What should black Christians do when social issues and faith collide?

[xchrom]

http://www.thegrio.com/opinion/what-should-black-christians-do-when-social-issues-and-faith-collide.php


President Obama's support for same-sex marriage rights has been a hotly debated topic recently, especially within the black Christian community.
It is important to note that the president cited his personal Christian beliefs, as well as conversations with his daughters, as major influences on his current position. He is certainly not alone. For many black Christians the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage is one that requires an evaluation of how much faith should inform their views on public policy.
Historically, this has been an easy question to answer. The civil rights movement was heavily influenced by black ministers who were able to harness the power of social activism for the cause of advancing equality. For blacks at that time, the desire for radical cultural change was seen as perfectly consistent with both biblical teaching and the concepts of freedom and liberty that are at the core of our national identity.
The issue of same-sex marriage breaks from that tradition because it is an area where many African-Americans, particularly black Christians, hold views that seem out of step with the fight for equality. A recent study by the Pew Research Center of changing attitudes on gay marriage found that while 47 percent of Americans favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry, two-thirds of black Protestants opposed same-sex marriage -- a figure only eclipsed by white evangelicals. There is also an element of these trends that is generational. The same Pew study found 63 percent of Millennials (those born in 1981 or later) were in favor of same-sex marriage, compared to 39 percent of Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964).
Human sexuality is discussed extensively in the Bible, and the teachings on those issues are decidedly conservative by our modern definitions. This presents a serious dilemma for African-Americans who have historically viewed their faith as a tool for social justice. Some individuals, like Reverend Delman Coates of Mount Ennon Baptist Church, don't believe religious beliefs should be imposed on others in matters of public policy. Black Christians who don't share this view find themselves out of step with more progressive members of their religious community.

[catbyte]

1. I'm sorry, but they should do what every citizen should do

Separate personal faith from public policy. If you're against gay marriage, don't participate in gay marriage. If you're anti-abortion, don't get one. If you are against contraception, don't use it. It's as simple as that. No one should shove their personal beliefs down another person's throat--especially when public policy is at stake.I know, easier said than done, but come on. Enough is enough.


Diane
Anishinaabe in MI & mom to Leo, Sophie, Taz & Nigel, members of Dogs Against Romney, Cat Division
"We ride inside--HISS!”

[thucythucy]

2. Well, the same could have been said to Christians,

black and white, who participated in the civil rights movement of the '50s and '60s out of religious conviction (as was described by the article). It could also have been said to abolitionists in the 1840s to 1865, many if not most of whom cited their faith as a primary motivation for their social activism.

My answer to the question posed would be for Christians to re-examine their faith, specifically how they pick and choose from among Biblical teachings on social issues. To say the Bible condemns same sex marriage is about as valid as saying it condemns the wearing of polyesther and the eating of shell fish. How many contemporary Christians are advocating for laws against either?

The heart of the problem, as I see it, is not that people of faith want to engage in public debate out of a sense of obligation to that faith, but that the faith itself needs to be examined more closely. At the heart of that examination has to be a better understanding of the Bible itself: not as the infallible word of God dictated from on high, but the record of how various individuals and communities attempted to answer the Great Questions: why are we here? what is our relationship to the universe, and to each other? why is there suffering and death? how can we best live our lives during the short time each of us is allotted?

Such an examination would show that humanity's understanding of divinity and the universe has evolved over time. It's that evolution that fundamentalists deny, and since they deny it in their faith, they feel compelled to deny it in their politics.

Address the issue of faith, and issues of politics will follow. That's my humble opinion, anyway.

[eqfan592]

4. Indeed, it could have been said to those previous Christians.

Because the simple fact is that the causes they were fighting for were righteous even without the influence of religion.

That being said, thank you for the well written post. I find your take on the bible to be an interesting one.

[TlalocW]

3. Easy enough

When the Bible or its interpretation says one thing that is scientifically inaccurate (Earth-centered universe) or denies the rights you have to someone else, the Bible is wrong.

TlalocW

[Thats my opinion]

5. People who have been seriously wounded often take more time

to heal before they can understand the wounds of others. We ought to know this here.
The Black community will come along--and are already doing so--but we can cut just a bit of slack because of the history they suffered. In the meantime we need to keep enough pressure on to stay in ouch without condemnation.