From the Chicago Trib: Local reverend defends Obama on same-sex marriage.
The leader of President Barack Obama’s former church in Chicago has come out against statements by other African-American clergy who condemned the president’s endorsement last week of same-sex marriage.
The Rev. Otis Moss III, the senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, read a letter to his congregation on Sunday defending Obama and the quest for marriage equality.
“The institution of marriage is not under attack as a result of the President’s words. Marriage was under attack years ago by men who viewed women as property and children as trophies of sexual prowess,” he said, drawing applause from the audience. “Marriage is under attack by low wages, high incarceration, unfair tax policy, unemployment, and lack of education.”
“Gay and lesbian citizens did not cause the economic crash, foreclosures, and attack upon health care,” Moss said. “Poor underfunded schools were not created because people desire equal protection under the law. We have much work to do as a community, and to claim the President of the United States must hold your theological position is absurd. He is President of the United States of America not the President of the Baptist convention or Bishop of the Sanctified or Holiness Church. He is called to protect the rights of Jew and Gentile, male and female, young and old, Gay and straight, black and white, Atheist and Agnostic.”
The article can be found here. Additionally, video of the pastor can be found on youtube here as well.
This is a wonderful man. If the world were full of tolerant, intelligent people like him, I can't imagine that there is anything we couldn't accomplish. I've never been to church in my life, but I'd go see this man speak. I don't care that our religious views are different, I have to respect anyone who take their beliefs and analyze them, and work to apply them to their life instead of just parroting whatever they hear around them or what is told to them. We should all aspire to have such tolerance and compassion.
I can't encourage you enough to go watch the video, whatever your religion or political views. It was nothing short of absolutely amazing, and literally brought me to tears.
The Rev. Otis Moss III, the senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, read a letter to his congregation on Sunday defending Obama and the quest for marriage equality.
“The institution of marriage is not under attack as a result of the President’s words. Marriage was under attack years ago by men who viewed women as property and children as trophies of sexual prowess,” he said, drawing applause from the audience. “Marriage is under attack by low wages, high incarceration, unfair tax policy, unemployment, and lack of education.”
“Gay and lesbian citizens did not cause the economic crash, foreclosures, and attack upon health care,” Moss said. “Poor underfunded schools were not created because people desire equal protection under the law. We have much work to do as a community, and to claim the President of the United States must hold your theological position is absurd. He is President of the United States of America not the President of the Baptist convention or Bishop of the Sanctified or Holiness Church. He is called to protect the rights of Jew and Gentile, male and female, young and old, Gay and straight, black and white, Atheist and Agnostic.”
The article can be found here. Additionally, video of the pastor can be found on youtube here as well.
This is a wonderful man. If the world were full of tolerant, intelligent people like him, I can't imagine that there is anything we couldn't accomplish. I've never been to church in my life, but I'd go see this man speak. I don't care that our religious views are different, I have to respect anyone who take their beliefs and analyze them, and work to apply them to their life instead of just parroting whatever they hear around them or what is told to them. We should all aspire to have such tolerance and compassion.
I can't encourage you enough to go watch the video, whatever your religion or political views. It was nothing short of absolutely amazing, and literally brought me to tears.