Family group defends Detroit area black pastors from attack by homosexual activists

September 1, 2004 | AFA-Michigan

[AFA-Michigan]

N E W S R E L E A S E

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wed., Sept. 1, 2004 CONTACT: Gary Glenn 989-835-7978

NEW YORK -- A statewide pro-family group supporting a Marriage Protection Amendment to Michigan's state constitution Wednesday wrote President George W. Bush to defend a prominent Detroit-area African-American pastor and a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, also a former Detroit-area minister, after the nation's largest homosexual activist group demanded they not be allowed to speak to the Republican National Convention Thursday night in New York.

The Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign -- joined by a small black "gay rights" group -- Monday wrote Bush to accuse the two African-Amereican pastors of "discriminatory, false and inflammatory language" and urged the president to "repudiate their divisive and appalling comments" and remove them from the convention agenda.

Bishop Keith Butler, pastor of Southfield's Word of Faith International Christian Center and a former member of the Detroit City Council, is scheduled to offer the opening prayer at the GOP convention Thursday night, the same night Bush will accept his party's nomination for reelection. HRC's letter attacked Butler for co-signing a statement last fall in which he and five other prominent African-American pastors from the Detroit area endorsed a proposed amendment to Michigan's constitution to define marriage as only between one man and one woman.

(See HRC letter at:http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Room&CONTENTID=22445&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm)

But Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, responded Wednesday with his own letter, urging Bush to "stand firm with Bishop Butler and other black pastors who speak the truth when they say it's in the best interests of children that marriage should remain only between one man and one woman."

"According to public opinion polls, 76 percent of African-Americans in Michigan agree with Bishop Butler and other black pastors who are urging a 'yes' vote this November for our state Marriage Protection Amendment," Glenn wrote Bush. "Mr. President, we respectfully urge you to flatly reject homosexual activists' demand that prominent voices for the overwhelming majority of African-Americans who support one-man, one-woman marriage be discriminated against and silenced."

HRC's letter took specific exception to six African-American pastors' joint statement in a news conference last October -- inaccurately attributed by HRC to Butler alone -- that the "gay lifestyle...endangers family, children, and the core of society."

"Together, we pastor some of the largest and most influential African-American ministries in the state of Michigan," the statement also said. "We are here today to announce our support of...an amendment to the state constitution...We support the state of Michigan codifying marriage between a man and a woman only." (See full statement at http://www.straightgate.net/marriage_statement10-2003.html)

The statement was co-signed by Butler, Rev. Edgar Vann, Jr., of Second Ebenezer Baptist Church of Detroit, president in 1998 of the 400-member Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit & Vicinity, Bishop Andrew Merritt of Straight Gate International Church of Detroit, Bishop Charles Ellis of Greater Grace Temple of Detroit, Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Greater Faith Ministries of Detroit, and Pastor Marvin Winans of Perfecting Church of Detroit. The six pastors collectively represent roughly 30,000 African-American churchgoers in the Detroit area.

HRC's letter also demanded the removal of a second African-American minister, Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, also scheduled to perform Thursday night. McClurkin was formerly an assistant pastor at Winan's Perfecting Church of Detroit and now is senior pastor to a similar congregation in New York. http://www.donniemcclurkin.com

McClurkin is the NAACP's 2004 "Gospel Artist of the Year" and has performed at the White House for both President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton. http://www.naacpimageawards.net/awards/winners.html

In its letter to Bush, HRC writes that McClurkin "accused gay Americans of 'trying to kill our children' and has called homosexuality a 'curse.' "

Glenn said McClurkin "knows better than most the spiritual, medical, and emotional consequences of homosexual behavior," noting that McClurkin himself struggled for 20 years with homosexual attraction and behavior -- initiated, according to McClurkin, by having been raped at age 8 by his uncle. http://www.cbn.com/700club/profiles/donnie_mcclurkin2.asp

(See full HRC news release below)

--------------------------------------------------

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN Washington, D.C. August 30, 2004

GAY LEADERS CALL ON PRESIDENT TO REJECT INFLAMMATORY SPEAKERS

Anti-gay speakers should not be featured at convention, say Jacques and Robinson

WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign and the National Black Justice Coalition called on President Bush today to repudiate anti-gay speakers at the Republican National Convention. HRC’s Cheryl Jacques and National Black Justice Coalition’s H. Alexander Robinson sent the following letter to the president today:

Dear Mr. President,

As advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Americans, we are writing to you on a matter of grave concern.

We are deeply disturbed to learn that Donnie McClurkin, Sheri Dew and Bishop Keith Butler, who have made deeply offensive comments about GLBT Americans, will be featured at the Republican Convention and we urge you to repudiate their divisive and appalling comments.

Mr. McClurkin, who will be entertaining from the convention stage on Thursday, has accused gay Americans of “trying to kill our children” (“The 700 Club,” Sept. 23, 2003) and has called homosexuality a “curse” (Charisma Magazine, June 2002).

In an article about same-sex marriage, Ms. Dew, who is speaking before the convention on Monday, called for “a comparison between the atrocities of Hitler and what is happening in terms of contemporary threats against the family” (Meridian Magazine).

In talking about the “gay lifestyle,” the Bishop Keith Butler, who is appearing on the convention stage on Thursday, has claimed that it “endangers family, children, and the core of society” (October 2003 press conference).

Mr. President, featuring individuals on the stage of your convention who compare a group of Americans to Hitler and accuse them of killing children is divisive and irresponsible. The American people abhor discriminatory, false and inflammatory language against any group of Americans.

Uniting America comes with helping families, not by promoting those who want to divide us. We urge you to immediately repudiate these comments.

Sincerely,

Cheryl A. Jacques, President Human Rights Campaign

H. Alexander Robinson, Strategic Director National Black Justice Coalition

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

The National Black Justice Coalition is an ad hoc coalition of black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered leaders who have come together to fight against discrimination in our communities.

http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Room&CONTENTID=22445&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm

[coconutt2000]

I don't think gay people understand that gay rights don't exist in fundamentalist islam countries. Homosexuality tends to be a crime punishable by all kinds of horrors, up to and including death.

The right to marry? Does it really seem that important?

[SJSAMPLE]

Actually, Muslims in the Middle East are notorious buggerers. They even have a saying:

Women are for babies.
Men are for pleasure.

Just another part of their sick culture.

[Blood of Tyrants]

The 'Rats are NOT the party of free speech. They are the party of shouting people down and using judicial activism to shut them up.

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[little jeremiah]

Just ran across this - looks like one for the list.

(How you doing with the pinglist, buddy? Is it getting too much? Tomorrow I hope to figure out my computer with the CC guys... Sorry it's taken so long. I'm always overwhelmed.)

[AmericanCheeseFood]

Manoman, the liberal machine really is breaking down now.

AND EVERYTHING IS GOING SWELL!

BUMP

[Rockingham]

I am astounded at how quickly, in the space of but a few years, homosexuals have gone from pleading in mild tones for "tolerance" to vilifying opposition to and opponents of homosexuality. The extraordinary wickedness of the loudest gay advocates includes demands that homosexual predation and recruitment of young boys be accepted, which is the whole point of their insistence that boy scouts and youth church groups admit gays.

This old Roman Catholic sees black churches and churchmen as having many failings, but their mostly stalwart opposition to homosexuality is much to their credit and a sign of the faithfulness of their congregations. Sadly, so many of leaders in the mainline Protestant churches and the American Catholic hierarchy have much to answer for, having become weak in their faith and tolerating sins and vices lest they be thought unfashionable.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

- Homosexual Agenda PING -

They can't...repeat CAN'T...handle having the horrible truths of their lifestyle choice shown to them, so they label it "hate speech". That's their way of avoiding the topic altogether.

Clever trick...unfortunately, more and more level-headed, moral Americans are starting to take a stand against them and their plagues.

Keep on keepin' on folks! We've got 'em on the run, but we're a long way from the finish line

[EdReform]

BTTT

What We Can Do To Help Defeat the "Gay" Agenda

Homosexual Agenda: Categorical Index of Links (Version 1.1)

Myth and Reality about Homosexuality--Sexual Orientation Section, Guide to Family Issues"