Two prominent Baptist
preachers star in videos urging Marylanders to vote “yes” on
Question 6, the ballot measure which asks voters to uphold – or
reject – a gay marriage law approved by lawmakers.
“As a pastor, my support for Question
6 is rooted in my belief that the government should treat everyone
equally,” the Rev. Donte Hickman of Southern Baptist Church in
Baltimore says in his 30-second video. “I wouldn't want someone
denying my rights based on their religious views. So I shouldn't
deny others based on mine. It's about fairness.” (The video is
embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
“This law does not force any church
to perform a same-sex marriage if it's against their beliefs.
Protecting religious freedom and protecting all Marylanders equally
under the law, that's what this is about,” the Rev. Delman Coates
of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton says
in his 30-second video.
Baptist leaders, however, disagree with
Hickman and Coates. Reverend Fred Luter, the president of the
Southern Baptist Convention, said in May that he's in disagreement
with President Barack Obama on the issue of marriage rights for gay
and lesbian couples. Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
President Mark Harris has also expressed support for the state's ban
on gay nuptials. Additionally, the campaign to repeal the law in
Maryland is led by Derek McCoy, a prominent African-American Baptist
pastor.