200 Bay Area Pastors Break Silence, Rally Against Gay Marriages

Apr 16, 2004 01:54 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA.—After over two months of since the first illegal marriage license was issued to a same-sex couple at San Francisco City Hall, pastors in the Bay Area are not only waking up to the threat same-sex marriage poses for traditional marriage but they are also doing something about it. On April 15, over 200 pastors and clergyman rallied against same-sex marriage at the place where it all began.

Many of the church ministers were Chinese Christian Congregations from the San Jose and San Francisco area.

“We feel we are the silent majority and we are finally speaking up,'' said the Rev. Raymond Kwong, founder of the Chinese Family Alliance.

“We're so fed up with what we perceive as an assault on traditional marriage,'' Kwong, who helped organized the event.

San Jose churches have been increasingly involved in the fight against gay marriage ever since San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales approved giving the same worker benefits to gay and lesbian couples as a traditionally married couple. Gonzales faces a possible recall from his office.

Rev. Arthur McKay, president of the San Francisco Baptist Ministers' Conference, reaffirmed what many African-American pastors have been saying about the issue of homosexual marriage. McKay said homosexuality is not a “civil rights issue” but “a moral issue.”

His reason for opposing same-sex marriage is clear. “Homosexuality is an abomination,” he said.

On April 3, San Francisco Archbishop led a rally with 1,000 Romans Catholics marching five-blocks through North Beach.

The Chinese Family Alliance plans to hold another mass rally on April 25 along busy street 19th Avenue in San Francisco.