Notes from Evil Bender

Pam Spaulding notes what happens when a political candidate dares to suggest that gay marriage isn’t destroying communities. Let’s start with what his opponent, Bishop Harry Jackson, had to say about Obama’s words:

“He’s dead wrong concerning what the Scriptures say, and more importantly, he’s dead wrong in terms of the Scriptures and in terms of reading the culture,” says Jackson. “The culture has gone in a different direction, and the devaluation of marriage is a major problem, and I believe that he’s a very dangerous man because he sounds reasonable, he sounds engaging, but he’s misinformed.”

…

“I think what most African-Americans buy is that there should be justice for all, in terms of the outworking of civil law. What they do not buy is that we should rename sin as something righteous and holy,” explains Jackson.

Jackson says the average person in a black community says, “wrong is wrong, and right is right, and even if I’m not living right myself, I refuse to call that which is morally wrong right.”

He says black clergymen are developing more courage to speak out on issues like homosexuality because they are not willing to be labeled as “the white man’s pawn or the white man’s puppet.”

So he’s arguing that Obama is “dangerous” for not being a rabid anti-gay marriage crusader like Jackson, and that opposing civil liberties actually help defines him as a black man. Way to stay classy, Bishop Jackson. You’re a credit to the civil rights movement and to the words of Jesus, no doubt. Oh, wait: Jesus didn’t say a damn thing about homosexuality.

So let’s see what Obama actually said that got Jackson’s panties in a twist:

I specifically talked about the degree to which the notion of gay marriage in black churches has been used to divide, has been used to distract. I specifically pointed out that if there’s any pastor here who can point out a marriage that has been broken up as a consequence of seeing two men or two women holding hands, then we –you should tell me, because I haven’t seen any evidence of it. .

And what I’ve also said — and what I’ve also said is, if you think that issue is more important to the black family, which is under siege — if you think that’s more important than the fact that black men don’t have any jobs and are struggling in the inner cities, then I profoundly disagree with you.

…And the black community, I think, has a diversity of opinion, as you and I both know. There are people who recognize that if we’re going to talk about justice and civil rights and fairness, that should apply to all people, not just some. And there are some folks who, coming out of the church, have, you know, elevated one line in Romans above the Sermon in the Mount.

If I was Jackson, I’d be worried too: Obama pointed out Jackson’s rank hypocrisy on civil liberties and his devaluing of the message of peace in order to continue a spittle-flecked tirade against gay people. Note that Obama didn’t say “everyone must approve of homosexuality,” he said, essentially, that we must respect one another’s rights even if we disagree. It’s that radical message that terrifies Jackson, who then has the nerve to say this is an issue of black masculinity.

Disgusting, Bishop Jackson. You and your hate-mongering kind should be ashamed. You’re definitely not preaching the message of Jesus, and you sure as hell aren’t working in the tradition of Dr. King either.