I am deeply saddened, almost to the point of embarrassment, about the title of "Rev." that precedes my name. Last week, more than two dozen of my brethren black pastors in Atlanta publicly opted for the safety of status-quo bigotry, in lieu of confronting the nation's more pressing moral issues.

By declaring their beliefs in writing, the 29 pastors added their voices to the critics of same-sex marriage, attempting to distance the civil rights struggle from the gay rights movement and defending marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

"When the homosexual compares himself to the black community, he doesn't know what suffering is," said the Rev. Clarence James, an African-American studies professor at Temple University. While we should all be careful to resist the temptation of intellectual laziness by comparing suffering, I am curious to know how Rev. James rationalizes the contributions of Bayard Rustin to the liberation movement of black people, given that Rustin was black and homosexual?

The Civil Rights Movement didn't just improve conditions for African Americans; it made America as a whole better. Every American is an heir to the Civil Rights Movement, if not by birth then by legal inheritance. The moral force of the movement challenged America to be self-reflective by asking: are we living out the Jeffersonian creed that all are, indeed, created equal?

Without a full appreciation of the movement's impact on society the pastors in question arrogantly stand as self-appointed gatekeepers to freedom and equality. Vincent Harding, the great theologian and colleague of Martin King, posed the question: "Do you want to be free or do you want all of God's people to be free?" If the door of equality is open selectively then we must call into question the authenticity of the equality.

I am not saddened, however, simply because of philosophical differences with the pastors. I am certain that many would question how I, as a theologian and pastor, could conclude that it is consistent with the teachings of Jesus that we celebrate myriad ways that the mystery of love reveals itself, including same-sex relationships.

But how can this group of ministers be so committed to opposing same-sex marriage when there is a presidential election on the horizon, the importance of which is greater than the individuals running?

This election is not about John Kerry v. George Bush; it is about the moral direction of the country. Are we to be a nation that embraces a unilateral definition of what it means to be an American, calling into question anyone's patriotism who does not embrace the present administration's megalomaniac world-view? We have lost global credibility, in large part, for conducting a war and changing its primary justification no less than three times. How many testimonies from former senior level Bush Administration officials will it require to understand just how morally bankrupt the invasion and occupation of Iraq really is?

We have an economy better suited for wealth creation than creating jobs. I wonder if any of the pastors that signed the same-sex marriage petition have unemployed members attending service on Sunday morning?

How many additional "strict constructionist" judges need to be appointed by this administration before these pastors see the error of their ways? Or does Jesus exonerate their congregations from prosecution? What data do these pastors have to know whether the No Child left Behind Act has done exactly that to their young parishioners?

It would be morally reprehensible if those same pastors who signed their names in opposition to same-sex marriage failed to insure that every eligible member within their respective churches was registered to vote, educated on the issues, and had a way to the polls. But these pastors appear to be too preoccupied with their orgy of nonsense to engage in speaking truth to power.

In their haste to sign on to dogmatic legalism, the pastors forgot the prophetic witness of the Civil Rights Movement that erred on the side of human possibility. I recall when my New Testament professor, Mary Tolbert, said the best way to pack a church is to preach hate. If the pastors' sermons resemble their recent behavior, someone should call a fire marshal.

Byron Williams writes a weekly political/social commentary at Byronspeaks.com. Byron serves as pastor of the Resurrection Community Church in Oakland, California.

© 2004 Working Assets

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