote what they say
is a new agenda for the black community.
Are
they doing it with programs that bring jobs, education and opportunity?
Nooooooooooooo. They are doing it with a campaign against gay marriage.
They are unveiling a "black contract with America on moral values."
That's right, Newt Gingrich is back and he's black! And in case you
didn't know, gay marriage, not gang violence, gay marriage, not
hyper-unemployment and undereducation, is what has destroyed our jobs,
closed our schools and forfeited our opportunities.
That
the ideological descendants of the architects of Jim Crow would be
setting up shop in inner cities to structure a solution to the problems
of being black in America is beyond ludicrous.
And
the focus on gay marriage is a fundamental betrayal of the civil rights
movement in this country. If these people have their way, it will be
the first time since Jim Crow that discrimination against a group of
people is written into law. Everywhere you see the phrase "gay
marriage," just remember the word "miscegenation." Listen to the
arguments they're making: It's unnatural. It's against God's plan for
humanity. Haven't we heard that before?
These
ministers also claim a deep concern for the "unborn" who are aborted.
OK. We all want to reduce the number of abortions. But this is best
done through economic empowerment to support a family and through
contraception for effective family planning. The fact is that abortions
have increased in some states under President Bush, according to a
study from Fuller Theological Seminary, after both teen pregnancy and
abortions declined under President Clinton.
The
saddest part is that these ministers, who have inherited a legacy of
respect, leadership and authority, would squander their profound
birthright for a bowl of faith-based porridge. The underbelly of this
Republican initiative is the promise of funding for church programs.
That's a true sellout.
The black church
has always stood with the oppressed and never the oppressor. It has not
been in the forefront of the "pro-life" movement because it recognized
that prohibiting abortions leads to the maiming and death of thousands
of poor, often black, women. It has not been in the
forefront of the movement against gay marriage because it doesn't
adhere to the biblical literalism of many fundamentalist churches and
looks more to the compassion of Jesus than to conservative legalism.
If
the black church took the Bible literally we would still be "slaves
obey[ing] your masters" (Ephesians 6:5). The gospel of freedom that has
been the hope and strength of the black church is still a powerful and
meaningful message to millions who are weekly inspired to struggle
harder, study longer and love so fervently that hate, discrimination
and prejudice wilt under its persistent presence.