"Ex-Gay" Blogger Says COGIC Bishop Backs Gay Marriage; COGIC "Denounces the Practice of Homosexuality"

"Ex-Gay" Blogger Says COGIC Bishop Backs Gay Marriage; COGIC Denounces "the Practice of Homosexuality"

The world's largest African-American Pentecostal denomination is entangled in a cyberspace fist fight with a conservative blogger.

DL Foster, a self-described former homosexual, says Church of God in Christ Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake supports gay marriage.

Foster runs the blog, Gay Christian Movement Watch at gcmwatch.com, which monitors the "unbiblical acceptance of homosexuality" among pastors and churches.

The longtime critic has accused the Los Angeles pastor repeatedly of sympathizing with homosexuals and has called for his resignation.

Foster's latest objection focuses on the bishop's endorsement of the 2008 Faith in Human Rights Statement in the Netherlands.

"He endorsed a document that is an affirmation of gay marriage," said Foster, an Atlanta-based pastor.

This time, Blake, along with other COGIC officials and parishioners, are fighting back on COGIC.com, where pages of testimonials have been posted stating both Blake's and Memphis-based COGIC's position on homosexuality, as well as questioning Foster's character. COGIC "utterly rejects and uncompromisingly denounces the practice of homosexuality," writes Blake.

The bishop was invited in December to attend the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. The United Nations' General Assembly first adopted the document in 1948. In essence, it pronounces that true religion irrespective of denomination, gender or race defends the human rights and freedoms of every person.

However, Foster, who is third-generation COGIC but not a dues-paying member, says Blake has opened the door for gay-rights organizations to use the document to support gay marriage. "He's saying one thing to COGIC but to the ecumenical world it's another story," Foster said.

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It's a shame COGIC, probably the Christian fundamentalist church with the largest percentage of closeted gay people, has to be prove how anti-gay it is by not only opposing the rights of gays and lesbians, including civil marriage equality, but to even get worked up about a Bishop supporting "human rights" along with other civilized groups in the world.

On the one hand, COGIC Supports the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, but they don't seem to consider gay rights to be "human rights"!
"The interjection and inference of homosexuality and the rights for gay marriage was a gross exaggeration and literary leap for truth that is incomprehensible, immoral, and reflects all that is wrong with the witness of the Church to the world we
seek to win for Christ! This is truly lamentable. The Church of God in Christ consistently, utterly rejects and uncompromisingly denounces the practice of homosexuality. Our biblical interpretation of the sanctity of marriage as a sacred relationship
between a man and a woman uncompromisingly views homosexual relationships as a contradiction and
violation of the biblical teaching on marriage and are strongly condemned in the scriptures. ” (Romans 1:
26‐27; Leviticus 18:22; 1 Co 6:9‐10, 1 Kings 14:22‐24 Ephesians 5: 25, 32‐33). Furthermore, this
statement is in accordance with the policy on Same Sex Marriage adopted by the General Assembly of
the Church of God in Christ (read www. cogic.org)"

Maybe COGIC should learn something about Human Rights from real spiritual human rights leaders like Archbishop Desmund Tutu
who include gays and lesbians in the "human" family who are entitled to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Maybe if every gay COGIC member would just come out of the closet, or leave the cult, the church would be forced to shut down or join the 21st Century.

For a different African-American perspecive, see the National Black Justice Coalition