Controversial Remarks about Lesbians Made by DC Minister
There is a lot of controversy in the Washington, DC area related to comments made by Reverend Willie Wilson of Union Temple Baptist Church. Although I have not attended regularly in almost two years or at all in over a year, it is the first and only church that I attended as an adult. That aside...
I was shocked to hear about the comments that he made regarding lesbians. I will not post the comments here. There is a link to an article below that goes into more detail.
As a social worker and as one on the healing path, I find the comments made from Reverend Wilson's pulpit offensive, saddening, irresponsible (even if he was speaking honestly) and...I don't know what else. I am not a lesbian, but I have friendships with others who classify themselves as such. I know many in the black community and society, in general, hold views that people who love people of the same gender and express themselves sexually with those of the same gender are evil, wrong-doing, sinners. Many don't believe that it's morally right, etc. etc. etc. I can't judge anybody... Not a single soul. I can't fault anybody for loving someone with the same genitalia. I just can't.
Wilson's comments were graphic, which I found offensive. His comments were sad because there is still this debate as to whether gays and lesbians should exist on the Earth or not, and he has added to the perception that something is inherently wrong with people who classify themselves as such. People in same sex relationships have always been in the black community. Just about everyone I know has or had a gay relative. There were always gay members of our families. Why are we ostracizing family members? (Is that new? I honestly do not know the history well enough to say yea or nay to that.) How are negative comments towards or about gays and lesbians different from negative comments toward or about someone based on skin color? Not much different to me.
Why irresponsible? I find Wilson's comments irresponsible because as Executive Director of the Millions More Movement everything he does and says represents the movement and those that appointed him to this leadership position within the movement. It's hard to separate the man from the mission. I wonder what Minister Farrakhan will have to say publicly about this. It is also irresponsible because the comments are divisive, and do not promote healing on an individual or collective level. What else is the purpose of a minister but to promote healing?
But, you know,... Reverend Wilson shared his personal beliefs about lesbians. In the past, he made gestures of reconciliation towards the gay community. I think that the gestures of reconciliation he made previously don't mean a hill of beans after he expressed his recent views. It can't...people look for and respect congruence. Maybe he feels that it is his duty as a minister to say what he believes God "says" about the gays and lesbians God made. Since spirituality is such a personal thing, I will leave the "is it right or wrong?" to the individual and God.
Link to article re: Wilson's comments
I was shocked to hear about the comments that he made regarding lesbians. I will not post the comments here. There is a link to an article below that goes into more detail.
As a social worker and as one on the healing path, I find the comments made from Reverend Wilson's pulpit offensive, saddening, irresponsible (even if he was speaking honestly) and...I don't know what else. I am not a lesbian, but I have friendships with others who classify themselves as such. I know many in the black community and society, in general, hold views that people who love people of the same gender and express themselves sexually with those of the same gender are evil, wrong-doing, sinners. Many don't believe that it's morally right, etc. etc. etc. I can't judge anybody... Not a single soul. I can't fault anybody for loving someone with the same genitalia. I just can't.
Wilson's comments were graphic, which I found offensive. His comments were sad because there is still this debate as to whether gays and lesbians should exist on the Earth or not, and he has added to the perception that something is inherently wrong with people who classify themselves as such. People in same sex relationships have always been in the black community. Just about everyone I know has or had a gay relative. There were always gay members of our families. Why are we ostracizing family members? (Is that new? I honestly do not know the history well enough to say yea or nay to that.) How are negative comments towards or about gays and lesbians different from negative comments toward or about someone based on skin color? Not much different to me.
Why irresponsible? I find Wilson's comments irresponsible because as Executive Director of the Millions More Movement everything he does and says represents the movement and those that appointed him to this leadership position within the movement. It's hard to separate the man from the mission. I wonder what Minister Farrakhan will have to say publicly about this. It is also irresponsible because the comments are divisive, and do not promote healing on an individual or collective level. What else is the purpose of a minister but to promote healing?
But, you know,... Reverend Wilson shared his personal beliefs about lesbians. In the past, he made gestures of reconciliation towards the gay community. I think that the gestures of reconciliation he made previously don't mean a hill of beans after he expressed his recent views. It can't...people look for and respect congruence. Maybe he feels that it is his duty as a minister to say what he believes God "says" about the gays and lesbians God made. Since spirituality is such a personal thing, I will leave the "is it right or wrong?" to the individual and God.
Link to article re: Wilson's comments
posted by Blackgold at 7:32 PM
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