Monday, July 30, 2012

Dear First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs

Dear First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs,

I've heard that you recently coerced your pastor not to perform a wedding in your church because the bride and groom were black.  The couple in question, Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson, attended your church regularly and had already finalized plans with the pastor, but you didn't want a black couple's wedding to be performed at your church so the pastor performed the ceremony in another church instead.

As you can imagine, I find your racism to be absolutely disgusting.

The Wilsons have attended your church.  You'll share the Word and break bread with them, but you won't allow them to get married in your church?  Some churches don't perform the ceremony for non-members, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.  Your specific problem seems to be that the Wilsons are black.  And you were willing to eject your pastor from the church entirely to get what you wanted.
"The church congregation had decided no black could be married at that church, and that if he went on to marry her, then they would vote [the pastor] out the church," said Charles Wilson.
I've been made to understand that, within the bounds of Christianity, marriage is a sacred covenant with God.  It's certainly touted as a wholesome and beautiful sacrament.  Why would you not want this good, Christian ceremony to be performed within your church?  Presumably you permit white people to wed there.  So it's only for people of color that this becomes an issue.  Such a grave issue, in fact, that you'd fire your pastor over it.

I would assume that, as Christians, you believe a Christian marriage to be a good thing.  But it's not a good thing when black people do it.  It's such an intolerable abomination that it must not come to pass before your altar, certainly.  I wonder if you realize how intensely hateful you're being or what a hideously racist message you're sending.  No matter how Christian they consider themselves, black people aren't Christian enough to get married at your church.  Generally, the task of Christians is to evangelize, to bring more people to God, to spread the Word, to share the good news of Jesus Christ and His message for us.  Instead, you're turning people away.  Shoving them aside, rejecting them and anyone who supports them.  You're treating them as inherently not good enough to be Christian, too sinful to be cleansed.  Their skin is too dark for you.  Their souls are too dirty for Jesus.

Denying someone's God's love is about as hateful as a Christian can get.

I hope that you come to understand exactly how atrocious your behavior is and exactly how damaging your mindset is.  I hope that you learn to accept all of God's children into your church.  I hope that you learn to love.

I hope that the Wilsons enjoy a very happy marriage.

With love,
Frank Lee

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