By Rev. James Anthony Morris, 10th Episcopal District
I mostly agree with the Statement until this sentence, “God may be using this election and our foes to force us to turn back to Him, repent, and think.”
I sit on the boards of directors of my local Arts Council and the largest Rotary Club in my area, with clergy, and I lie on the other side of the political spectrum. These persons believe that God did “use this election for their foes to turn back to Him, repent, and think.” They believe that divine intervention occurred in response to their prayer vigils and the sermons of their clergy.
Also, you missed the mark on the anti-female in leadership thought and theology. Many men, black and white, especially Pentecostal, Evangelical, Southern Baptist, and Black Baptist, do not believe in woman leadership. The same bible that we use tells them it’s wrong! The often quote I Corinthians 14:34: “Women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak but should be subordinate, as the law also says.”
The woman’s race, creed, or color doesn’t matter. Whether Hillary Clinton, Vice President Kamala Harris, Shirley Chisholm, Nikki Haley, Carly Fiorina, or Geraldine Ferraro, a majority of men in these denominations do not support a woman as President of the United States. You can go to YouTube and witness Black and White pastors, preachers, Overseers, Bishops, and Religious Influencers denouncing Kamala Harris. These same people were denouncing Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Finally, your list of “Why haven’t Democrats” is too exhaustive for me to address in this post. However, you left out, “Why hasn’t the Black Church?”
We are where we are because we
said to the Lord; “Now make us a king to judge us like all the nation”1 Samuel 8:5. Instead of seeking the Lord, we have always sought to be like our historical oppressors.
I agree. I’ve preached and written about this, but this is not the scripture the Bishops used in their statement.
Do not give into dispair and distress amid trials and tribulation. The next four years gives us an opportunity to pause, reflect, and renew our efforts toward justice, equity, and equality.
The next four years will give us more than that! However, we black folk have seen and experienced this before.
Amen
Thank you for reading and commenting. Blessings!
Thank you for the Amen.