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* I told subscribers about this development yesterday…

A coalition of African-American clergy from Cook County has begun airing radio commercials on black-oriented stations urging opposition to the measure. The radio ads come on top of automated telephone calls placed to African-American households by former state Sen. James Meeks, pastor of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago.

The African American Clergy Coalition, as the group calls itself, is also working with the Catholic Conference of Illinois and representatives of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod against the gay marriage bill.

[Rep. Greg Harris] would not say whether the efforts by the African-American clergy group have cost him votes.

“I think people are going to listen,” he said. “They are going to listen to all sides. They are hearing from ministers and parishioners on both sides of the issue in their districts. I think they are going to come to the same conclusion the majority of Americans have in that this is the fair thing for government to do — to treat all people equally.”

The ad…

Click to listen

Rate it, please.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 9:09 am

Comments

I’m not exactly the intended audience, so it didn’t really appeal to me.

Comment by Leroy Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 9:14 am
Slightly off message here, but good for the Chicago Urban League!! I dont understand how the clergy can oppose a bill that advances the civil rights of a group currently being denied equality. I never understand how any organized religion clings to outdated dogma and opposes measures that promote love and tolerance.

I hope the Urban League’s outreach gives african american legislators who want to vote for the bill the cover they need to do the right thing.

Comment by anon Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 9:20 am
The influence of churches and preachers is waning, or is already gone. Maybe these guys still have power over the A-A community, but I doubt it. Does that demographic listen to the radio, or have they moved on to other media?

It would be much more powerful fifty years ago, doubtful now. I am too biased to give an opinion of value to the question, I guess I shouldn’t have posted at all.

I vote irrelevant and no influence on any upcoming vote.

Comment by CarrollCounty Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 9:22 am
A conundrum for the liberal coalition. How can liberals call black ministers bigots they way liberals do to Republicans from the suburbs who oppose gay marriage?

Comment by Quibar Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 9:22 am
As a creative production, there’s nothing to it.

Not to debate the Bible, but if you’re convinced God is on your side that’s a pretty strong argument, lol.

A little music would have tempered the rather harsh, preachy tone.

Strong call to action — always good.

I’d give it a 70 — the words are there, but you can’t dance to it.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 9:34 am
well,I guess it’s a B since it lists all sorts of people to whom the “faithful” would attach and be influenced and it claims 1 million parishioners.

but, I rate it as shameful.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 9:35 am
B-, C+ …Got a strong message, weak in execution and presentation.

The only reason I think this may have more sway than OFA’s “call to arms” is that … well, … the Ministers are HERE, and not far away like in DC.

Passable Ad, Calling it “Pedestrian” …is pedestrian.

Sidebar…

Great Ad for the HGOP. The HGOP Caucus better hope there is no vote at all, becasue if the Bill fails, (and it may, nothing is guaranteed on this Bill at this point) with only ONE Republican vote, heaven help the HGOP Campaign Aparatus in those “swing” districts they are trying to get.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 9:43 am
How can liberals call black ministers bigots they way liberals do to Republicans…

It’s easy. They’re bigots.

Comment by Chavez-respecting Obamist Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 9:48 am
I guess the ad is OK. It’s straightforward. I, of course, as a gay person strongly disagree with the ad. I happen to think it’s offensive when they basically say that you can’t be a Christian if you support same sex marriage. Now, I don’t really consider myself Christian so I guess it doesn’t bother me from that perspective. But, I have a lot of gay friends who attend church and and a lot of straight friends who attend church and support same sex marriage. It saddens me that these so-called religious leaders are essentially dismissing parts of their congregations as less than Christian.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 9:52 am
I think the medium used is not going to reach any additional people than they already have.

I find it sad that these men have chosen to use the Bible to oppress a minority group the same way their communities were oppressed by bigoted people using the Bible as early as the 1960’s (interracial marriage-separation of the races, validation of slavery and all).

They should know better and I hope their followers see the hypocrisy.

Comment by SuburbanDad Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 10:47 am
@ Demoralized - what would you have the churches do? They have a couple thousand years of certain behaviors being sinful. They can take the view that all people are sinners and be compassionate and all, but it is difficult to have people who dispute that things long deemed sinful is not sinful, and should rather be affirmed. They are sort of stuck in the position of having to try to turn the congregants away from sinful behavior.

Comment by titan Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 11:02 am
- They have a couple thousand years of certain behaviors being sinful. -

Yet only one sin warrants a ban on legal marriage.

There are no valid excuses. They wish to see discrimination against homosexuals because they are bigots, nothing more.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 11:15 am
It will only appeal to the already convinced.

As a call to make a phone call, it’s clear but just OK. No strong emotional appeal or real sense of urgency.

And yes, this constituency does influence some members of the Dem caucus, as do their co-religionists some GOPers.

Comment by walkinfool Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 11:29 am
When I listen to this ad, I don’t think so much of its immediate impact. All I hear is the echoes of other voices from the past, using religion to support segregation, anti-miscegenation laws, keeping Jews and Catholics out of country clubs.

This ad will be an embarrassment to the ministers whose voices are recorded and whose names are mentioned in it.

Is it effective today? Maybe, but the most opponents of gay marriage can hope for is delaying the inevitable. That delay will come at the cost of the reputations of clergy and churches that otherwise do fine work.

Comment by the Other Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 11:50 am
I rate it a B

To say that are bigots is a little far fetched. Just like you have one side demanding respect for gays, their is another side demanding respect for the bible, and their beliefs. A bigot is a person is one who says no i cant get a job, rent this apartment, buy that house, pulls over a person bcz of their race, bcz they are gay or a minority. As a black man, I can tell you what a bigot is. So please stop trying to label those folks as such. These pastors were generally silent on Civil Unions. So are they really bigots, or just again protecting their viewpoint on the definition of marriage.

a majority of black people who attend church vote, more so than the ones who dont, also black people in general are more conservative than alot of people think.

Lastly, where will those people who are so compassion about calling this a civil rights issue be when the time comes for bills that address critical issues in the black and brown community, yeah they will be somewhere silent.

Comment by austinman Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 12:04 pm
- So are they really bigots, or just again protecting their viewpoint on the definition of marriage. -

No one is trying to change their definition of marriage, just the legal definition of marriage.

And no pastor will ever be compelled to marry same sex couples.

These pastors are demanding respect for their support of discrimination, laws that say one group of citizens deserves different rules than another. They want respect for their intolerance.

That, no matter who you are, is bigotry.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 12:22 pm
Quibar @ 9:22: It’s easy. They’re bigots.

Comment by Northsider Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 12:34 pm
B-O-R-I-N-G.

We already knew that a large number of minority pastors oppose marriage equality. How does this change anything?

Barack Obama just endorsed same-sex marriage and called on Illinois, his home state governed by the party he leads, to do the same.

It’s time for those Democrats-in-name-only (especially those Black democrats) to toe the party line. Their President - who overwhelmingly carried their districts - has spoken.

Comment by Anonimo Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 4:19 pm
Unbelievable. If the intent of this ad was to infuriate, then it worked wonders. As a Lutheran, or perhaps, at this point, a former Lutheran, I am ashamed that my church would participate in this kind of hateful advocacy.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 4:27 pm
It’s sad.

The ministers could invoke the antipathy to Ham or many passages in Leviticus to justify all sorts of bigotry, including the acceptance of slavery.

Did any of these Christian holy men read the Sermon on the Mount, or absorb the promise of Easter?

Consider The Gospels the original New Deal.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Mar 20, 13 @ 4:46 pm