Court Strikes down NC Marriage Amendment | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Late in the day on Friday, 10/10/2014, the Federal Court handed down its decision over the NC Marriage Amendment, adopted with great angst a couple of years ago.

    The Amendment was a Conservative attempt to ban gay marriages in NC. During the campaign to adopt it, no less than Dr. Billy Graham was pulled out of his Parkinson's wheelchair as a supporter of it. I would not expect him to take any other stance with his conservative religious outlook. He would use Paul's outlook that the end of times was near and people should not marry, BUT, if it were a matter of lust causing one to sin, it was necessary for purity. Paul said nothing actually about gay marriage, but his attitude of purity was more than strong.

    If you turn to Jesus, he said NOTHING. Many conservative Christians want to claim Jesus was a Jew and the Torah prohibits same-sex relations and defines them as "sin," but Jesus did not address the subject whatsoever. In Jesus' day homosexuality was present. Roman soldiers thought nothing about shacking up with a young boy or man in their garrison in Jerusalem and tents across the Holy Land. Women in harems of the land satisfied their love with other women, but Jesus said NOTHING. If he had addressed the issue, none of us know exactly what he would have said. Jesus' words of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" apply. In other words, the matter of human RESPECT one for another is crucial to being part of the Kingdom of God.

    I note the United Church of Christ (UCC) was the main complainant for the lawsuit. A few years ago their national meeting adopted a statement affirming gay unions. On the other side, Southern Baptists have been more than outspoken over the "sin of homosexuality." That Denomination has become more than Conservative since the 1970's "Battle for the Bible." The Conservatives among Baptists in NC have now dis-enfranchised any church in NC which ministers to or in any way affirms homosexuality. Their Financial Policy adopted in the 90's states that such churches sending money to the NCBSC will have it returned. A church in Kannapolis, NC, was the first to feel the wrath of exclusion. They were accused of letting 2 men into membership who lived under the same roof. It "appeared to be" a gay relationship, but no one in that church was judging nor forbidding them from membership! They both sang in the choir, no less. A few families left in disgust and filed a complaint with the local Baptist Association. That Association made a formal vote to exclude the church over "appearances."

    Beaufort County is unique in its religious denominations. It is the only county in NC I know which has a predominance of the Church of Christ. Otherwise, Baptists are the most numerous church all over this state. I was an Insurance Representative for Ministers Life Insurance Company working all of Eastern NC from my office in Rocky Mount. My first trip to the Belhaven Baptist Church minister showed me there were virtually no Baptist churches between Washington FBC and Belhaven along Highway 92. The only other Baptist church is off the road and barely visible in my journey. It was a "strange coincidence" to me as a "citizen of the SE" in GA/SC/NC experience.

    I would say we have a "different set of churches" here. There is NO BAPTIST CHURCH in Bath! We have the oldest church in NC with St. Thomas Episcopal. The other churches here are Methodist / Church of Christ / and 2 interdenominational worship groups.

    Here in Bayview we have 3 retired ministers. One is Methodist, another is Episcopalian, I am Baptist. We have a good number of dedicated church families. In days of yore the Mayo clan went down to the Bath Community Church and held Sunday School for all the nieces and nephews, all Baptist. Baptists seem to think you might go to perdition if you are not in church every Sunday --- so the Mayos were not taking any chances!

    As I stated above, Jesus said NOTHING about homosexuality. Baptists say plenty these days. It is no surprise NC went for the Marriage Amendment by a majority vote. It is another thing in a nation established on "all men created equal and having inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Anyone reading our Constitution is hard pressed to think we should still have slaves and exclude any same-sex rights in the United States of America.

    On a personal level I am opposed to the homosexual lifestyle. It is replete with child molesters and pedophiles. It tends to be outlandish in California and especially in San Francisco where I visited in the 70's. Atlanta, where I grew up, has it displayed at Piedmont Park and the Buckhead section of affluence and arts. It tends to be more present where artists and singers prevail. In Orlando the First Baptist Church has a problem between its conservatism and the well-paid Disney artists wanting to join.

    I talked years ago with a sad young man who got excluded from the N. Myrtle Beach Baptist Church. He was more than distraught over a deacon friend threatening to "out" him should he walk down the aisle and ask to join. That young man was a Presbyterian Minister's son who got disowned by his Preacher father over his sexual "perversion." For him it was an honest outlook over who he really was. For the religious relatives and friends he was a "pervert."

    To be called a "pervert" is strong and judgmental.

    In every southern place I pastored there was a strange dichotomy of outlook. People knew and loved the organist who was "swishy", but accepted his talent --- ignoring the feminine side. They talked behind his back, but did not make it an issue as it has become in recent years. I have a teen boy who is now grown and living in New Orleans. He just got married to his partner this year, but had to go to NYC for the ceremony. Even in wild N.O., marriage is banned in Louisiana. They have a bunch of Baptists in that state! I counseled with him in his college angst over his sexual identity. Despite my encouragement to be the man he was becoming, he chose the other lifestyle. He is still affirmed by me despite my Baptist "official position."

    I would say we have a problem in Beaufort County. The very denomination which sued and won last night is in predominance here. Their "official policy" affirms same-sex unions in a "thou shalt not marry" conservative County in the gay-bashing South. The policy of the UCC is "progressive." The hate toward Gay couples and individuals is fierce.

    Shall we be "progressive" or "conservative" on this matter? That is for you to decide.