Washington, DC – The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a faith-based coalition of 34,000 churches comprised of 15 denominations and 15.7 million African Americans, argues that the Masterpiece Cakeshop case is not about discrimination against same sex marriage. It is a clear case of religious liberty and religious conscious which this nation was founded upon. NBCI with it’s history of activism would have gone against the Black Church if we deeply felt that this was a case of discriminating against our gay brothers and sisters. However, we recognize that this case is about religious liberty.
This case represents new case law, because our Constitution has never defined the barriers that separate Church from State. Largely because they have never had to since President Obama’s Justice Department ignores and tries to force same sex marriage upon the Christian Church.
Rev. Anthony Evans President of the National Black Church Initiative says, “Those Christians who believe that they have a Constitutional Right to believe and interpret the Bible as they see fit are sadly mistaken. Upon the confession of one’s faith, when one stands in front of the Church to join the Church, the Bible does not take a back seat in noting that the Constitution supersedes the tenants of one’s faith. It is quite the opposite. Society takes a backseat for the faith of Christians. This is why the Constitution was closely married to Scriptures. Because the founding fathers knew that the Christians who suffer religious persecution in Europe were not going to surrender their sacred faith for a secular document called the Constitution. Therefore, many Christians believe that they have the Right to have an intellectual opinion about their faith if it ever comes up to Constitutional scrutiny. The Church is clear, you do not. Scripture and tradition supersedes a Constitution’s notion of fairness.”
The case hinders on consciousness. Should the State (United States) force an individual who has professed a religious set of religious tenants be completed to violate them in favor of federal law? The Bible represents, for the Christian Church, its canon of laws and the Bible forbids any confessing Christians to violate their conscience by voluntarily participating in what the Bible denotes as evil (same sex marriage).
