A 1300-member coalition of African-American pastors are calling on blacks to boycott President Obama and sign a petition demanding the administration withdraw support for gay marriage, the Washington Examiner reported Friday.
“The black church has always been the conscience of America, and
today we are calling on black pastors and black Christians to withhold
support from President Obama until he corrects course,” Rev. William
Owens, president of the Memphis-based coalition, said on Friday.
The Coalition of African-American Pastors had requested a meeting
last month with the administration to discuss the issue, but says it was
snubbed by Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder.
“By embracing gay marriage, President Obama is leading the country
down an immoral path,” Owens added. “Some things are bigger than the
next election."
In May, Obama announced that he was reverting to his 1996 position supporting gay marriage.
In 2004, however, he said that "marriage is between a man and a woman."
In 2008, Obama said he supported civil unions, but opposed gay marriage, and in 2010, he said his position was "evolving."
Even though Obama now supports gay marriage, the Washington Examiner
notes that the President never suggested "he would push for a federal
mandate allowing same-sex marriages to take place."
The group also called on the African, Methodist and Episcopal Church
to denounce Obama's support of gay marriage, but Paul Bedard wrote that
"seems unlikely since the AME Church Convention, which met in Nashville last week, had first lady Michelle Obama speak."
The coalition supports African-American pastors who believe marriage
should be between a man and a woman, and has started an online petition
in hopes of changing Obama's mind. That petition can be seen at 100000signatures4marriage.com.
"We were once proud of President Obama," Rev. Owens said, "but our pride has turned to shame.”
