This Reflection on President Obama's announcement that he supports same sex marriage was sent by the named author into African American communities across the USA. At the end of this I share my own thoughts,
SAME SEX MARRIAGE AND PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
The e-mailer writes: Good Evening Family, Friends, and Christians Everywhere,
In an interview Yesterday, President Obama said "I think same sex couples should be able to get married." That statement has people all over the Country talking. We even had a brief discussion during our Bible study at church today where I was compelled to make a point. My comment was this: " We all need to remember that the President took an oath of office to defend the Constitution. He did not take an oath to defend everything that is written in the Bible." Later, I elaborated a bit more: We--Christians, especially the Black Church--need to be careful about being sucked in by groups whose only motive is to defeat this President. Nor should we lose sight of our own needs simply because we disagree with the President on a single issue. Christ never said everyone had to follow him--he gave us free will. Elected government officials whose job it is to serve everybody--Christians and non-Christians--are not likely to do everything by Biblical scripture. On the other hand, Christians look to and expect our church leaders to follow the teachings of the Bible. This is what separates the "Church" and "State." It is mandatory that we help to spread the word that Individuals and groups who are no friend to Black people and other people of color will use us to take down the President; and at the same time would take us back 50 years if they ever got the chance.
Regardless of how you feel about same-sex marriage or homosexuality, just remember that someone will be elected President (your President) in November. The question is simple: Do you think you would be better off with Romney? One other thing, not voting is not the answer either. It would be a tragedy if President Obama did not get re-elected because Black "Christians" got sidetracked by the manipulations of other "so-called" christians with a totally different agenda.
I hope that you will use every opportunity to pass this kind of message on to your friends and family.
Written by Jessie Muse
Mitchellville, MD
My personal reflection on the issue
In America electing Barack Obama as President of this great nation, God granted our desires and answered the prayers of our ancestors. When we elected President Obama, he brought to the White House and to world leadership three generations of African Americans. This was a first for America. Since his inauguration the family has presented themselves to be among the the most moral and ethical First Family we have experienced in many, many years. Commander, Mother and Grandmother in Chief. All are wonderful models not just for African Americans as this position makes them world leaders.
I see President Obama as an answer to prayer and desire in all the complexity that he brings to and presents in his positions on many issues. His victorious run for President answered many prayers of many people. Likewise it brought America together in a way that we had not been together, across economics, race, gender and generations, since the Civil Rights Movement. Unless as Christians, we believe God created all of humanity with the same needs and desires and prays for what we as an individual prays for. How can any ustify such a thought? If someone who is different than me has their prayer answered and it is different than mine, has God then made a mistake?
To yield to the level of thought and acts that placed millions of humans in chattel slavery is foolish. President Obama is a child of a mixed race marriage that was illegal in many states at the time of his birth. The Bible was used to support these laws. He should use the power of his position to support free will on the part of human relationships. The Bible is, has been and will always be used by humans to prove what they they believe and to demean those who are different than themselves. This is not the model that Christ presented for humanity.
President Obama is being challenged by Mitt Romney a man whose own Mormon religious beliefs have seen Blacks as inferior humans unable to ascend to equal status within their church. Giving equal status to sexual minorities does not hurt anyone. It does not say anyone has to marry someone of the same sex, it says he supports this for those who want to. How is this worse than seeing non white people as inferior human beings?
Again, thank you for sharing and hopefully others will think through this and create within a humanity that will lead us to a better more humane world.