Meanwhile in America....

As the rest of the westernized world progresses along in 21st century, America, it seems, is going in reverse. From the awesome website of Clergy Gone Wild, David Edwards bring us this beaut.

KENTUCKY: Gulnare Freewill Baptist church bans interracial couples

A small church in Pike County, Kentucky has voted to ban interracial couples from most church activities “to promote greater unity among the church body.”

Melvin Thompson, former pastor of Gulnare Freewill Baptist church, proposed the ban after Stella Harville brought her fiance, Ticha Chikuni, to services in June. Harville, who goes by the name Suzie, played the piano while Chikuni sang.

Before stepping down as pastor in August, Thompson told Harville that her fiance could not sing at the church again. Harville is white and Chikuni, a native of Zimbabwe, is black.

Last Sunday, church members voted 9-6 in favor of Thompson’s proposed ban. Others attending the church business meeting declined to take a stand on the issue.

“That the Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church does not condone interracial marriage,” the resolution states, according to WKYT.

“Parties of such marriages will not be received as members, nor will they be used in worship services and other church functions, with the exception being funerals. All are welcome to our public worship services. This recommendation is not intended to judge the salvation of anyone, but is intended to promote greater unity among the church body and the community we serve.”

Harville told The Kentucky Herald-Leader that the decision is an embarrassment to God, the church and the whole community.

“It sure ain’t Christian,” she explained. “It ain’t nothing but the old devil working.”

Harville and Chikuni plan to marry in July, but they won’t be tying the knot in Pike County.

The U.S. Supreme Court declared anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional in a 1967 decision. By 2005, Stanford University sociologist Michael Rosenfeld determined that 7 percent of all marriages in the U.S. were interracial.

Written by David Edwards Wednesday, 30 November 2011 00:00

I just had to add the triple facepalm because I have no words here.

0 members like this

Comment by Greg Gorey on November 30, 2011 at 6:45pm: thanks for the enlightenment Robert. This may result in the triple face palm, but people still need to hear about it.

Comment by Robert Karp on November 30, 2011 at 6:47pm: Agreed Greg. Thanks. It's just sad really.

Comment by x on November 30, 2011 at 8:02pm: Churches are some of the most segregated organizations that exist today. Look into churches on Sunday morning and you will see either lily white or shades of black. This is pretty universal here in Texas. To be fair there are a few mixed race congregations but they are few and far between, usually Catholic or New Life types.

Comment by Dylan Martin on November 30, 2011 at 9:25pm: The church is actually called Gulnare "FREEWILL" Baptist Church. Freewill my ass.

Comment by Dustin on November 30, 2011 at 9:52pm: Doesn't seem much different than denying Atheists or Homosexuals...just more of a 'wow' factor I suppose in this day.

Comment by Ceci on December 1, 2011 at 5:56am: there were already forms of tolerance about interracial marriages even in the absolutely christian middle ages (for example, there was a 13th century poet, wolfram von eschenbach, who wrote his version of the percival telling about the marriage of parzifal's father with the black queen belakane, and they loved each other and lived happily ever after until he left her to join other adventures).
i can't believe that nowadays there is still someone who is so idiot to be against interracial marriage but, you know, outdated ideas like this one can only be justifiable through religion.

Comment by Gabriela Menicucci on December 1, 2011 at 6:23am: Amazing, seems America is like a crab, you give one step forward and 4 backwards. Good luck in your way to the dark ages.

Comment by Robert Karp on December 1, 2011 at 8:41am: @Holland - Reminds me of another lovely article I found. In Florida, a GOP lawmaker wants to bring back firing squads and electric chairs for those convicted of the death penalty because by getting the injection they are, in his words, "getting off too easy".

Comment by Craig Nomazlab on December 1, 2011 at 10:02am: (Triple facepalm)

Comment by Morgan Matthew on December 1, 2011 at 10:31am

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