Black wedding banned by Baptist church

[kpete]

CRYSTAL SPRINGS, MS (WLBT) -


It was to be their big day, but a Jackson couple says the church where they were planning to wed turned them away because of race.

Now, the couple wants answers, and the church's pastor is questioning the mindset of some of members of his congregation who caused the problem in the first place.

They had set the date and printed and mailed out all the invitations, but the day before wedding bells were to ring for Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson, they say they got some bad news from the pastor.

"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 him out the church," said Charles Wilson.

http://www.fox19.com/story/19125864/black-wedding-banned-by-baptist-church
VIDEO:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/27/white-baptist-church-in-missouri-bans-black-wedding/

[nolabear]

1. As I said on FB, I am getting too damn old for this.

Having grown up in MS I have an abiding interest in living to see it lose its reputation as the bastion of bigotry in this country. It does have much to love, but this is just madness. Madness!!

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. horrible.

[nc4bo]

3. Read the story didn't pick up the where.

scrolled back up, found where and now I'm definitely unsurprised.

Xian Fundie bigots and this so called representative of the great one up there are actually doing a better job representing the other great one, down there.

Congregation should kick out the shepherd then give walking papers to those who don't wish to follow true Christianity.

Clean house.

OMG.

[guneydomuz]

4. The pastor showed a whole bunch of courage

Last edited Sat Jul 28, 2012, 04:40 AM - Edit history (1)

by backing down and holding it another church.

Nice job in pandering to the racists in your flock.

Reason number 1,476,785,091,543 why religion sucks.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

6. He should have defied the congregation

Performed the ceremony and then resigned rather than stay in such a place.

[Kennah]

51. I agree, except stick around and make them fire you

[notadmblnd]

13. Says something about the pastor doesn't it?

instead of standing up to bigotry, he bows to the pressure of his congregation because he thinks losing it would be a too high of a price to pay.

[CreekDog]

29. They're going to fire him anyway

Given the combination of fundy and Baptist...the fact that he didnt feel the same hate filled spirit they did means his days are numbered.

[Tikki]

20. HI and I agree...Welcome to DU..

Tikki

[treestar]

5. Whoa!

He should have quit that church over it. Another church would certainly take him up for showing that type of principle.

[obamanut2012]

7. And churches are tax-exempt again why?

[Dreamer Tatum]

10. So wait - you'd be ok with this bigotry so long as the government gets a cut?

[CreekDog]

30. No, but posting otherwise wouldnt be as unkind to a Democrat

So you posted what was most likely go offend a liberal.

And why not, it is what you seem called to do.

[obamanut2012]

34. This

Thanks, Creekdog.

[obamanut2012]

33. I don't believe I said that -- link?

[Dreamer Tatum]

44. Why did you bring up tax exemption? What has that to do with this case?

Clearly, you implied that any organization engaging in such bigotry should be taxed.

Yes, you did.

[demwing]

46. No, CLEARLY the OP wondered why the hell

such bigotry was subsidized by a tax exempt status.

Now why don't you go fucking cool your head until you find something of ACTUAL importance to complain about?

[Dreamer Tatum]

48. Oooh, tough guy. *fart* nt

[demwing]

49. what can I say, I don't like your negative attitude

and don't care if it shows

[trumad]

55. Yeah tough guy just smacked the shit out of your silly ass....

Really--- you get annihilated for your silly post and you post that dribble?

[obamanut2012]

52. No link, eh?

[Dreamer Tatum]

56. YOU were the one who mentioned tax exemption.

What the HELL does tax exemption have to do with bigotry? It really looks like you at least want bigotry taxed.

Care to explain yourself instead of asking ME for links?

[rocktivity]

8. The pastor should have told them to take a hike -- or taken one himself.

Last edited Sat Sep 27, 2014, 04:49 PM - Edit history (1)

The couple were both members of the church, and therefore is wasn't anybody else's business.


rocktivity

[Luminous Animal]

22. I think the pastor did the right thing. The bigots could have protested during the ceremony

and ruined the day.

[lpbk2713]

9. Spineless hypocrites.

They took a vote so they wouldn't have to identify themselves and then left the pastor to do the dirty work for them.

Ignorant, every one of them who remains a member of that church.

[MNBrewer]

11. Yes, it's horrible. And the church has every right to deny them use of the facility.

Nothing to be done about it, except to condemn it.

[sabrina 1]

12. There are a few things that could be done about. First, they are violating the Constitutional

rights of this couple, that should cause them to lose their tax-exempt status. Second, everyone, including the Pastor who is not a racist, should quit that church and find another one or start another one. Assuming they are not all in agreement with the racist contingency.

What a disgrace that this is still happening in this country.

The pastor is a coward, he should have walked out.

One more thing, the couple can probably file a lawsuit for being denied their rights. If the Church did not inform minorities of this policy, then they accepted their membership under false pretenses.

[gollygee]

14. Well separation of church and state means they can marry or not marry whomever they want

for any reason. They aren't keeping them from getting married, just not doing it themselves.

They're horrible people though and the pastor should resign for that reason IMO. Horrible. I'm really upset. Hopefully another church will save the day? That would be nice.



It is truly a disgrace.

The lawsuit thing - maybe, if they took their money and held the church, and then backed out when it was too late to reschedule elsewhere. They could win that for sure.

[CreekDog]

31. Oh there are certainly things that can be done

Work on changing the laws or constitution regarding tax exemption, for instance.

Throwing up one's hands and saying "constitutional" doesnt mean the fight against racism shouldnt visit them.

[MNBrewer]

39. Churches may marry whom they will and the government can't forbid, OR force them to do otherwise.

[sabrina 1]

40. True, but if they led their members to believe they would marry them, took their donations

and then refused to marry them, they can be sued. The court can work out if the couple had a reasonable expectation that they were entitled to the same privileges granted to all of the other members. If the Church did not make it clear that they would not marry African Americans or any other minority, then the couple has a right to sue.

[MNBrewer]

41. Can they?

We allow religious "organizations" to get away with murder in this country. I sincerely doubt any lawsuit would be successful, beyond perhaps reclaiming any money paid by the couple. No power on earth can force that congregation to allow a black couple to marry in their church, by law.

[gollygee]

54. I think the only possible suit would be breech of contract

If they had a contract to be married there, and the church backed out of that when there wasn't time to find another place, then they have some responsibility for that.

But churches do have the right to discriminate. I don't even know how you could force them to not discriminate. There are obviously churches where you have to be Christian to go there. Not everything morally rehensible is against the law.

[HopeHoops]

15. Parden me while I eject the contents of my stomach. That's disgusting.

[tawadi]

16. What is this, 1912?

[RebelOne]

26. No, they have regressed back to the 1950s.

I am old enough to remember those days. I lived in the South at that time.

[RKP5637]

28. Yep, I remember that well. I didn't live in the South, but part of my

family did and I remember the discrimination well. They want those good old times back.

[Marrah_G]

17. What the fuck............

[Rex]

18. I wonder what God thinks about this.

I mean, they are supposedly representing a Higher Power...me personally I would be embarrassed to be associated with said church.

[coalition_unwilling]

19. Are tax-exempt organizations allowed legally to discriminate based on race? I'm

curious as to whether this congregation could face a massive civil lawsuit, but don't know the law in this regard.

[gollygee]

23. I think they're tax exempt for the same reason they're able to discriminate

Separation of church and state. Tax exemption isn't granted to them, they have it because they're a church and the government can't tax churches.

[mfcorey1]

21. I would take my offerings and my tithes and find another church!

[gollygee]

24. +1

I hope they have negative consequences.

[HereSince1628]

25. The fundies may be thinking they can ride the r's push to take us back before WWII

but re-segregating isn't going to be tolerated.

[RKP5637]

27. Hatred is hatred, substitute gay for black, or some other group they hate

and it's the same. IMO many religious groups function as hate groups. They use religion as their cover and function as hate groups.

[MrScorpio]

32. You have to pick and choose your battles sometimes.

I know that some people might be upset with the pastor for not standing up to his congregation and defying their wishes... I not upset with Pastor Weatherford at all. He and the couple made a choice to put their marriage ceremony as the higher priority than making a political statement.

[ThePhilosopher04]

35. I happen to know the pastor of this church ...

(Stan Weatherford) and while I have zero in common with his religious views, he's a good and decent man who genuinely feels horrible about this incident. But it's backwoods Mississippi for you and I'm afraid the attitudes of his congregation aren't going to change anytime soon.

[Marr]

36. But the south is no worse than anywhere else when it comes to racism.

Remember that. Repeat it. Nothing to see here. This sort of thing is totally normal everywhere.

[arely staircase]

37. contact them, i am sure they would like to know what you think

FBC Crystal Springs
300 South Jackson Street
Crystal Springs, MS 39059
601-892-1149 (office)

Dr. Stan Weatherford - Pastor
Email: [e-mail]

James Beasley - Minister of Music/Senior Adults
Email: [e-mail]

Landon Smith - Minister of Students
Email: [e-mail]

[Quantess]

38. They look like a cute couple, too.

But they picked the wrong church, obviously. That is just so terrible.

[MNBrewer]

43. Perhaps they'll reconsider now.

Their attendance at that church, that is.

[MNBrewer]

42. This is a textbook example of why those who say that government allowing same sex marriage

would "force" churches to "condone" or perform them is pure, unadulterated Bull SHIT! While I condemn the racism of the congregation, I think it's playing out exactly the way it should. The legality of the marriage should not, and cannot be a basis for forcing the religious entity to solemnize it. BTW... I'm gay and am in favor of government recognition of Same Sex Marriage.

[siligut]

45. Places of worship should be leading the way against bigotry

Not supporting it. I am glad to see this story getting news coverage.

[AsahinaKimi]

50. Agree..100%

What Year is this??? omg... I should be shocked but I am not. Racism is KNEE DEEP in this country. HATERS GOTTA HATE....

[siligut]

53. Racism is reinforced by the PTB

An article on Toshiba News this morning tries to examine what, if anything, Obama's presidency has done for race relations.

http://start.toshiba.com/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CDA0AIMFO1%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=1018&page=1

Just weeks after taking office, Obama said, "There was justifiable pride on the part of the country that we had taken a step to move us beyond some of the searing legacies of racial discrimination."

Then he joked, "But that lasted about a day."

Or, rather, three months.

By July 2009, the black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested for yelling at a white police officer who questioned whether Gates had broken into his own home. Asked to comment, Obama said he didn't know all the facts, but Gates was a personal friend and the officer had acted "stupidly."

The uproar was immediate. Obama acknowledged afterward, "I could've calibrated those words differently."

Four years after Obama smashed the nation's highest racial barrier, and less than four months before America will decide whether he deserves a second term, the nation is uncertain about the meaning of a black president.

Recently, Obama was asked in a Rolling Stone magazine interview if race relations were any different than when he took office.

"I never bought into the notion," Obama said, "that by electing me, somehow we were entering into a postracial period."

The Republicans have done everything they can to show disrespect to Obama and the RW co-opted religion back in the 80s, as much as I can tell. So we have two powerful institutions doing what is undeniably wrong. Hate and prejudice are useful tools for those with an agenda it would seem.

[demwing]

47. First Baptist Church - Crystal Springs, MS - [phone]

You might want to call them up and wish them a nice fucking day