Mississippi Church Refuses to Marry Black Couple

[CaptainJaneway]

First it was an interraciacl couple now this...

http://news.yahoo.com/mississppi-chu...opstories.html

[bara]

At this point I dont see how anyone can claim 'freedom of religion'.

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

Sad that a group of church goers apparently has NO CLUE what Jesus is actually about.

[Ree]

*Wonders if the members of that congregation have looked at their calendar lately.
It boggles my mind that this attitude still exists in 2012.

I could understand a refusal based on the fact that they aren't actually members of the church, but the wedding had already been booked, and the pastor has actually admitted that the refusal was based on skin colour.

Ignorance and intolerance at is finest, and yet another example of "Christians" in name only giving others a bad name.

[KnitShoni]

That's what gets me. They allowed them to attend the church, and they allowed them to book the wedding. If they're going to try to claim the refusal was because they weren't official members, that should have been done when they tried to book. But, no, they threatened to fire the pastor if he performed a wedding they allowed to be booked.

[HYHYBT]

I don't understand how it could get to this point without the couple realizing long before they didn't like black people there.

[crashhelmet]

I don't understand how it could get to this point without the couple realizing long before they didn't like black people there.

It's fairly easy to hide hatred behind a fake smile. Customer Service people are masters at it.

[smileyeagle1021]

Anyone want to start a pool on how long before they start complaining that they have been unfairly labeled racists...

[Aethian]

Anyone want to start a pool on how long before they start complaining that they have been unfairly labeled racists...

Another forum I go to was talking about this...apparently they are claiming they aren't racists....they are just following that no black marriages have taken place and so it should continue that way. The lady was quite rude to me when I mentioned that is being racist...

[KnitShoni]

Another forum I go to was talking about this...apparently they are claiming they aren't racists....they are just following that no black marriages have taken place and so it should continue that way. The lady was quite rude to me when I mentioned that is being racist...

...what. I mean, I read it, and I know what the words mean, but...what? The logic...

[bainsidhe]

They probably have never made national news before either. Didn't stop them from doing something that would throw them into the limelight.

[Nekojin]

Another forum I go to was talking about this...apparently they are claiming they aren't racists....they are just following that no black marriages have taken place and so it should continue that way. The lady was quite rude to me when I mentioned that is being racist...

This is known as an Appeal to Tradition fallacy. "Just because it's always been done that way" doesn't in any way demonstrate that "the old way" is actually GOOD.

[bainsidhe]

Update: http://news.yahoo.com/miss-church-ap...233716061.html

The church apologizes for their actions....to the news media. They don't contact the couple and they coulple only learns of the so-called apology from reporters. Wow, how sincere can an apology get?

[HYHYBT]

It's no apology at all, sincere or otherwise, because it was not directed at those they'd wronged. And, of course, telling the press you've apologized when you haven't is lying.

[wolfie]

It's no apology at all, sincere or otherwise, because it was not directed at those they'd wronged. And, of course, telling the press you've apologized when you haven't is lying.

Lying, I believe, falls under the heading of "bearing false witness". This was a Christian church that did this. AFAIK, all Christian churches have in their possession documents which give a VERY strong opinion about "bearing false witness" - along with 9 other subjects.