African-American Christians waver over vote - struggle with gay marriage and the Mormon religion

Houston Chronicle ^ | September 16, 2012

[Cincinatus' Wife]

...[Rev. Jamal-Harrison] Bryant [of Baltimore] last month told The Washington Informer, an African-American newsweekly, "This is the first time in black church history that I'm aware of that black pastors have encouraged their parishioners not to vote." Bryant, who opposes gay marriage, said the president's position on marriage is "at the heart" of the problem.

...The circumstances of the 2012 campaign have led to complex conversations about faith, politics and voting.

The Rev. George Nelson Jr., senior pastor of Grace Fellowship Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, participated in a conference call with other African-American pastors the day after Obama's announcement during which the ministers resolved to oppose gay marriage. Nelson said Obama's statement had caused a "storm" in the African-American community.

Still, he said "I would never vote for a man like Romney," because Nelson has been taught in the Southern Baptist Convention that Mormonism is a cult.

As recently as the 2008 GOP primaries, the SBC's Baptist Press ran articles calling the LDS church a cult. This year, however, prominent Southern Baptists have discouraged use of the term when addressing theological differences with Mormonism. Many Southern Baptist leaders have emphasized there are no religious obstacles to voting for a Mormon.

Nelson planned to vote and has told others to do the same. He declined to say which candidate he would support.

"Because of those that made sacrifices in days gone by and some greater than others with their lives. It would be totally foolish for me to mention staying away from the polls," he said in an email exchange.........

[TurkeyLurkey]

Yes, thank you, I should have given a synopsis of it, but I was hoping that people would take the time to watch it first-hand for themselves; as you probably read on that thread, few did.

This is the answer to the dilemma many people have, and race has nothing to do with it, nor politics,nor “religion”—it has to do with morality and choosing the one who will “help a nation provide the best moral soil on which the freedom to believe and disbelieve can actually function”...

He goes on to say that if it is an immoral soil, truth is evicted, and there is no opportunity of having a voice in the market place, in the public arena, in politics, in business—all places where the Chrisitian faith ought to have a voice.

[Iron Munro]

Anyone who thinks blacks in large numbers will abandon Obama is dreaming.

Except for a very few, black skin trumps religion, economic distress, common sense, disgust over Obama’s advocacy of homosexualism, his lying cheating, stealing, his near total incompetence and his four year record of disaster.

Blacks will still vote at least 90% to 95% for Obama.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Here at the edge of the Obama Cliff we all meet — all the “tribes” of America herded together at Socialism’s precipice — facing a decision that will preserve liberty or destroy it. I believe this fact will have us joining together (more than ever before) to turn and face down the socialist machine lead by Obama that has worked so hard to keep us in disarray and fighting each other. It’s time to find our common heritage and join forces to stop him.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Sadly, most people do not go to links. I’m glad I did. I always learn something when I do and am more prepared to address misinformation and fight wrong perceptions being put forth on many issues.

[TurkeyLurkey]

Re: your post #13, Lloyd Marcus’ quote:

The things he describes they struggle with are no different that what any other person who has been touched by Christ struggles with; they are things that must be denied, for Christ told His disciples (followers) AND those who were not followers, but listening and watching, that in order to follow Him they must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Him. Everything we love more than Him must be relinquished for him, in order to follow Him.

The message was rejected by those who did not want to count the cost, but to those who were given to Him, who believed in Him and the truth that He spoke, it set them free, and it sets us free today.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Thank you for going to the link and bringing that message back to this thread.

[TurkeyLurkey]

I am grateful for the opportunity because I think it is an important message that needs to be heard/seen by everyone.

[raybbr]

They aint wavering over anything. They will vote skin color.

[When do we get liberated?]

We must look deep into our souls to see if Mormons are a cult.....But don’t talk about that bunch that still practices slavery, female sexual mutilation and every air hostage event of the last 40 years. That is a religion of peace!

[TurkeyLurkey]

If you are speaking in reference to the video by Zava Zecharias, he is not looking “deep into his soul” to see if Mormonism is a cult, he knows the Word of God.

The issue he speaks of is the deity and sufficiency of Christ. The Trinity and the virgin birth are two other major issues that distinguish cults from orthodox Christianity, or what Jesus Himself teaches, or what the Bible teaches. He is saying this cannot be productively discussed in a general (worldly) forum because of all the baggage (many other added-on doctrines or beliefs) that people have. Thus he is saying, be wise in discussing it.

[Mr. Silverback]

My black pastor is more conservative than most, but still, the forcefulness of his condemnation of the President’s endorsement of gay marriage surprised me a bit. He was on fire and has mentioned it more than once since June.

I really believe there are people out there who will stay home because of this. Of course, I believed in the PUMAs, too, so YMMV.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I believe “When do we get liberated?” is pointing out that many pointing to the Mormon religion do so to deflect from (or just ignore) their overt slobbering excuses for and approval given to Islamic terrorism and sharia law.

[Mr. Silverback]

The bizarre thing is that if Joe Lieberman had gotten the Dem nomination when he ran, he could have counted on about 95% of the black vote, and he doesn’t believe in Jesus. So, a guy who believes different things about Jesus is unqualified, but a guy who doesn’t is just fine? And let’s put aside that they are voting for the nominee of the party of Jefferson, a guy who didn’t believe in the deity of Christ and is often quoted as saying that the preacher has acted against freedom throughout history.

Although the gay/Mormon thing might depress turnout, I think some of this has to do with the fact that unemployment is 14.4 among blacks before you factor in U6, but people don’t want to say Obama screwed up badly for four years, so they say “What? Gay marriage? What the...”

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Very astute! Very interesting.

[Mr. Silverback]

Percentage will be the same, but turnout will be lower.

[Mr. Silverback]

Thanks!

[longtermmemmory]

The coordination of the media this weekend and in particular this morning is staggering.

Romney better go after the media or have some surrogate (ala Gingrich) or a superpac attack the media DRIECTLY and name names.

[Yosemitest]

" African-American Christians waver over vote - struggle with gay marriage and the Mormon religion"

There's no need to waver or struggle.

Those who support homosexuals are against our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
These anti Christ people only bring destruction on us ALL.
I have NO sympathy for homosexuals!

Homosexuality is a "Mark" of disobedience.

It was given by our Heavenly Father to test us
to see ... if we will OBEY our Heavenly Father,
and abide by His commandments, statues, and ordinances.

Someone once asked

"Why are they [homosexuals] all so angry?"

The answer is in the definition of "REPROBATE".

rep·ro·bate \ˈre-prə-ˌbāt\ a. [L. reprobatus, reprobo, to disallow; re and probo, to prove.]

1. Not enduring proof or trial; not of standard purity or fineness; disallowed; rejected.

Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them. Jer. 6.

2. Abandoned in sin; lost to virtue or grace.

They profess that they know God, but in works deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate. Titus 1.

3. Abandoned to error, or in apostasy. 2Tim. 3.

And the reason"why" is given in the Bible.

God has a cure for homosexuals.

But will we OBEY our Heavenly Father?

Our Heavenly Father is clear on the issue.
Either you support EVIL or you DON'T.

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
that thou mayest love the LORD thy God,
and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him:
for he is thy life, and the length of thy days:
that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

You can choose life with Romney, ... or ... death with Obama.

(And I don't even like "Establishment Republican" Romney)_

[ansel12]

There is nothing bigoted about Christians being against the anti-Christian cult of Mormonism.

You can quit attacking Christianity.

[ArrogantBustard]

It is impossible to fathom why the color of Obama’s skin; (which has nothing to do with his heritage as an American) is still the guiding influence for intelligent black voters.

By definition ... for a "black voter", or a "white voter", or a "brown voter", or a "pink with purple polka-dots voter" skin colour is all that matters. Such behaviour is racist ... and I dispute the notion that racism and intelligence in any way go together.

Someone who is a racist voter is NOT also an intelligent voter.