GOP Sees a Future in Black Churches -LAT

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON — Black conservatives who supported President Bush in 2004 and gained new prominence within the Republican Party are launching a loosely knit movement that they hope will transform the role African Americans play in national politics.

The effort will be visible today at the Crenshaw Christian Center, one of Los Angeles' biggest black churches, headed by televangelist Frederick K.C. Price. More than 100 African American ministers are to gather in the first of several regional summits to build support for banning same-sex marriage — a signature issue that drew socially conservative blacks to the Republican column last year.

Before the meeting, one prominent minister plans to unveil a "Black Contract With America on Moral Values," a call for Bible-based action by government and churches to promote conservative priorities. It is patterned loosely on the "Contract With America" that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich used 10 years ago to inaugurate an era of GOP dominance in Congress.

A separate group with ties to Gingrich will announce a similar "Mayflower Compact for Black America" later this month in Washington, which includes plans to organize in key states ahead of the 2006 and 2008 elections. And at the end of the month, the Heritage Foundation will cosponsor a gathering of black conservatives in Washington designed to counter dominance of the "America-hating black liberal leadership" and to focus African American voters on moral issues.

http://www.latimes.com/la-na-pastors1feb01,0,1673639.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[burythehatchet]

1. I hope they hold out for top dollar

[htuttle]

2. The Moonies have gotten over 100 of them to tear down their crosses...

...and replace them with a Moonie crown.

Most conservatives have no idea this is going on, btw.

[skypilot]

3. This may sound terribly cynical but...

....as a black man I've suspected for a little while now that certain segments of the black clergy are going to start falling all over themselves to show their holier than thou-ness to the GOP in hopes of getting their hands on some of that Faith-Based Initiave money. Gay marriage is the perfect thing for them to rally against because the homophobia in the black church dovetails nicely with their ambitions. It's getting really sickening.

[Rose Siding]

6. Yet it's bringing others together beyond that narrow agenda...

This "rift" lasted many decades and now there's a new unity:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1193393

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Four black Baptist groups whose churches were a training ground for prominent civil rights leaders, but split partly over how that fight should be waged, said Friday they were embarking on a new era of cooperation meant to put the concerns of their community atop the national agenda.
...
Like white evangelicals, black Baptists generally oppose abortion and consider gay sex immoral. In the presidential race, Republicans made common cause with some black leaders over blocking gay marriage, hoping the issue would chip away at the overwhelming black support for Democrats.

However, the Baptist presidents said they would not highlight either issue for now because the topics are divisive and not a priority for their members, who face poverty, discrimination and other pressing ills.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, during a keynote speech, asked the audience if any of their churches had fielded requests to perform same-sex weddings. When there was no visible response among the thousands packed into a cavernous hotel ballroom, he wheeled around the podium and shouted, "Then how did that get in the middle of our agenda?" People stood and cheered.

[asjr]

7. What I do not understand is why blacks would

support Republicans. The Repbs. did not want civil rights. After so many years of persecution of blacks why would they want to. I know many people in this country do not want gays to have rights. For me it comes down to "All men are created equal." Gays are going through what the blacks fought for so many years. I remember Selma, Birmingham, the police beating men and women. It was sickening. The same thing is going on now about gay men and women. Sometimes I think this country has no heart.

[Norquist Nemesis]

12. Don't forget about Affirmative Action as recently as

December 2003. Bush came out against the Michigan university admission system.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/03/31/scotus.affirmative.action.advance/
In a January speech outlining his position, President Bush labeled Michigan's approach "divisive, unfair and impossible to square with the Constitution."

A number of conservative groups, as well the state of Florida and a law professors' organization also support the students.

On the other side, a broad coalition of groups -- from much of corporate America, to civil rights activists, and a coalition of retired military leaders have weighed in on the university's behalf.

He didn't like the SCOTUS ruling.

[hector459]

13. Some blacks didn't want civil rights.

Some thought MLK was a trouble-maker and uppity. Many blacks in the north east were fairly comfortable with their life (not really knowing any better) and did not want the sourthern blacks disrupting their lives. They believed that the mover across the south would have blow-back from northern whites who would be threatened...and they were right about the blow-back. All you have to do is look at public education and neighborhoods to know that most whites, north and sourth, liberal or conservative did not want integration, equal opportunity, or affirmative action.

[KittyWampus]

23. Perhaps Cause They Don't Realise After Exterminating Gays The GOP

will then go after Blacks and then of course the Jews.

After all, when your methods of seizing and holding power relies upon dividing people up and causing hatred... you have to constantly look for a new group to call enemy.

[VegasWolf]

26. Sorry to say, that's acient history. Follow the money trail. Faith

based bribes to pastors to bring in repuke votes.

[Megahurtz]

28. Simply because these churchgoers

think that Bush is a Christian, just because he SAYS he is.

[renaissanceguy]

9. As an African American....

why do you feel that these churches and many black leaders are resisting the gay movement? Why don't they see it as a civil rights movement? Is it because they don't see African Americans as being gay? Or is it something else?

I've never understood why....

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14741193

[skypilot]

11. I really can't get my mind around it.

Some blacks just don't see--and don't want to see--gay rights as a civil rights issue. I swear I think that some of them think that the black community has a copyright on the words "civil rights" after the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties. I think it's part of the holier than thou thing. Some blacks think that homosexuality is something that they can always look down their noses at and give themselves a sense of moral superiority and any civil rights struggle having to do with the gay community somehow taints the memory of the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties. Some in the black community also see homosexuality a some kind of "white man's decadence" that he has somehow passed on to blacks.

[TahitiNut]

20. There's a very real human tendency ...

... to perpetuate the very conditions under which one is successful. Who wants to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?

I've seen this in business very often. Some people get their "Hero" badges dealing with chaos. These same people seem to be very resistant to the implementation of processes and procedures that reduce or eliminate chaos. Some people get "Hero" badges dealing with emergencies. I've seen them fomenting conditions that give rise to emergencies. Some programmers get their "Hero" badges doing "emergency maintenance" on systems. I've seen these very same programmers supporting systems design approaches that increase the system's dependencies on constant tweaking and maintenance.

There are government contractors who make billions from the need to clean up radioactive waste. It's amazing how little waste they actually clean up. As long as the problem exists, they make money. When the DOE gets tired of writing one company's name on the checks, they switch contractors - but the same people migrate to the other company and the tune remains the same.

I sometimes think of this as the "March of Dimes" syndrome. The "March of Dimes" originated to fight polio. Along came Salk and Sabin. The "March of Dimes" had to find a different objective or merely go out of existence. They settled for organizational "survival." I'm not aware of any power structure in human history that has ever been established to overcome a problem ... and that also gone out of existence when that 'problem' was solved. Indeed, it often seems that the power structure resists the elimination of the problem.

Any organization morphs into something which places its own perpetuation above all other priorities, even honesty, integrity, or human life.

I'm not at all sure that the motivation is conscious. While I don't doubt that some are sometimes consciously undermining an approach they "don't feel comfortable with," I don't think they realize that their "comfort" comes from familiarity - i.e. better the devil you know than any unknown.

I have little doubt that people in the black "community" who've achieved a level of material success even more difficult for blacks to attain in this society possess these same attitudes and orientations - and not at all necessarily maliciously.

[realFedUp]

14. Democrats haven't emphasized that this is a civil rights issue first

Certainly, any church has the right to
bless anyone's union, but this really
is a civil rights case and should go
to the Supreme Injustices soon.

Maybe civil rights don't mean anything anymore....

[ElectroPrincess]

19. I think the answer, in part, lies with the individual's

socioeconomic status.

Once behind the walls of these wealthy gated-communities, someone's race is not notable in the club house. The only color these people see is the accumulation of the mean green.

That's what makes our present society so troubling and Karl Rove's tactics pure genius. You put someone of color who's right wing in a position of power KNOWING that the white liberal representative will be frightened to stand up to them lest they be termed racist.

What makes the situation even more sad is that some people of color are swayed by this ploy. I blessed to have a friend in my neighborhood who's black but she is far more to the right on the political spectrum than me.

It's sad that I've observed the FEW black families in my neighborhood, while still connected to their culture, friends and family of color, have developed a more conservative outlook.

We all should have great respect for wealthy liberals of any background or race because once you reach the Upper Class, the temptation to horde one's wealth is almost irresistible.

[yellowcanine]

29. They are reading Leviticus literally - what they don't realize is that

white racist preachers used the Old Testament to justify all kinds of discrimination against African Americans - and the South African white racist preachers used the OT to justify apartheid as well. Of course it is completely inconsistent to use Leviticus to condemn gay and lesbian lifestyles and ignore the rest of what is there, including stoning disobedient children and women caught in adultery, etc.

[GOPFighter]

21. That's been my fear all along...

...in fact I think this was the primary reason Bush pushed the Faith-Based initiative.

[Gman]

4. This will REALLY help the GOP with Blacks...

“He said he (Bush) didn’t know nothing about it, and he’ll deal with the legislation that comes before him,” Rep. Jackson told RAW STORY.

--regarding the 2007 renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=13

[jackster]

5. remind them Bush isn't familiar with the 1965 Voting Rights Act!!!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x312197

[NYYFan]

8. Not my black church

My pastor does not agree with anything the administration comes up with, and sees this in-roads attempt for exactly what it is- a con to gain black support.

[renaissanceguy]

10. Good.

I'm glad that there are still churches with their heads screwed on.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues/466053

[NewYorkerfromMass]

15. Spread the word

preach it in fact. It is the gospel truth.
They are buying their support.

[readmylips]

16. Study Black American History...this is not new..

Through out American history, blacks place themselves in a chasing situation. Chasing political power, chasing the American dream, instead of creating it like the Jews and the Cubans have done.

Their leaders always fall on their faces, are jailed, dishonored or murdered. Their unity never jells. To follow the American dream, they must cling to the party in power and as of now, the party for many years to come is the republican party. This will be a new venture for American blacks and again, they will fall on their faces.

The best history class I took in college was Black History. I was the only white person in the class.

[tom_paine]

17. They are going to use the same tactics the used to enslave White America

1) Purchase the loyalty of several Paid Propagandists who will be funded with bushevik Monies to ensure continuing loyalty.

(see Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson on this Bushevik PayKorps for African-American sellouts...though I'll bet Jesse Lee doesn;t have to worry about where his next meal is coming)

2) Use market-tested propaganda and lies, to be repeated by these corrupt Busheviks time after time after time, until, as with other segments of Imperial Amerika, people just throw their hands up and the Liars Win.

I have absolutely no doubt that the Busheviks are going to mastermind this as they have done before.

The question is, will African-Americans, so sensistive to Right-Wing bullshit since it was onl 40 years ago the Busheviks were burning and lynching them, fall for it?

Some will, undoubtedly, for Bushevik Goebbels v2.0 is the most powerful propaganda machine evr devised by human beings.

Many won't, but every Totalitarian State like Imperial Amerika requires it's Enemies of the State.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

18. .

[KittyWampus]

22. I Had No Idea How Anti-Gay The Black Community Generally Is Until

Catwoman had me googling one day.

Anti-Gay bigortry is a sickness in American society though... not exclusive to the AA Community.

Although there might be various ways to reach out to different cultural communities.

[JI7]

24. when Kerry was campaigning he got a lot of criticism

from some in the african american community for his support of gay rights, and i remember when one lady was offended when he compared gay rights to the civil rights movement for african americans.

you know when Kerry was getting into the religious talk and about his personal faith ? i believe that was to keep the Black and Latino voters from leaving based on these "moral" issues.

the Republicans had a GOTV effort in churches and other religious institutions. they even targeted conservative Jews and Muslims based on things like abortion rights.

while most of these targeted groups were going to vote democratic largely anyways, in a close race if they could even get a few to vote for Bush it could make a difference.

we really need to do something about this. the right wing lies about Kerry wanting to ban the bible and other similar things ARE effective.

[d.l.Green]

25. Locally, I am the new chair of the Dem party...

(white, male, gay) who won the seat from an ineffective older Black woman who's held the seat for over 10 years. It's been hell as there are all kinds of wackos running around saying the gays are taking over our city. We have a large, Black religious culture here who are very naive, internet-fearing and are believing these rumors. It's a very sticky situation... being attacked already by the poverty pimps, the good ole boy Repugs, and the section8-reliant slumlords. And although the Dems hold a large majority, the candidates fielded by the party have been so bad that Repugs still win some seats. The GOP-Black Church relationship, based on some distractive issue like gay marriage, could be a real threat even in this very liberal Northeast city...

[Kikosexy2]

27. Let the..

bribes begin!

[progressivebydesign]

30. Pardon my ignorance...

I'm not black, but from my experiences working in a predominantly black, large, social organization, and with my black friends and co-workers... could it be the cultural issue of homosexuality that is driving this?

Black gays were very much treated as outsiders in their own communities, and ostracized very harshly by the older black women in the organization I was in. They saw it as a weakness.. (which is ridiculous), and much of the culture I witnessed was about extreme macho behavior, manliness to the point of absurdity. Gays were not a part of that... and were judged harshly, and stuck together and with other gays of other races.

Is it more cultural, than religious?

[rocktivity]

31. Yawn...Consider the source.

And are they sure they want to "focus African American voters on moral issues"? After all, if homophobia counts, surely racism does, too!

:boring:
rocknation

[msmcghee]

32. Racism is so sixties . .

. . the RW doesn't care about skin color - at least not the ones who control the movement. They care about the color of your money. They are willing to embrace any minorities who support their aims.

They realized a decade ago that there's billions of dollars to be made from being in political control of the economy - that silly issues like skin color is irrelevant. It will take us Dems years to figure this out.

Instead of focussing on racism they are simply using the conservative elements that exist in almost every minority culture to attack liberalism. And we keep whining about the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties.

Anybody heard from Tavis Smiley lately?

[skysurfer]

33. Wow

So have black voters become the hated group du jour for some DU-ers? Frankly, I think this article speaks more to the way the GOP targets church-goers in general. The folks profiled might be black but that doesn't change the fact that they are part of a a group that the GOP wants to monopolize for themselves. The Dems have beeen losing with the "church" crowd recently so why are you all so shocked that some black members of the "church" crowd would move in this direction?

I don't understand why some posters are trying to apply this to the black community as a whole. There are people who will vote solely based on their religious beliefs, regardless of the effect on their civil rights or social well-being. This kind of thinking cuts across racial, economic, and all other lines.

As for your comment readmylips, well it's a good thing I have to leave for class or else I'd probably end up being kicked off this board for what I would say to you.