Kentucky church bans interracial couples

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TheLastCandle said:
I suggest no one attend this church.
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Doesn't sound like many people do.


Azih said:
These are the people that let assholes run things.
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You mean, the majority of people in the world?

Actually, I give credit to the other churches and their denomination. They don't seem to happy. Besides procedural things, the article implies they'll get booted. I usually don't see other church folk speaking against things like this.
 
Didn't this happen somewhere last year? With their rationale being "Children of interracial couples will have a hard life not fitting in anywhere socially, and we don't want to promote that."
 
I grew up in Pike county, so I imagine I'm going to be the expert here. If you have questions, fire away. I've never heard of Gulnare. That's no surprise but it does mean the counity is probably so small that it doesn't even have a gas station (there may be a small store). I am familiar with John's Creek which in itself is all going to be rural. This really isn't indicitive at all of the area despite what many assume when they hear "Kentucky". So before you think or say derogatory things about a group of people you don't know, stop and remember that is prejudice motivating you; you'd be behaving just as a racist would.
 
Seth C said:
So before you think or say derogatory things about a group of people you don't know, stop and remember that is prejudice motivating you; you'd be behaving just as a racist would.
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Stopping people from Kentucky marrying people from other States?
 
Orayn said:
It's naive to say that people shouldn't use religion to promote racist bullshit? So does a realist have a mental list of people who should?
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My response was more directed at the year...not necessarily religion. I'm a firm believer that little separates us from any other chaotic period. Look at black Friday and imagine if it were something important like food... just look at youtube comments. That is a microcosmic view of how the world operates without accountability.
 
Seth C said:
I grew up in Pike county, so I imagine I'm going to be the expert here. If you have questions, fire away. I've never heard of Gulnare. That's no surprise but it does mean the counity is probably so small that it doesn't even have a gas station (there may be a small store). I am familiar with John's Creek which in itself is all going to be rural. This really isn't indicitive at all of the area despite what many assume when they hear "Kentucky". So before you think or say derogatory things about a group of people you don't know, stop and remember that is prejudice motivating you; you'd be behaving just as a racist would.
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I think we just got the most important lesson in this thread. Of course, this wont stop people from still judging whole cities and/or states, but this is something that can really be realized only slowly, with some wisdom/age (usually both).
 
V_Arnold said:
I think we just got the most important lesson in this thread. Of course, this wont stop people from still judging whole cities and/or states, but this is something that can really be realized only slowly, with some wisdom/age (usually both).
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Not to mention that most people's wrongly held ideas of the average Kentuckian is one of the many reasons why certain areas of Eastern Kentucky are hit so hard with poverty in the first place.
 
I would like to see where in the Bible that this stance would be accepted.

They might be a bit surprised when (or if) they ever get to heaven, if they are Christians, I assume that they believe this:

Revelation 7:9

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
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They Church I go to I would say is about 45% black/mixed race, 45% white, 10% other (hispanic, asian). Our lead Pastor is white, a couple of the other Pastors are black. Our music leader is mixed race (looks mostly black, but married to a very white woman). about 2/3 of the music team are black...

We actually get a lot of mixed couples. And I hear a lot of stuff about mixed couples from predominately black churches, especially when a successful black man tried to bring a white woman to his church. But I'm sure it goes both ways....
 
Did anyone else first check the date on the OP just to make sure this thread wasn't like...a decade old or something? lol

Hope they sort their issues out.
 
ruttyboy said:
Stopping people from Kentucky marrying people from other States?
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No, that has absolutely nothing to do with what I said. Feel free to judge the people actually doing this. They've brought that on themselves through their actions and deserve it. But these few people are not and do not define the entire group of people they live amongst. Don't judge the area (eastern Kentucky) or the state based on the actions of one tiny group of people. It's easy to do, and has already happened to a small degree in this thread, and it is prejudice (which is what racism is).

I can tell you directly that this has been the talk among family and friends from back home for days now, and the only emotions I've seen from anyone in the area are shock and disgust.
 
Seth C said:
No, that has absolutely nothing to do with what I said. Feel free to judge the people actually doing this. They've brought that on themselves through their actions and deserve it. But these few people are not and do not define the entire group of people they live amongst. Don't judge the area (eastern Kentucky) or the state based on the actions of one tiny group of people. It's easy to do, and has already happened to a small degree in this thread, and it is prejudice (which is what racism is).

I can tell you directly that this has been the talk among family and friends from back home for days now, and the only emotions I've seen from anyone in the area are shock and disgust.
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It was only a (bad) joke!

Guess people from Kentucky have no sense of humour...



JOKE!
 
No worries man.

As an aside, that Claudia Lynx woman! I sometimes wonder what racist men would do if someone as attractive as that wanted to sleep with them. Would they abandon their stance in the face of insurmountable hotness?

Although I guess there's a rather unsavoury possible answer to that question :(
 
J Tourettes said:
More at the link

In this day and age?

Fuck you if it's old, did several searches.
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"I am not racist. I will tell you that. I am not prejudiced against any race of people, have never in my lifetime spoke evil about a race. But these godless race traitors will find themselves burning in Hell, and I, for one, will relish spitting on them from a great distance."
 
The mind of this kind of racism can be more difficult to unravel than you'd think.

I remember reading an analysis... that while it seems irrational (and it is) to outside observers, for people with a certain mentality race is about more than skin color. Race is psychologically confabulated with culture and tribal integrity. Protecting race is the same thing as defending the walls of the city-state or the tribe's village.

In the minds of racists of that flavor, "betraying" one's race literally makes one lose their status as a member of that race. It's like betraying the tribe. It's why white supremacists attack other white people. Also why they have a tendency to hate gay people who are white - "real" white people aren't homosexual, so a gay person is, by their dishonorable actions, attacking the integrity of the very concept of the supremacist's race.

It is also why racism is so hard to get rid of. It's not just a matter of pointing out to the racists that some person's skin color doesn't indicate the quality of their character. It's why racists commonly say "but I have plenty of -insert- friends". In their mind, they're NOT racists because they're accepting that some individuals of the offending race are safe to associate with, or at least not immediately attack. See? they're not prejudging.

But thanks to the psychological mechanisms and the cultural inheritance aspect of it, you end up with say, the United States still being a very racist culture in many places or in many institutions. It's not just about skin color. It's about certain races, as groups, representing threats to the sovereignty of the group that sees itself under attack by the mere exists of the target people.

Also why some christians have sold themselves on the idea that their religion and the very status of their culture as a "inherently christian society" is under attack by the mere existence of non-christians and by giving any recognition to non-christians in law or public forums.

These are basic mechanics of human psychology, sadly. They affect almost everyone, which is why one must understand them to be on guard against being manipulated by them. You can find the same phenomenon in seemingly unrelated venues. For example, jocks band together and hate nerds because the existence of the nerd threatens their perception of what proper males are like. Cool nerds hate hipsters because hipsters, as a "race" threaten the Nerd Tribe. Etc etc etc.
 
Again, there are ones against interracial marriage in every region under the sun.

This was 9 people out of an area of about 70,000 people (1.28). This doesn't make it indicative of a region especially since it was spearheaded by one particular man.

This is the reason it's a news story though since the perception is so much more interesting than the reality. I think society as whole will progress just fine whteher the rule sticks or not.

I just find it interesting how bold/stupid it was to make a statement in writing that interracial couples were flat out not allowed and they provided no scriptural basis for it. It was just a vote. Whacky.
 
WSAZ posted an update last night with a few extra quotes.

UPDATE 11/30/11 @ 9:15 p.m.
PIKE COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A church’s decision to ban a couple from its congregation, simply because their skin color is different, has cut through the heart of a Pike County community.

Suzie Harville, who is engaged to a black man originally from Zimbabwe, is no longer welcome at the church. Neither is her fiancée, Tichna Chikuni.


Some members of Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church voted Sunday to prohibit interracial couples from joining their church. They're welcomed to attend, just not so welcomed to stick around for too long.

“It’s racism. That’s what you call it,” said Dean Harville, who is Suzie’s father. He has attended Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church for more than 30 years -- a place he has seen his family grow.

“I treat him like I’d treat my own son,” Dean Harville said of his future son-in-law. “You couldn't find a nicer man.”

The couple, who met in college, recently attended services at Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church – a small country church about 15 miles north of Pikeville, Ky. During their visit, Suzie sang a song, and Tichna played the piano.

“The pastor said they can't sing in the church anymore,” Dean Harville said. “Then he said, ‘Furthermore, take your fella back to wherever she got him from.’ “

Then, came a policy voted on and approved by a local majority banning interracial couples from joining the church.

“It’s a travesty,” Suzie said. “The church crossed the line when they denied mine and my fiancée’s rights to worship in a public place."

The policy specifically mentions interracial couples. WSAZ.com’s Carrie Cline wondered, as an African American, would she be allowed to join the church.

“As of right now, no,” Dean Harville said.

It's a policy that's not sitting well with the majority of the community.

“They're really showing their ignorance,” Cliff Pelfry said.

Melvin Thompson, former pastor of Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church, spearheaded the ban.

Cline spoke with Randy Johnson, president of the Pike County Ministerial Alliance. While he said the church’s action is disturbing, he said the local religious community prays for peace and wants the rest of the world to know this is not how all Pike County churches think and act.

About 40 people attend services on a typical Sunday at Gulnare Freewill Baptist. This measure passed by a vote of nine to six. Dean Harville said more people were present, but they wouldn't take a stand.
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http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/..._Members_134768383.html#.Ttbw2B9AXTC.facebook
 
Just had an argument about how people outside of the NYC area are so much friendlier to you. Yeah except if you aren't white then they will treat you like shit. I'd rather someone yell at me for driving too slow than someone yell at me because they don't like my race.
 
I know a few churches like that around here. They don't outright ban interracial couples but they are highly discouraged from attending and practically shunned and berated if they do. My mother used to be the same way (she flipped out on me because she thought I was going to prom with a black girl---I was really just double-dating with some black friends). They always use the scripture of "don't be unevenly yoked" as justification (even though said scripture is saying that unbelievers and believers shouldn't be together). It's pretty sad.
 
Hollywood Duo said:
Just had an argument about how people outside of the NYC area are so much friendlier to you. Yeah except if you aren't white then they will treat you like shit. I'd rather someone yell at me for driving too slow than someone yell at me because they don't like my race.
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what a dumb generalization.
 
_dementia said:
What the fuck

Are mixed-race kids allowed to join?
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I don't think you are really comprehending just how remote and small this church is. I can just about guarantee this was the first black man to ever come through the door, and there wouldn't be any others around to do so. The only ones who would be there would be brought in by a current member (as in this case) from outside the area. It is 20 miles outside the nearest city, Pikeville, which itself has a population of 6,500 people.

Enjoy a satellite image of Gulnare, KY. It has a volunteer fire department and nothing else.



The two closest houses I could find are 200 feet from each other, and they each have yards over 300 meters long. I imagine they are family who wanted to have their houses near each other.
 
Dumbass Racist said:
The church member who crafted the resolution, Melvin Thompson, said he is not racist and called the matter an "internal affair".

"I am not racist. I will tell you that. I am not prejudiced against any race of people, have never in my lifetime spoke evil about a race," said Thompson, the church's former pastor who stepped down earlier this year.

"That's what this is being portrayed as, but it is not."
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BECAUSE IT IS DUMBASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I swear that shit so pisses me off. It's 100 percent racist and the delusional dumbass has the nerve to try and say it's not. You would think that we could finally get past this color of your skin shit. We're all one race. We're the human fucking race. And to do this in a house of god is just awful. It's despicable.
 
Seth C said:
I can just about guarantee this was the first black man to ever come through the door, and there wouldn't be any others around to do so.
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a guy, who would turn out to be one of my best friends, from Hazard transferred to our high school during my freshman year. he was quiet and no one was really trying to become his friend because he seemed really backwoods-y. one of the first conversations i remember having with him, he remarked "this is the first class i've ever been in with black people." guy is one of the most tolerant, open-minded people i've ever met.

but, exposure, yeah.
 
I've been thinking about topics like this for a while now, racist people in general and how to re-educate them.

I have an out-the-box solution.

Instead of having a philosophical debate with racist people about racism, I think we should hand them a beautiful mixed child to hold. Just a beautiful mixed kid, maybe a toddler or infant and just let them experience that child. Let them look into that child's face and try to reconcile their views with what's in front of them.

I would love to see someone try this.
 
andymcc said:
a guy, who would turn out to be one of my best friends, from Hazard transferred to our high school during my freshman year. he was quiet and no one was really trying to become his friend because he seemed really backwoods-y. one of the first conversations i remember having with him, he remarked "this is the first class i've ever been in with black people." guy is one of the most tolerant, open-minded people i've ever met.

but, exposure, yeah.
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Oh, absolutely. There aren't many black people in the area but honestly, growing up in the middle of nowhere in Pike and Floyd county, all the ones I did know were treated well by the vast majority of people. Two brothers I was friends with, Omar and Devon, were like superstars (especially with the ladies).
 
Windu said:
These people are not exactly following the teachings of Jesus Christ if they are being racist. So I wouldn't blame religion, these people are just idiots.
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Exactly. You would never see Jesus going ewww you're black!! BE GONE NOW!!! Never ever ever ever would you.
 
andymcc said:
a guy, who would turn out to be one of my best friends, from Hazard transferred to our high school during my freshman year. he was quiet and no one was really trying to become his friend because he seemed really backwoods-y. one of the first conversations i remember having with him, he remarked "this is the first class i've ever been in with black people." guy is one of the most tolerant, open-minded people i've ever met.

but, exposure, yeah.
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Check this out . . .

Daryl Davis, a black guy, has been making friends of KKK members for years. Sometimes, even converting them in some cases.

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skLPurhMgtY

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njcdQ_2HXok&feature=related

I'm completely fascinated by this. I think we need more of it.
 
zmoney said:
**Looks at article*** not in Harlan, Hazard or Florence. **Breaths sigh of relief**

Remember when I said there weren't that many overtly racist people in Kentucky? Yea me too. But I did make the exception of rural areas. Seems I was right.

Didn't see it in the article....but can minority couples that aren't inter-racial join? And by inter-racial do they mean just black-white, or any combo?



I think I've seen around 7 in my entire time that I grew up in KY.
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You're from the Harlan/Hazard area?
 
vas_a_morir said:
Wait. I thought Z-Money was a North KY homie...
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Harlan & Hazard are only close to each other on a map.

Florence is N. KY (& closer to Lexington/Central KY than E. KY), so he's covering a wide path.

I live in Lexington and have family in Louisville, Bowling Green, & Madisonville, so my interest lie with all of them even though they are all miles apart.
Jason Raize '75 - '04 said:
I wonder if by 'inter-racial' they really mean to target specifically African Americans.
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I think they were specifically targeting that guy's daughter and didn't think the whole process through since they were working off a personal offense. Something tells me they are equal opportunity banners.
 
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