Christianity and the Black Church
Temeika Beasley Spruiells
December 21, 2019
In 2014, approximately one hundred ministers and advocates stood with Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage with Stacy Swimp at the helm declaring that gay marriage "would destroy the backbone of our society." Ironically, an overwhelming majority of those who headed the group visibly exceeded the recommended body mass index for a healthy weight. This observation may seem trivial; however, their basis for the argument against homosexuality originates in the Bible. Likewise, abstaining from gluttonous behavior is frowned upon in the text. Still, those who struggle with weight loss are not excluded from worship or degraded regularly using the Bible as the oppressor. Homophobia and bigoted behavior are prevalent in the African American church. Although many contributors to African American gospel music have overwhelmingly been men with male interests, the Black church's ambiguous relationship with same-sex loving individuals exploits the community using selective scriptural usage under the guise of Christianity. As a result, a "don't ask, don't tell" precedent permeates the church and leaves many in the community living double lives, which lead to destructive lifestyles and work against the inclusive ideology of love Jesus discussed as he extended Judaism to all, later evolving into Christianity after his death. Unfortunately, the Bible has been used to support a myriad of views: slavery, capital punishment, and manifest destiny ideas that underpinned the encroachment onto others' land. However, one of the most accepted practices of disenfranchisement using the Bible, outside of slavery, has been the fierce argument against homosexuality (Dade 2012).
Notably, Kim Burrell, a gospel artist, rocked the entertainment world with her statements about homosexuality during the height of marketing for the film Hidden Figures, for which she was a featured soundtrack artist alongside Pharrell Williams. Burrell described homosexuality as "perverted" and a "delusion" (True Exclusives 2016). Furthermore, she declared those "dealing with the homosexual spirit" should "beg God to free" them. If they did not do this, the result would be death in 2017 (True Exclusives 2016). Burrell was upset that a minister told her she could preach but not to "mess with" his "sissies" (True Exclusives 2016). This event reveals the duplicity of a complicated relationship between same-gendered couples and ministerial staff within the Black church. It is clear the minister longed to maintain his status with Burrell by allowing her to preach at his church, while at the same time notifying her regarding the sensitive subject matter concerning his "sissies."
Condemnation of homosexuality stems from two scriptures in the Bible: the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis and Leviticus concerning the Code-of-Holiness. It is rare that a conversation about homosexuality ensues without references to either one of these scriptures to relegate a group of churchgoers to the outskirts of the Black church. In Genesis, Lot had guests—two angels. The men, along with boys, surrounded his house to demand the angels come outside so they could have sexual relations with them. Lot was horrified and offered his daughters in place of the angels. Some argue that this act is the reason for the destruction of the cities, but the angels were already on a mission to destroy the cities before their encounter with Lot and his demanding crew. Moreover, others believe the actions of the members of the cities were wicked because of inhospitable behavior, which is supported in the Talmud by examples of Sodom and Gomorrah's deceptiveness concerning others (My Jewish Learning 2002).
In another case, Leviticus explicitly states, "You shall not lie with a man as a woman; it is an abomination" (Bible Gateway). Noticeably, "lesbianism is not mentioned" (Greenberg 1988), and most clergy within Protestant religions have remained silent on this matter. Also, the term "abomination" (to’evah in Hebrew) used in Deuteronomy refers to forbidden animals, and others attribute the use of the word concerning the lack of procreation potential in same-gendered sex (My Jewish Learning 2002). Sefer Hahinuch, a medieval Jewish text, compares same-gendered sex to marrying a barren woman (My Jewish Learning 2002). Finally, the Leviticus passage is considered the Code-of-Holiness, used to distinguish those "called out" for God from the people in other lands. From this perspective, the behaviors are specifically for the adherents of essential roles within the faith. Overall, there are many discrepancies regarding interpretation. Unfortunately, dogmatic views derived from uninformed arguments isolate members of African American congregations.
Black America Web. 2013. "Donnie McClurkin: 'You Can’t Call Me Homophobic If I’ve Been in Homosexuality.'" Accessed August 13, 2013. https://blackamericaweb.com/2013/08/13/donnie-mcclurkin-you-cant-call-me-homophobic-if-ive-been-in-homosexuality/.
Bible Gateway. "Bible Gateway Passage: Leviticus 18 - New International Version." Accessed December 22, 2019. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+18&version=NIV.
Dade, Corey. 2012. "Blacks, Gays and the Church: A Complex Relationship." NPR. May 22, 2012. https://www.npr.org/2012/05/22/153282066/blacks-gays-and-the-church-a-complex-relationship.
Greenberg, David F. 1988. The Construction of Homosexuality. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.
My Jewish Learning. 2002. "Jewish Views on Homosexuality." https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/homosexuality-in-jewish-thought/.
Ritz, David. 2016. Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin. New York: Little, Brown & Company.
True Exclusives. 2016. "Kim Burrell Bashes Homosexuals | Implies They Will Die in 2017." YouTube. December 31, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT5gpBaFpaw.
Workman, Rick. 2010. "Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It." BBC. December 21, 2010. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wqb5d.