Posted on 07/15/2013 9:58:29 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter's House in Dallas was admittedly shocked by the not guilty verdict given Saturday evening in the George Zimmerman case, and broke away from his normal message during the majority of the worship service on Sunday to discuss the case from the church's stage.
Along with a panel of leaders in various professions, including in law and psychological counseling, and who are church members of The Potter's House, Jakes hit on a wide range of issues that the court case with its racial overtones raised.
"I cannot imagine the devastation of this man and woman (Martin's parents), whose son committed absolutely no crime at all, walking down the street on his way to his daddy's house with some Skittles and a soda, and ends up being followed by someone and ends up with an altercation with someone, and never makes it to his destination," said Jakes, near the beginning of his message. "Those parents are left grieving."
Zimmerman, who is half Hispanic and half Caucasian, was acquitted by a Florida jury on Saturday in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen. Shortly after the verdict, which was announced around 10 p.m. ET., civil rights leaders and critics expressed dismay at the verdict.
On Sunday morning, debates about racial profiling, guns, self-defense laws and the equality of justice that came as the result of the shooting in 2012 continued.
"Regardless of what you think should or should not have been done in that trial, and I have to say, I seldom speak out about a case," Jakes said before the panel discussion. "I seldom take time on a Sunday morning to deal with politics or anything else. I am generally silent because I have an obligation as a pastor to bring you the word of God regardless of what is going on in the times … I grappled with whether or not to be saying anything about this. I feel like for the most part that when you come to church you come to get the good news of Jesus Christ.
"But I cannot ignore the obligation that I have to you … it would be disingenuous of me to not tell you quite honestly and quite succinctly that I was stunned, shocked, [and] speechless about the outcome of this trial," he continued. "Maybe it turned out for you just the way you wanted it to, and that's fine. I am not here to change your mind, but what makes this country great is that I have the right to my opinion, you have the right to your opinion."
Jakes said that since the verdict he received more than 100 calls from all over the country from pastors and friends who are in tears as a result of the decision.
"I think it is an oversimplification of the truth to say this is totally about racism," he said. "I think that all people should be concerned. All people of all colors should be concerned."
He suggested that perhaps the media unnecessarily focused its coverage of the trial on race.
"But every parent who has a teenager, who dresses in some stereotypical way, needs to be a little alarmed that we live in a country where if that teenager is followed and ends up in a fight that we have now said it's okay to kill him if you lose the fight," Jakes explained and after pausing said, "…even though you are bigger and older and carrying a gun."
Jakes said that despite the criticism of pastors and Christians in general with associations to national issues, politicians, and political movements, the Church needs to continue speaking the truth of the Gospel.
"We sit there and watch it (injustices) and we don't say anything. I want to get rid of this lynching mentality where we come out and watch people burn up and don't say anything about it, and [instead] bring power to the church, where the church begins to speak up and speak its conviction," he said. "Even if we don't all agree as Christians, that's okay. What's important is that we be heard, that we be considered, that we be reflected upon."
Before ending in prayer, Jakes, who told new guests to the church that they had just witnessed an entirely different service, perhaps the most unique in the church's history, said he was concerned about what the verdict might mean to future cases similar in nature.
"Once you redefine something on the books (law), what happens when a woman is going through a parking garage and somebody follows her? And she's taken some kind of defense training and she tries to defend herself and she gets shot to death," Jakes insisted. "Now we have a case on the books that defends the one who shot them. ... Now you have changed the standard and even if you think it was right in this case, what happens to the precedence that you set for the next case? For someone that has no weapon and tries to fight back, do you get to kill me because I can fight?"
Jakes concluded the service by saying that the Church is in a critical time in history when it's important to accept differences of opinion and at the same time, worship God together despite those differences.
I respect Rev Jakes but here is where he goes wrong. TM was in the process of committing FELONY ASSAULT and possibly ATTEMPTED MURDER.
Once more: where was the “shock” when the OJ verdict was read? BTW, when will TD’s church canonize St. Tray? Will he call for “Hoodie Sunday”?
“Zimmerman, who is half Hispanic and half Caucasian.”
The people who are “against profiling” want you to be sure that Zimmerman “fits the profile.”
“All people of all colors should be concerned.”
What color? People have colors? I want to be green.
This guy is just another race hustling pimp. FUTDJ
The “FACTS” and the “EVIDENCE” (or lack thereof), just don’t matter to these RACISTS. A “supposed” man of God, should promote healing not race baiting.
When you embrace a certain lifestyle, you become a 2-bit punk in school.
When you become a 2-bit punk in school, you think it's funny to write "WTF" on someone's locker.
When you write "WTF" on someone's locker, you get reported.
When you get reported, you get YOUR locker searched.
When you get YOUR locker searched, they find stolen items and burglary tools.
When they find stolen items and burglary tools, you get a long suspension.
When you get a long suspension, your Mother sends you away for awhile to your father's little town.
When you are away in your father's little town, you get bored.
When you get bored, you take long walks through unfamiliar places.
When you take long walks through unfamiliar places, you get spotted and followed by Neighborhood watches.
When you get spotted and followed by Neighborhood watches, you get pissed.
When you get pissed, you start fighting.
When you start fighting, you start winning and feeling good. When you start winning and feeling good, you keep pounding.
When you keep pounding, you get shot through the heart by a concealed carry.
Don't get shot through the heart by a concealed carry.
Don't be a 2-bit punk in school
‘Jakes said that since the verdict he received more than 100 calls from all over the country from pastors and friends who are in tears as a result of the decision.’
HEY JAKEY GET ANY TEARFUL CALLS FROM THE FRIENDS OF MR ZIMMERMAN LAMENTING HIS SOLITARY CONFINEMENT INCARCERTION AND THE SUFFERING SUSTAINED BY AN INNOCENT MAN BEARING A YEAR OF ANXIETY OVER BEING FALSELY CHARGED WITH MURDER. YOU KNOW SONNY IT IS SAID THAT....SYMPATHY FOR THE GUILTY IS A BETRAYAL OF THE INNOCENT...
Jakes has been a Hillary supporter for years.
His take on abortion:
“Go ahead and preach against abortion,” he told his mostly black audience of ministers and lay people.
“But when you get through preaching against abortion, give us some milk up in here, so that we can feed the babies you told us we ought to have.”
The Cincinnati Post 6/13/03
“T. D. Jakes is the American pastor with a net worth of $18 million.”
http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/models/bibi-jones-net-worth/
All the comments by Blacks support him being rich. What can you say to these people? How can they be so BLIND? Race blinds them from all reason.
I would say he went off the rails with the announed candidacy of Obama....but I get your point....I agree. Used to be well respected....right up there with Tony Evans and some other black Pastors with huge followings of all races.
So then assaulting someone and beating his head on the concrete is absolutely no crime at all???
Listening to your racist theology should be a crime.
Is it a church or a political organization?
Isn’t about time we asserted our First Amendment Rights and ended NFP oversight by the IRS?
A simple end to the corporate tax creates a whole lot of liberty.
I have to wonder if Zimmerman was actually following Martin or not as i have not kept up with it all, who was the aggressor?
As far as i am concerned even if Zimmerman was a cop, which he is not as far as i know he would still have no business in hassling some one for just walking down the street, so who made the first move to start trouble?
As far as the verdict is concerned, i accepted the O.J Simpson verdict of not guilty even though it was plain out and out murder.
The only doubt was if Simpson did it or not.
But if the jury has any reasonable doubt of a persons guilt they have the right to base their decision on that doubt, and it is not up to some one else to tell them what is reasonable.
Sometime we do not like the verdict, but is using racism as an excuse for every thing that happens ( even if there may be some truth to it ) going to stop racism?
No way, that is the very thing that will keep it going.
Or he’s being diplomatic and turning this thing from an Obama manipulation, but I repeat myself, into a ‘let’s care about our kids lives’ issue.
I am willing to see how this plays out, but he’s not talking to whites, but blacks on this one.
gimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimme
Wonder if he preaches St Paul’s admonition that if a man will not work, neither should he eat. And also that thing about fleeing fornication?
THHHHphhhttt...any books I have of MR. Jakes will be burned, thank you very much.
“Every teenager...who is followed and ends up in a fight.”
Oh yeah, another fight just happened, like spontaneous combustion; TM had nothing to do with it. Don’t dare teach about making good choices. It might cost you your job as a race pimp.
Pastor Jakes speaks a good word for Jesus, have bought a couple of his videos. But now with this crap I unsubscribed from his email list and will never again go to his site.
Yes we are not to judge, for he may just be another misinformed idiot. But considering his power in the church he shouldn’t make reply without all the facts.
But considering his power in the church he shouldn’t make reply without all the facts.
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