By L.A. Williams, Correspondent
Christian Action League
RALEIGH — A poll released this week by Civitas Institute shows strong support for a Marriage Protection Amendment from North Carolina’s African-American voters. Of the 400 questioned, 62 percent said if an amendment to the state Constitution were on the ballot that defined marriage as being between one man and one woman they would vote for it, with only 22 percent opposed.
Dr. Keith Ogden, senior pastor of Hill Street Missionary Baptist in Asheville, is not surprised by the poll’s findings.
“I do think it reflective of the true Christian African American community that stands for righteousness, morals and a value system that will not be compromised, even as imperfect beings,” he said Wednesday.
The poll further showed that 59 percent of those surveyed said they would be more likely to vote for a General Assembly member who voted to authorize a marriage referendum, with only 21 percent saying they would be less likely to vote for such a candidate.
“These poll results confirm what we already know — the majority of Tar Heel voters want marriage clearly defined in our Constitution to protect our state from homosexual activists,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. “This is just the latest evidence that should help convince any wavering lawmakers that the Marriage Protection Amendment belongs on November’s ballot.”
He furthered pointed out that these results came from a group of voters 62 percent of which describe themselves as mostly moderate (37 percent) or liberal (24 percent) when it comes to social issues.
“Clearly this was not a case of those conducting the poll having stumbled on a very conservative group of respondents,” the Rev. Creech said. “Belief in traditional marriage is mainstream. Unfortunately, it is the homosexual activists — the extreme — that are often speaking the loudest on this issue.”
Dr. Ogden has been in the middle of what is already becoming a heated debate on the matter in Henderson and Buncombe counties where the Campaign for Southern Equality, Equality N.C. and First Congregational United Church of Christ have organized phone bank events to urge residents to contact their representatives and weigh in against the marriage protection amendment.
He said preachers who embrace the homosexual agenda are simply afraid to call sin “sin,” and that while they may believe they are preaching the good news, “it’s not the good news that Jesus Christ preached.”
“This gay theology that they are promoting is sweeping this nation and is being propagated through ignorance and the rejection of Holy Scripture as it is written,” Dr. Ogden said, urging Christians to love the sinner but not the sin.
“This is a biblical and gospel response — we must confront the sinner with the truth of Scripture that condemns him or her as a sinner, and point him or her to the hope of salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ,” he said. “We must not let our culture dictate or influence what goes on in the church.”
For more on the poll, log on to http://www.nccivitas.org/2011/north-carolina-african-american-surveyusa-poll/.
The Christian Action League will follow the Marriage Protection Amendment issue closely as lawmakers are expected to take up Constitutional matters when they reconvene on Sept. 12.