Al Sharpton: Churches should focus on social woes, not gay marriage

[FreeState]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/01/churches-should.html

New York activist Al Sharpton is of course the latest to join the Proposition 8 parade. In a speech over the weekend, he questioned why churches that backed the ban on gay marriage aren't focusing on bigger issues such as violence and poverty. From the Southern Voice website:

From the pulpit of Tabernacle Baptist Church on Sunday, Rev. Al Sharpton called out the Mormon Church and other conservative faiths for mobilizing to support Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage in California while refusing to be as involved in any other social concerns.

“It amazes me when I looked at California and saw churches that had nothing to say about police brutality, nothing to say when a young black boy was shot while he was wearing police handcuffs, nothing to say when they overturned affirmative action, nothing to say when people were being delegated into poverty, yet they were organizing and mobilizing to stop consenting adults from choosing their life partners,” Sharpton told a packed audience on Jan. 11.

“There is something immoral and sick about using all of that power to not end brutality and poverty, but to break into people’s bedrooms and claim that God sent you,” Sharpton added.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

1. Al rawwks! nt

[Libertyfirst]

2. Let's put Sharpton's last sentence up in lights somewhere!

[FreeState]

4. Totally agree... that was the best and could be reported over and over n/t

[LibDemAlways]

3. Amen. n/t

[closeupready]

5. Al Sharpton totally gets it.

n/t

[Zuiderelle]

6. Nicely put, Al!

:applause:

[yardwork]

7. Good point. I'd like to know the answer to that, too.

[donco6]

11. Me too. n/t

[DeSwiss]

8. YES!!!

Say it again Al. Over and over....

- K&R!!!

[cecilfirefox]

9. That's my man! nt

[Jamastiene]

10. Thank God for Al Sharpton.

It's good to know there are some civil rights leaders who still know what is right. Thank you, Rev. Sharpton.

[AntiFascist]

12. Just think of how much poverty could have been defeated...

with the money raised for Yes on 8.

[Mike 03]

13. Awesome, he is so right. It's time to move beyond this. We all need to grow up. NT

[awoke_in_2003]

14. k&r. nt

[MadMaddie]

15. Go Al!

Al is absolutely right!

[bluedawg12]

16. He's also going down to Atlanta to support the pro-gay preacher.

He is right and to paraphrase PE Obama, no marriage ever broke up because two people of the same sex were holding hands.

Go Al!