Christianity does not give you the right to judge

Christianity does not give you the right to judge

The recent controversy involving Gospel singer Kim Burrell and everyone’s favorite daytime talk show host (she happens to also be gay) has been gaining lots of attention over the past couple of days. NBC News article states that during her one of her sermon’s Kim talks about how homosexuality is perverted and has a spirit of delusion and confusion. This sermon comes after she booked an appearance for Ellen’s show to sing “I See The Victory” with Pharrell Williams to help promote the upcoming movie “Hidden Figures.” My first thought was if that is how she truly felt about the gay community, why would she book the appearance to begin with?

“That perverted homosexual spirit is a spirit of delusion and confusion and has deceived many men and women, and it’s caused a strain on the body of Christ. You as a man, you open your mouth and take a man’s penis in your face, you are perverted … You are a woman and will shake your face in another woman’s breast, you are perverted.”- Kim Burrell

So, let me get this straight. You are against homosexuality, but you were okay with booking an appearance on a talk show who’s host is THE most highly known lesbian in the industry who has NEVER been shy about her sexuality, her beliefs or support of the LGBTQ community?! You were okay with Ellen when she was going to write you a check for appearing on her show, but you don’t agree with the way she lives her life? Were you planning on sanctifying that check and soaking it in hold oil before you deposited it in your bank account? I see….because the check is going into the Love and Liberty Fellowship Church ministry, and the movie is bringing light to Black Women and a story that needed to be told its okay this one time. No Kim, it’s NOT okay.

I’m a Christian woman myself. But prior to me becoming a Christian, it always bothered me how people of the church seem to justify their judgement against other people with scriptures, sermons, morals and pointing fingers completely forgetting the fact that nobody has a heaven or a hell to put anyone in but GOD himself. I could support this statement by quoting all types of “cast the first stone” or “judge not lest ye be judged” anecdotes, but at the end of the day, my question is: Who are you to say or call people out on their life choices? Again, when we pass on and transition on to heaven, will it be Kim Burrell’s final word, or any other preachers for that matter (including my own) to let us into the kingdom? No, it won’t be. We are human first and Christians second. What kind of testimony does that show for those individuals that we want to minister to and bring into the kingdom? Your way is the right way and everyone else is wrong? Every disciple on the bible had their own sins and wrong doings prior being called by God. How can we be Godly examples if we are constantly pointing fingers and putting people down for what we think is wrong or sinful?

I grew up in a church where judgement on those who were not Christians flowed freely. A number of sermons warned us about watching shows that had fornication, worldly music, and bad words. We were told to stay away from wine and alcohol because it was a doorway to hell and sin. Oh, and if you were going to dance, it better be to a Christian song, but don’t bop along too hard…don’t want to give the devil his place in the kingdom if you put TOO much feeling into that dance move. As I got older, I just didn’t feel comfortable with the way that these ‘lessons’ were drilled in my head. It was like if you were living your life in any other way than what was being preached or taught, you were doing it wrong. If you didn’t know the bible inside out, pray every chance you had throughout the day or listen to anything other than Christian music, you might as well be a sinner because it doesn’t count. The kind of pressure to live right by their standards is unbearable, but I had to learn in my own way on my own time that my walk with GOD is just that: my walk with GOD. It’s not right or wrong, no sin is greater than the other, and it’s simply about my walk and my convictions.

Kim later says in defense of her sermon quote during a Facebook Live post that:

“I never said all gays were going to hell. I never said ‘LGBT’… I said ‘SIN’,”

“To every person who is dealing with the homosexual spirit, that has it, I love you and God loves you but God hates the sin in you and me. Anything that is against the nature of God.”

“Have I ever discriminated against them? Have I ever outright told them ‘I don’t love you and you going to hell?’ Why would I?” she asked. “Who gives me the right to say that I’m telling someone that they’re going to hell? I don’t get that call?” – Kim Burrell

While Mrs. Burrell is 100% entitled to her opinion, I don’t support her way of bringing her message in her sermon and Facebook Live post, especially after she had initially booked the appearance in the Ellen DeGeneres Show. That was simply in bad taste. With the weight her name holds in the gospel industry, and her pending appearance in the show, she should have probably used better judgment with her words during that sermon or just shouldn’t have ventured to the subject to begin with. There’s no way she could say that she didn’t know who Ellen is or what she stands for, even though her sexuality is just a fraction of who Ellen is as a person (and what an amazing person she is!) For her to try and clean up her words by saying God loves “those dealing with the homosexual spirit” but “hates the sin in you and me,” just isn’t right and doesn’t help her point in any way, shape or form.

I really hate the bad publicity that this situation is bringing to the movie “Hidden Figures.” I am so excited about going to see this amazing story in theatres. The fact that we are now going to associate the song for the movie with this situation is very unfortunate and could have been avoided had Mrs. Burrell considered her words, actions and example before she spoke. Looking at this from Ellen’s possible perspective, she was probably feeling disrespected,with good reason. How can you not agree with her lifestyle, yet book an appearance on her show? Those words from her sermon must’ve been very hurtful fer her to hear especially since she offers no apologies for her words. I don’t blame her one bit for cancelling her appearance. Going forward I hope that she has taken something valuable from this situation. In today’s social climate coupled with Social Media, anything you say can be put out there for the entire world to see within seconds for the media to get a hold of. She has to consider how this may affect her career, church home and reputation in general in some extreme cases. In her own words “God doesn’t like the Sin in you” when talking about her opinion on the LGBTQ community, he also doesn’t like the sin in her when she is judging other people. I really hope this has been a learning experience for her, with all sincerity.

God Bless you, Kim Burrell.