African American Minister issues challenge to Obama on Equal Rights

Below is a piece written by Reverend Bennie Colclough. He is an African American Minister in South Carolina, a graduate of Yale Divinity School, and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

His words are powerful and address some incredibly important issues facing society today. As a gay man, I find them inspirational. I hope you do too.

Can we hear the call for change?

The African-American community should pay close attention to what Sen. Barack Obama has said about equality for gay and lesbian Americans and the correlation of religion-based bigotry and discrimination against African-Americans.

The struggle for justice, equality, and dignity for gay and lesbian Americans continues and Sen. Obama and other leaders have engaged the African-American faith community on this issue.

Are we listening?

As an African-American minister, I many years ago heard the call for change on this issue and it is still my resolve today to be a missionary for justice and equality, to be courageous, true to my faith, and challenge the African-American faith community, to love God with our whole heart and our neighbors as ourselves.

The African-American faith community must defend the human dignity of all people as distinguished leaders in our community are calling us to this task.

Consider Coretta Scott King's remarks in a 1998 address in which she said that "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood."

Just last week it was announced that Julian Bond, an icon in the civil rights movement for nearly 50 years and longtime national chairman of the NAACP, has stepped into a leadership role with the Fairness for All Families Campaign in Florida, a statewide coalition effort working to prevent an effort to write discrimination against gays and lesbians into that state's constitution.

These leaders recognize the history of religion-based bigotry and discrimination toward our own community. We know that religion was once misused to justify slavery.

Today it is being misused to deny members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community full and equal rights.

The African-American faith community must recognize the perpetrators and injustice, and bring about an end to the hurt that has been caused to so many.

Discrimination is morally wrong and un-Christian. Let me repeat this: Discrimination is morally wrong and un-Christian.

Sen. Barack Obama has said that he strongly disagrees with the views of people like gospel singer Donnie McKlurkin and others who use religion to attack members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Those of us who are missionaries for justice and equality are hopeful that Senator Barack Obama will be true to his platform for change, and speak out against religious bigotry coming from a select group of African-American evangelical leaders.

His appearance Monday night at a presidential debate in Myrtle Beach would be a good opportunity for him to do just that.

While Senator Obama's candidacy for president of the United States offers hope, let us not forget a facet of society that has had little hope for change the last 20 years. The purpose of our government, first and foremost, is equality under the law, respect for human rights, and protection of all our citizens, whether they are white, black, male, female, disabled, Christian, or gay. We must be about the business of building a beloved community with a foundation of compassion and justice for all.

The Declaration of Independence says: "All people are created equal and endowed with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The Bible says, "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and "love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:30-31 There are no exceptions about who our neighbors are.

We must be courageous enough on our watch to change our society for the better.

So let us hear the call for change from our leaders and join them in challenging those people who misuse religious teachings to justify attitudes of condemnation and discrimination toward our gay and lesbian friends and neighbors.

Rev. Dr. Bennie Colclough of South Carolina serves as co-chairman for the S.C. Progressive Network and has been a longtime advocate for the LGBT community. He is a contributing writer for Faith In America, an organization that works to help the public better understand the harm caused by religion-based bigotry and discrimination.

Follow Lane Hudson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tlanehudson

Comments

[LarBear]

Segregate:
To separate or isolate from others or from a main body or group.
To impose the separation of (a race or class) from the rest of society.
To end Segregation and Racism requires each of us to do a Core Belief that conceives and perceives each as a PERSON...
Here is a quote from another Huff Po Blog: (Referring to Bob Johnson's apology) YOU SAID: I finally realized that it was NOT about whites versus blacks.This is what MLK and all the other pioneers and soldiers of justice fought for, so black Americans would have an equal place in this great country, and to see a black man trying to tear down his own brother, it brought tears to my eyes. I felt like a parent watching a child of mine stabbing his brother in the back. That is what I felt.
QUESTION: You speak of an "equal place," then refer to "Black Americans" and "Black Men"... Who is placing them as a BLACK PERSON? Who is mentally creating two Americas??? Who's doing the BLACK belief and Label? Are you unwittingly raising your children to Label, Classify and Segregate Persons by Race and Skin color??? As a "White Male" I have tasked me to challenge my Core Belief to Perceive a Person as a Person...
Replace the Label "Black" with Gay/ Lesbian, ETC, and the results is the same...
To end Segregation requires each of us to do a Core Belief that conceives and perceives each as a PERSON... We can remove Segregation from Law, but then continue Segregation as a person!
Sadly, most don't realize the very Racism, anti Gay/ Lesbianism, ETC, Segregation they complain about is usually also being created by the Complainers... Sadly also, Organized Religion is a Fundamental contributor/ promoter of that which the Minister speaks about. Often, unwittingly preached... Make no mistake, Modern Organized Religion is more about Fear and Control and dividing with Labels, than about Love... Conditional Love! A Biblical God that would cast and burn Souls in Hell for Eternity, if one does not meet the Conditions of God?

[kishaaann]

Obama's church allows gay couples to get married. There is no church more progessive than that. Secondly at the Tavis Smiley debate and other places Obama has addressed the homophobia in the black community.. Question has Hillary?? Has Hillary questioned her husband about the Defense of Marriage Act??? How about Hillary questioning her church or the black church after all she is married to the first black President. I see two different standards being applied here. Just my observation.

[realitytrumpsbull]

I don't care to ever get married. To anyone.
I don't go to church, either.(act surprised)
I think that marriage is an institution, and I really don't feel like getting institutionalized. I don't want to play their stupid little kid-credit tax games. I just want to live my life in a reasonably free and liberated fashion, listen to my rock n roll, and wait with bated breath for the day when there's a Denny's on the moon, so's I can go eat breakfast and watch the earthrise. Wouldn't that be a trip? Pancake syrup in 1/6th gravity?
It'd take, like, 5 minutes for it to get to your waffle. Watch out for that hot coffee!
LOL

[sonofloud]

I hope you were equally moved by Obama's hate tour last year with Reverend Donnie McClurkin who said he's in "a war" against what he calls "the curse of homosexuality."
So which is it Obama.....are you for equal rights or do you support Reverend McClurkin?

[vbond]

Would you let the man WIN, please?

He is no less likely to be a champion for your interests when he is in the White House, if he does not unnecessarily alienate a key constituency in a critical state at a critical time.

And he is completely unlikely to be your champion if he loses.

There is - like it or not - a difference between campaigning and governing.

Either you trust him now to act in your interests or you do not.

If you do, do not seek to have him jeopardize his slim chance to WIN.

If you do not, what is the point of another unfulfilled political promise? Other than to validate your... what, exactly?

Let the man WIN!

[Ides]

Obama has a unique fortitude among the front runners when talking about an increasingly unseen segment of the community.

http://visiblevote08.logoonline.com/2007/08/09/video-barack-obama-rewind/

[cuthbertallgood]

Thanks to Dr Colclough. That is what is is all about. This man said it all.
Peace