occurred. A signing ceremony for D.C.’s same-sex marriage law and a blizzard
that blanketed the Northeast and left everyone in the capital physically isolated
except for the almost-too-frequent weather updates on TV and radio. Ironically,
the two events bore a strange similarity.
Their similarity was the level of local
media coverage along with the real sense of isolation that most citizens felt.
We either trust in both these situations that “big brother” is looking out for
us or we become concerned and questioning.
Concerning the snowstorm, my
one-year-old, 4-wheel drive proved to be a great investment. I was at the mercy
of no one. Owning a vehicle like this left me feeling in control and safe
despite the 15 plus inches that fell around my apartment. Concerning the city
council decision, thousands of people like myself felt that they were simply at
the mercy of the city government. Although I had no immediate vehicle to
ride like the one I referenced concerning the snowstorm, the feeling of
helplessness was only temporary. I reminded myself that even though DC
sometimes runs like a banana republic or third world jurisdiction, the
democratic process has built in checks and balances available for the people.
After the signing ceremony, several
television stations asked me the obvious questions: How did you feel? What
are your next steps? The first question was easy to answer. I felt that the
people of the District had been disenfranchised and that the biggest real
losers in this political drama could possibly be the children of the next
generation. I was not upset or angry, but I was definitely disappointed in the
leadership of the city. Intellectually, I was not surprised. Emotionally, I was
appalled at the cynical staging of the signing. It was more like a public
relations stunt. Holding the signing in a church when the council, with the
exception of Marion Barry and Yvette Alexander, had ignored the voices of both
prominent African-American churches and the powerful Roman Catholic Archdiocese
seemed disingenuous at best.
During his campaign the mayor visited
the Missionary Baptist Conference of the D.C. and Vicinity, where he told them
that he did not have a pastor or attend church on any regular basis. So why did
this mayor feel compelled to grace the doors of a church? Was it just
political grandstanding? Most people think so. They feel that this move
had been scripted by gay marriage activists who still are not sure whether the
measure will be overturned by Congress or a referendum.
I could not help but think of the
hypocrisy of the city council that had the audacity to call their new law, D.C.
Marriage Equality and Religious Liberty. This terminology has
become the typical way such laws are introduced around the country. The
proponents of same-sex marriage laws attempt to minimize it.
The proposed law gives anything but
religious liberty. For Bible-believing congregations, the law undermines the very
foundational concept of marriage. In fact thousands of people around the city
found the gesture and symbolism of using a church as being the ultimate insult.
It is obvious to anyone who has just cursorily looked at it. Naturally, the
lawmakers cite 200 hundred clergy (many from the same churches) as a sign that
there is some kind of major debate over marriage in Christian circles. Nothing
could be further from the truth.
The words of Pastors Dennis and
Christine Wiley of Covenant Baptist Church printed in the Sunday Washington
Post tell the true story of religious freedom and same-sex marriage in D.C.
“Our church is the first and only
traditional black church in the District of Columbia to perform same-sex
unions. We conducted our first two union ceremonies, one gay and one lesbian,
in the summer of 2007. The rapid political developments that followed in our
nation and our city have made us optimistic that by the summer of 2010,
same-sex nuptials will be not only blessed by churches such as ours, but also
sanctioned by law in the District.”
In the folklore of our city, especially the church
community, they remember the days that Bishop McCollough of the United
House of Prayer had enough clout to come out of his prayer closet and give a
midnight endorsement that changed the direction of a city-wide election –
placing David Clarke into council chairmanship. Others remember that the
city council wanted to move the Bible Way Church from their prominent New York
Avenue location by invoking imminent domain. After Bible Way Church, who were
also the local organizers of Martin Luther King, Jr’s 1963 March on Washington,
fasted and prayed, the city suddenly repented of its actions and decided to
create what is now known as the Bible Way bend that takes commuters onto
I-395.
The lesson the church must take from
the boldness of the city council is that we must be prayerful activists. In a
democracy, both are needed.
What’s next?
The Mayor’s action last Friday is
not the final word – the issue is far from over. Congress has final say over
D.C.’s laws. The bill must pass a 30-day period of Congressional review.
These are legislative days, mind you, which are days when the bodies are in
session. Therefore, the law will probably not come into full force until some
time in March.
In the meantime, Stand4MarriageDC and other groups intend to take this issue to the people and fight for their
right to vote just like the voters in 31 other jurisdictions.
Further,
we believe that the majority of citizens of the people of D.C. do not support
same-sex marriage. We believe that our day will come when the people of D.C. will
vote to affirm marriage as between one man and one woman. It’s easy for
you to help – go to Stand4MarriageDC.com to learn more.
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