Never in a “million years” did Robert Renix think he would find a Baptist church that would accept someone like him: a black Baptist gay man. Never mind one that would allow what happened one Saturday last month, when a tuxedo-clad Renix stood in front of the pulpit at Covenant Baptist Church in Anacostia, exchanging vows with his partner, Antonio Long.
It didn’t turn out to be that simple, though.
About 140 members jammed into the fellowship hall a few weeks later for a tense meeting about the recent decision of Covenant co-pastors Dennis and Christine Wiley to conduct same-sex union ceremonies. Some expressed their opposition through Bible verses, saying they were worried that Covenant was getting a reputation as a “gay church.” Others wept as they defended the Wileys, said people who were there.
“I don’t care who does it in their bedroom with whom,” said Yvonne Moore, a longtime member who left the church over the same-sex ceremonies. “But don’t bring that foolishness into my church.”
Other heterosexual church members defend the Wileys and their actions. “It’s never been a traditional church,” said Jeffrey Canady, a lifetime member who lives in Takoma Park. “That’s the beauty of the church. It has always been at the forefront of change.”
The split reflects a tug of war that is developing between a few black churches willing to welcome gays and black denominations that consider homosexuality a sin.
“Some expressed their opposition through Bible verses, saying they were worried that Covenant was getting a reputation as a “gay church.” Others wept as they defended the Wileys, said people who were there.”
That says it all; one side quotes Holy Scripture. The other side emotes and weeps. And therein lies the foundation for each’s theology.
That phrase about what goes on in someone’s bedroom is unimportant or not anyone else’s business is part of the individual rights mentality gone bezerk. According to historians of medicine and illnesses Gays bringing AIDS to this country from Haiti a few decades ago came damned close to destroying our blood supply and ability to do blood transfusions. As it was huge numbers of hemophiliacs died because the blood parts they needed from so many pints virtually guaranteed they would get AIDS.
And, according to demographics in Europe it is what is going on in bedrooms that is a large part of the reason Europe is turning into Eurabia as Christians there stifle life and European Moslems rejoice in creating life.
Our ancestors rightly knew that what goes on in a community in the area of sex can have more effect than a nuclear bomb on that community’s future.
It is amazing how modern culture can be so smart in so many areas and yet have turned so supremely ignorant in some “old-fashioned” areas.
The Catholic Church accepts gays the same way it accepts murderers, rapists, adulterers, bank robbers, people who curse in the check-out line on their cell phones and people who enter rooms without knocking.
The RC does not accept people who curse on their cell phones whilst in the check out lines. The Pope has declared anathema on them and given all mankind permission to punch their idiot noses at each occurrence. Larry