If we can believe any of the latest hype surrounding Barry's having reached his new supposed evolutionary status in the area of same-sex marriage, we're now being told that Barry has seen the need to undertake, what's being described as, "damage control" necessitated by his recently having now "evolved" to the point where he sees gay marriage as being perfectly acceptable. In what was about two hours after his declaring support for same-sex marriage, we're now being told that Barry gathered eight or so African-American ministers on a conference call to explain himself. He maintained how he had struggled with the decision, but had come to believe that it was the right decision. First of all, does anyone really think that this is going to prevent blacks from voting for Barry. What is it that's most important to these people? The possessing of some religious conviction or being on the receiving end of a government check? Sorry, that's just a rhetorical question, I think we all know the answer.
Again we're being told that not all of these ministers were especially enthusiastic. A vocal few made it quite clear that the president’s stand on gay marriage might make it a bit more difficult for them to support him in his bid for re-election. You'll notice the word used was "difficult", not necessarily impossible. “They were wrestling with their ability to get over his theological position,” said the Rev. Delman Coates, the pastor at the Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Md., who was in on the call. Which in the end, that’s' a dilemma that I'm sure they'll have no, whatsoever, problem getting past. In the end, Mr. Coates, who by the way is a long time supporter of civil marriages for gay men and lesbians, said that most of the pastors, regardless of their views on this issue, agreed to “work aggressively” on behalf of Barry’s campaign. DUH!! But not everyone. “Gay marriage is contrary to their understanding of Scripture,” Mr. Coates said. “There are people who are really wrestling with this."
In the hours following Barry’s little politically opportunistic announcement on Wednesday, both he and his team embarked on what's been termed as a quiet campaign to contain the possible damage among religious leaders and voters. Barry is also said to have reached out to one or more of the five so-called spiritual 'leaders' he routinely called on for what laughingly been said to be religious guidance, and his aides contacted other religious figures who have been supportive of Barry in the past. The damage-control effort underscored the anxiety among Barry’s advisers about the possible consequences of Barry's having 'evolved' and revised his position on the subject just months before what is expected to be a tight re-election vote. While hailed by liberals and gay-rights leaders everywhere for making a historic breakthrough, Barry recognized that much of the country is uncomfortable with or is totally opposed to same-sex marriage, including many in his own political coalition.
The issue of religious freedom has become a delicate one, of late, for Barry, especially after the recent dust up over an administration mandate that religiously affiliated organizations offer health insurance covering contraceptives. After complaints from Catholic leaders that the mandate undercut their faith, Barry offered what was described as being some sort of compromise, which was really nothing charade, that would maintain coverage for contraception while not requiring religious organizations to pay for it, but critics remained dissatisfied. In taking on same-sex marriage, Barry made a point of couching his views in religious terms. “We’re both practicing Christians,” Barry said of his wife and himself in the ABC News interview in which he discussed his new views. “And obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others.” He added that what he thought about was “not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf but it’s also the golden rule, you know? Treat others the way you would want to be treated."
After the interview, Barry took to hitting the phones. Among those that he called was one of the religious leaders he considers a touchstone, the Rev. Joel C. Hunter, who is the pastor of a conservative megachurch down in Florida. “Some of the faith communities are going to be afraid that this is an attack against religious liberty,” Mr. Hunter remembered telling Barry. “Absolutely not,” Barry is said to have insisted. “That’s not where we’re going, and that’s not what I want.” Is that not the biggest bunch of bullshit you have ever heard in your life. Imagine that, Barry actually lying to a man of God. Even some of Barry's 'friends' in the religious community warned that he risked alienating followers, particularly African-Americans who have been more skeptical of the idea than other Democratic constituencies. Look, like I said at the very beginning here, there is absolutely nothing that will prevent blacks from voting for Barry. And even if there are a few who do, they most definitely will not vote for a white, Mitt Romney.
The Rev. Jim Wallis, is another religious adviser to Barry and is the president and chief executive of Sojourners, a very left-leaning evangelical organization. Wallis said that he had fielded several calls since the announcement from pastors across the country, including African-American and Hispanic ministers. Religious leaders, he said, are deeply divided, with some seeing it as being nothing more than another attempt by the government to literally force clergy to accept a definition of marriage that they consider anathema to their teachings. Mr. Wallis said that it was clear to him that the president’s decision was a matter of personal conscience, not public policy. Well of course, because he's a big supporter of same-sex marriage. But he said that some religious leaders wanted to hear Barry say that explicitly. “We hope the president will reach out to people who disagree with him on this,” Mr. Wallis said. “The more conservative churches need to know, need to be reassured that their religious liberty is going to be respected here.” And if you believe that then I've got some prime ocean front property in Arizona that I'd just love to sell you. Cheap too!!
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