African-American Christians waver over vote

Some black clergy see no good presidential choice between a Mormon candidate and one who supports gay marriage, so they are telling their flocks to stay home on Election Day. That's a worrisome message for the nation's first African-American president, who can't afford to lose any voters from his base in a tight race.

The pastors say their congregants are asking how a true Christian could back same-sex marriage, as President Barack Obama did in May. As for Republican Mitt Romney, the first Mormon nominee from a major party, congregants are questioning the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its former ban on men of African descent in the priesthood.

In 2008, Obama won 95 percent of black voters and is likely to get an overwhelming majority again. But any loss of votes would sting.

"When President Obama made the public statement on gay marriage, I think it put a question in our minds as to what direction he's taking the nation," said the Rev. A.R. Bernard, founder of the predominantly African-American Christian Cultural Center in New York. Bernard, whose endorsement is much sought-after in New York and beyond, voted for Obama in 2008. He said he's unsure how he'll vote this year.

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Evermyrtle

This Mormon is very unlikely to confess that, JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. This fact will lose him many votes.The Republicans should have known this when they pushed him so hard, to get the nomination. I believe he is a product of the party, not the people.
- Mex Seiko
  
  At this point us Christians are looking for the best president candidate, not the best Christian. In any case, Obama is neither.
Mex Seiko

Do you really think that the gay issue would make a difference in the Black Christian political thought while abortion never has? Sorry, I think not. Blacks don't vote their faith or morality, only their pockets and skin. That's why they never even want to hear that the Democra party is the party of slavery?
- Wordman
  
  I believe that, just like whites, many black Christians are earnest about thier faith. And just like whites, some are not. It's unfortunate that so many are voting according to thier racial identity, but we might do the same if we grew up with folks looking down on us and we finally had a chance to get one of our guys in a high profile office. I'm hoping and praying that many will be persueded to see that their highest loyalty is to Christ and that they will vote accordingly. I believe that our best chance of achieving this is to be kind and winsome, which are things Christians should always be. Maybe we should all visit a black church near us in the coming weeks and try to build some bridges, and NOT just for political purposes.
  - Evermyrtle
    
    There are many blacks who are devoted to GOD and HIS SON. Maybe not a large percentile but you can say the same about the white race, Percentage wise we are not so great either
  - Mex Seiko
    
    You very well may be right. But the consequences are still dire on a material basis, and worse on the spiritual side. It may explain it, but it can't justify it. The black vote has been instrumental in empowering the Democrat party with the result of pushing abortion to success at 55 million milestone since 73. Now our nation is undergoing it's rightful judgment.
    My point is, that I don't see any wavering whether For gay issues or whatever. If Republican black voters go for Obama because Romney is a Mormon, then they'll prove they're no different than those that vote their pocket and skin because the fact tat Romney is a Mormon doesn't eliminate abortion, gay issues, and the rest of the Democrat nonsense.
    - Wordman
      
      You are correct, Mex. The consequences are dire, and the explanation does not justify it. But we must deal with things not as they should be, but as they are. We have to win hearts and minds and the white/black devide among Christians, that results in the white/black devide in the parties, is evidence that we (Christians) have not done enough to bridge the gap. I don't like it, but I suspect that the judgement you speak of will partly and rightly fall on white Christians as well for that reason. And with all due respect, Mex, hispanic voters haven't done a great deal better. In spite of the fact that the RC clergy are vocal against Obama and the Dems over abortion and other things, most hispanics still align with the Dems. So, they'll bear their share well. On Romney I'm with you — I'll take a Mormon who shares many Christian values (Even though Mormons are not Christians.) over a raging, anti-Christian, humanist, demagog any day. But when all is said and done, politicical realities reveal cultural realities, and cultural realities reveal spiritual realities. We (True Biblical Christians) are supposed to be the salt and light, so if it's darker in our nation than we like, God's word says that we are the problem. We must do what we can to bring more light to all, including our brothers and sisters accross the ethnic devide.
      - Mex Seiko
        
        We are in agreement, my brother. All minorities favor the Democratic Party because they give appearance to favor us, but the result has been that they've created a culture within the culture. Just as Romney said recently, a culture of entitlement. The subject here is the African-American Christian voter, though.
        The Church has certainly failed for decades and we're not going to nurture the minority into the fold in time to change their vote for the elections. Obama may win 4 more years and take the nation deeper into the whole. An indirect effect could be to weaken the nation so bad that we will not be able to support Israel, not that Obama would run to it.
        What we need is a miraculous national revival, beginning with the church herself. We are passed trying to win minorities or anybody else to Jesus with a political secondary purpose. We should've been at it always. We've lost so any battles like abortion, marriage, education, Church & State, etc. The US has turned into a Secular Humanist nation with the appearance of being Christian, which Obama so gleefully pronounced we're not.
        I will vote for Romney, but not without regrets. I am forced. We squandered the opportunity to vote for good Christians and that to me is part of the judgment. I would not see a Romney win as a Christian victory. We already lost that one too.
        Pray for revival. It's up to Him now.
      - Wordman
        
        To Mex Seiko — Yes, we are on the same page. Revival is our need, or, some would say, revival and reformation. A man I respect said that the two things that underlie the cultures of all societies are: (1) What they worship, and (2) How they worship it. When the Christians of this land including me, get it down in our marrow that God is God and begin to worship and live our lives accordingly, our culture will be transformed. All things indluding politics will fall into line in the wonderful way that they do when God's grace is abundant. Dear God we confess to setting up many detestable idols. Though we are deserving of judgement, we plead Your foregiveness through the blood of Your Son Jesus Whom You sent to take our punishment. We therefore ask your mercy for His sake. We confess that apart from Your grace we are unable to depart from our foolishness and rebellion. So please create in us, individually and collectively, clean hearts, and renew in us a right spirit that we might be pleasing to You. As we do this we pray that You would be pleased to send times of refreshing to our nation. That you would cause us to hate sin, to love righteousness, to love and cleave to one another regardless of unimportant distinctions. We ask these things in the only name under heaven in which there is salvation: In Jesus' Name we pray.
Wordman

This president has been truly described as the most hostile president toward Christianity in the history of the nation. Black pastors are in the position of having to chose whether they will be loyal to their earthly ethicity and their heavenly Father. We hope and pray they will choose well.
Winston

If African-American Christians opt out of voting this presidential election then they are in rebellion against God. Why? Because, God directs humankind, especially Christians, to "be good stewards" of all He has provided us, and since god created government it is imperitive for us to vote and vote rightly, not for an evil leader who is anti-Christian and loves Islam our enemy.
- aceituna
  
  Actually, not voting is a vote for NOTA (none of the above). I pray that there are more cuurch attending black who upon hearing this message disagree with their pastor and feel that we need someone better than what we have. They need to make their voice heard.
  - http://www.answersingenesis.org/ keyboardshark
    
    If you are opposed to Obama and choose not to vote because you think Mitt is not 'good enough' or some other reason, it is at least as good as a half of vote for Obama. Obama is hoping that those who oppose him stay home and do not vote, while he gets all the dead persons, illegal aliens, and convicts to vote for him. Think about it…
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004047180339 John Adams

The only reason such people waiver is because they have placed an idol before God. The Christian stand to take is CLEAR. If they don't take it, they don't truly love God and are probably on their way to eternal torment in Hell.
Evermyrtle

Black Christians will not vote for Obama.