Bishop T.D. Jakes Wants to Make It Clear He Is Against Same-Sex Marriage
In the affluent and often controversial realm of megachurches, Bishop T.D. Jakes is among the best of religious leaders. Most recently, that was put to the test after he was accused of coming out in favor of same-sex marriage during an interview on HuffPost Live with Marc Lamont Hill. Jakes took to Facebook soon after to explain that he is, in fact, against marriage equality.
Before delving directly into his stance on the hot topic, he expounded on how the talk with Hill came to be and explained his "true intentions."
"My comment on HuffPo TV drifted into issues of the Supreme Court ruling and changing the world through public policy [versus] personal witness," he said. "Further, I have come to respect that I can't force my beliefs on others by controlling public policy for taxpayers and other U.S. citizens. Jesus never sought to change the world through public policy but rather through personal transformation. All people didn't embrace Him either. That's what I said and what I meant... Nothing more and nothing less."
Continuing along with his statement, he harshly criticized the Huffington Post, calling them a "so-called Christian publication" that "misconstrued" his words "using lazy journalistic tactics to further their own agenda." After urging his supporters to "investigate" before believing what they read, he clearly outlined his stance.
"I simply meant that my method is evolving — not my message," he said. "I was shocked to read that this was manipulated in a subsequent article to say I endorsed same-sex marriage! My position on the subject has been steadfast and rooted in Scripture. For the record, I do not endorse same-sex marriage, but I respect the rights that this country affords those that disagree with me."
For more discussion on this topic, check out the trailer for BET.com's upcoming documentary Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church, which is coming soon.
BET.com is your No. 1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.
Click here to enter the #LookYourSundayBest contest for a chance to win FREE natural hair-care products.
(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
