Cross-posted from WhereIStand
From the Washington Post, this story (hat tip: Christianity Today Weblog):
Mayor Anthony A. Williams threatened yesterday to remove a prominent minister from his interfaith council if the minister does not issue a public apology for derogatory remarks he made about gay men during a Palm Sunday sermon last month.
Williams (D), who made his position known at his weekly news briefing, said he had been unsuccessful in trying to contact Bishop Alfred A. Owens Jr., pastor of Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church.
Owens can be heard on an April 9 church recording saying, "It takes a real man to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. I’m not talking about no faggot or no sissy."
The mayor said yesterday: "If you can be shocked, saddened and disappointed all at once, I really am, because I really have to condemn remarks made like that whenever they’re made against any group on the basis of sexual orientation, race, class, ethnicity or anything else."
Williams said he expected public contrition from Owens. "Otherwise, we would have to discontinue that relationship, and I would really regret that because he really has been a great leader in our city."
Now, first of all, while I disagree with homosexuality, I despise the use of the word "faggot" and would hope that we could expunge that from our vocabulary. There’s really no need for just calling names, but there’s a couple questions in this:
But the Rev. Jeffrey Haggray, executive director of the D.C. Baptist Convention, a group of local Baptist churches, said the mayor should not ask Owens to say he is sorry.
"It’s not an elected official’s place to approve or disapprove of the pronouncements of clergy on any topic," Haggray said.
While apologizing for any offense, Bishop Owens fired back:
However, I will not submit my sermons through political filters for fear of recrimination by political or social groups.
On any given Sunday, I preach about love, faith and holiness, and, yes, about hell and sin. For that, I offer no apology.
As well as he shouldn’t and of course, Pastor Haggray is right that the Mayor really has no business in approving or disapproving the Bishop’s sermons. Here’s the point everyone’s missing,why does the District of Columbia have an Interfaith Council?
I found this press release for the appointment of the Interfaith Council in 2002, there are 65 members representing their 35 faiths.
Well, one of the 65 is getting out of line, so off he goes. The idea of this Interfaith Council, appointed at the pleasure of Mayor Williams is a dangerous marriage of church and state, because it creates a religious council whose leaders are chosen by the head of the State.
How many ministers are muzzling themselves so they can hold this distinguished position in the community? Ministerial associations have existed for years and have met with mayors and leaders as independent citizens expressing viewpoints or offering prayer and guidance. This entire idea is repugnant and would leave the Founding Father’s aghast. Whatever the motives, the question of the hour is not why Rev. Owens is being threatened with dismissal from the Interfaith Council for words spoken inside his own church but rather where did the Mayor get off in making himself a supervisor and a judge of churches?
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