I am an African
American, I am a pastor, and I am a citizen of two worlds. I have already
stated in a former opinion letter that I believe marriage is between a man and
a woman. On Monday July 2nd, a party of 20 conservative African
American pastors, headed by a Rev. William Owens, held a news conference in Nashville to express
concern for President Obama’s approval of same sex marriage.
According to the
report, the group’s statement suggested that unless the President changed his
decision, Owens’ group will ask their members to withhold support from
President Obama. I do not know this Rev. Owens but he claims to have been
involved in the Civil Rights movement.
I am sure there
are many pastors and citizens who disagree with the decision of the president
just as I and Rev. Owens disagree. And Rev. Owens and his group have every
right to express themselves in whatever way they choose. I recognize that as a
Christian, I am a citizen of two worlds. As a citizen of the U S A, I am bound
by a constitution and laws of the Republic. As a Christian, I am bound by the
Holy Bible. While Romans 13
advises me to be subject to authority, if there is conflict between God’s law
and the state’s law, it is the Bible from which I take my directions. We should
realize that President Obama’s decision is personal. He is president not pastor
of the USA.
If Rev. Owens suggest that his members stay away from the polls, he
will void any work he’s done in name of Civil Rights. If a single issue will
stop anyone from voting their choice…not to vote is a proxy vote for their
opposition. Consider the following statement from Pastor Otis Moss, Sr. “Our
Ancestors prayer for 389 year to place a person of color in the White House.
They led over 200 slave revolts, fought in 11 wars and over 600,000 people died
in the Civil War. Our mothers fought and were killed for women’s suffrage, our
grandparents were lynched for the civil rights bill of 1964 and the voting
rights act of 1965.
Pastor
Jerry Jerkins
May
29, 2012
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