Bishop Jackson: Marriage Amendment Presents Political Vote on a Biblical Issue
by Allie Martin and Jody Brown
June 1, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A prominent black Christian pastor is among minority religious leaders calling on the U.S. Senate to approve a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Black and Hispanic church leaders are urging senators to vote for the Marriage Protection Amendment (MPA), which would protect traditional marriage from being redefined. Those supporting the MPA say it is needed to stop judges from legalizing same-sex "marriage," despite the opposition of voters and their elected representatives. The Senate is to debate and vote on the proposed amendment next week.
The proposed amendment (S.J. Res. 1) reads as follows: "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."
Bishop Gerald Glen of the black Pentecostal Church of God in Christ says his denomination's five million members strongly oppose letting courts redefine marriage. And Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, who heads the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Coalition, believes legalizing homosexual marriage would undermine traditional marriage and family life.
Bishop Harry Jackson chairs the High Impact Leadership Coalition and pastors Hope Christian Church in Bowie, Maryland. In interviews with American Family Radio News and Associated Press, Bishop Jackson says while he believes strongly that same-sex marriage is unbiblical, the Senate vote on the amendment is more about politics.
"There are those among us who consider this marriage amendment as nothing more than a Republican scam, if you will; a matter of pandering to their base and kind of throwing a bone to conservative Christians," he offers. "I happen to be a registered Democrat, and I want to say that nothing could be further from the truth."
"Same-sex marriage is not directly addressed in any affirming way by the words of Christ," Jackson continues, "and it is simply spoken against in the Old Testament. And so we need to be true to the sacred scriptures that we hold as the guiding light for our faith."
The Bible, he notes, only blesses sex between a husband and wife. "It's a matter of whether you're a biblical conservative or a biblical liberal," the pastor explains. "By and large, biblical conservatives say that although we accept all people, there seems to be [a biblical] admonition against same-sex unions, especially the concept of [homosexual] marriage."
God Says It's Wrong -- But There's More
Biblical arguments aside, Jackson contends there are other reasons for opposing same-sex unions. "Gay" marriage, he says, would be immoral and unhealthy for society. "We've got, I think, both a biblical lens in which I'm viewing this problem, and a sociological lens," he says. "Something that devalues the institution [of marriage] would take us to an even further level."
In addition, the institution of marriage is already struggling in the black community, he says -- even without it being redefined. "The gay community is well on its way to getting many, many of [the] rights that they want," Jackson says. "I'm simply wanting to protect traditional marriage.
"I'm not against gay people; I'm not trying to bash them per se. I just think that we're in such a terrible situation in my community that I've got to protect the institution." According to Jackson, only 30 percent of blacks are in monogamous married relationships.
The pastor also takes issue with the "civil rights" argument that is put forth by advocates of same-sex marriage. The attempt to redefine marriage, he says, should be not be compared to the fight for black civil rights.
"Gay rights is not an extension of the civil rights movement simply because there's no choice involved in our blackness," Jackson asserts. "I think there is an amazingly militant group of gays who have made it their point to say, 'We're going to be out; we're going to be visible' -- that's their choice."
Bishop Jackson is among a diverse group of religious leaders who comprise the Religious Coalition for Marriage. In late May that Coalition released a statement signed by 50 leaders expressing their support for the proposed Marriage Protection Amendment. Such an amendment, states the letter, "is the only measure that will adequately protect marriage from those who would circumvent the legislative process and force a redefinition of it on the whole of our society." (See related story)
