Reverend Al Sharpton defended President Obama’s recent stance on gay marriage on the Tom Joyner Morning Show recently. The outspoken reverend may have surprised a few people with his stark defense of Obama’s views. Sharpton believes there is hypocrisy brewing around the topic of gay marriage and as a country, we are basing our opinions of Obama on one aspect of his campaign.
Sharpton urges us to reevaluate our own views and remember that the 2012 election is not simply about gay marriage, but other issues that affect our community like healthcare, jobs, etc. One opinion should not dictate how we choose to vote this election, says Sharpton.
Read the transcript of Reverend Al Sharpton on the Tom Joyner Morning Show below.
On the same-sex marriage opinion given by the president there’s been a lot of opinions on both sides. I have said from the beginning this is a civil rights issue, not a religious issue and those that are trying to make it a religious issue I think have not answered some very hard questions. If we guide government by the religion that we believe then what religion is that going to be? We have a thousand different denominations in the Christian church, so according to whose understanding are we going to start doing law. The fact of the matter is that people who don’t believe in God at all get married. Marriage is sacred to those of us that believe. But what about atheist that goes to the court to get married? We don’t make it against the law for them to do it. And when we get a divorce, you just finished talking about Deion Sanders; we don’t go to the pastor to get a divorce we go to the judge. So let’s stop acting as if people don’t have the right not to believe as we do. Do I agree with people who don’t believe as I do – no. But they have a right to disagree with me.
The president gave an opinion. He said in his opinion that people should have that right. He did not propose a law. He did not pass a law. What is hypocritical to me is that nine states including Maryland recently and New York they made same-sex marriage a law where they can do it. None of these people said that they would stop voting for those governors. Nobody said anything about those governors and those laws. They waited until to the president gave an opinion – not a law.
So let me get this right – if there is an opinion by the president you’re not going to vote for him so they can now appoint to the Supreme Court, they can take care of healthcare, they can take care of the economy, they can deal with your voter rights all of that because of some people you disagree with are getting married downtown. But you didn’t take that position at home with your governor. They call it hypocrisy; they call it talking out the both sides of your mouth.
My colleagues in the ministry some of them have sinned against their own flock and we said pray for them. The president gives an opinion and we throw him into eternal damnation. I don’t agree with that.
