Christian Wedding Venue Owner Denies Interracial Couple, Apologizes after Studying Scripture
A Mississippi wedding venue, Boone’s Camp Event Hall, has apologized for canceling an interracial couple’s wedding based on their biblical beliefs.
The couple had been working with the venue for about a week when they received a message indicating that Boone’s Camp would not allow them to marry “because of [their] beliefs,” according to the Christian Post.
When LaKambria Welch found out that her brother, who is black, and his white fiancee were denied services at the venue, she drove to the location to ask why and recorded the conversation with a woman many believe to be the owner of the venue, Donna Russell.
“First of all, we don’t do gay weddings or mixed race, because of our Christian race, I mean, our Christian belief,” the woman said in the video.
“Ok, we’re Christians as well,” Welch replied before asking, “So what in the Bible tells you that—?”
“Well, I don’t want to argue my faith,” the woman said. “We just don’t participate…we just choose not to.”
The video, which went viral with 2 million views, prompted a story with Deep South Voice and a follow up with the Washington Post.
A few days later, the Washington Post explained that the owner of the venue apologized on Facebook after spending time in the Bible and talking with her pastor.
“As a child growing up, our racial boundaries that were unstated were of staying in your own race,” the author of the post, presumably Donna Russell, said. “This was never spoken, but it was an understood subject.”
The post has since been deleted from the page, but Russell continued to explain that her husband had asked her what verse condemns interracial marriage in the Bible.
“I stood for a minute and began to think about the history of my learning this and where it came from,” she wrote. “I was unable to recall instances where the Bible was used given a verse that would support my decision.
“I have, for many years, stood firm on my Christian faith not knowing that biracial relationships were NEVER mentioned in the Bible! I know there are verses whom we claim support this, but to my finding it is not supported at all!
“If marriage is between a husband and a wife whom are equally yoked, who am I to say it is wrong because God does not condemn that relationship,” she finished. “To all of those offended, hurt, or (who) felt condemn(ed) by my statement, I truly apologize to you for my ignorance in not knowing about this. My intent was never about racism, but to stand firm in what I ‘assumed’ was right concerning marriage. When the Bible tells us to ‘study to show ourselves,’ I have failed to do that on this subject.”
Photo courtesy: Andrew/Unsplash
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