Carson
from page AI
Dr. Ronnie L. Baity,
pastor and founder of
Berean Baptist Church,
said he was looking for
ward to the visit from the
Carson
cam
paign.
Carson
will be
speak
ing at
h i s
church,
which
is at
4 13 5
Thomasville Road.
"We are honored to
host them here," he said.
"It's not an endorsement;
it's an opportunity for peo
ple to hear him and make
up their own mind. It's a
time for him to meet the
people and for the people
to meet him."
Baity said it was Return
America, an organization
he founded in 2006 to
"stand up for
Judeo/Christian values,"
that caught the attention of
the Carson campaign when
they contacted his church
months ago. Return
America has been active
against efforts to stop
Christian prayer in county
commissioner meetings
and to support the state's
amendment to ban gay
marriage, which has since
been deemed unconstitu
tional by the U.S. Supreme
Court.
Berean is no small
church. It has its own radio
station. WPIP 880 AM, and
a K-12 Christian School.
But it's had so many people
reserve seats for the Carson
visit that it surpasses the
church's capacity to seat
1,200-1,500. The church
will use a screen and
speakers for an overflow
crowd outside the church,
for those who bring their
own lawn chairs.
"I think Ben Carson is
popular, along with some
other candidates, because
they're outsiders," said
Baity. "I think America is
tired of the inside politics
that specializes in getting
nothing done."
Baity felt Carson's
comments on Muslims
were taken out of context.
"He clarified unless the
person could embrace our
Constitution and follow our
Constitution, whether it be
a Muslim or whether it be a
Christian, he couldn't sup
port them."
Carson, a retired neuro
surgeon, on Monday, Sept.
21, said on Fox News that
he was referring to
Muslims who had not
rejected Islamic Sharia law.
"We don't put people at
the head of our country
whose faith might interfere
with them carrying out the
duties of the Constitution,"
he the told Fox News' Sean
Hannity. "If you're a
Christian and you're run
ning for president and you
want to make this [country]
into a theocracy, I'm not
going to support you. I'm
not going to advocate you
being the president.
"Now, if someone has a
Muslim background, and
they're willing to reject
t
/
constitutional law are at
odds with each other.
There's no way they can
co-exist, and that's what he
was saying," he said.
"When women are told by
the Sharia law that they
can't get out of their house
unless they have a male
escort and when they're
treated like slaves and sec
ondhand citizens, that's not
American. And for a
E. Ellison
"I think Ben Carson
is popular, along with
some other candi
dates, because they're
outsiders."
-Dr. Ronnie L. Baity, pastor and founder of
Berean Baptist Church,
those tenets and to accept
the way of life that we
have, and clearly will
swear to place our
Constitution above their
religion, then of course
they will be considered
infidels and heretics, but at
least I would then be quite
willing to support them,"
Carson added.
Baity said he did agree
with Caron that Sharia was
against the Constitution.
"But Sharia law and
Muslim to become presi
dent and uphold the Sharia
law, which decries America
itself, the person would be
at odds with himself if he
believed in Sharia law
because Sharia law calls us
the infidels and they want
to destroy us along with
Israel."
At a forum held earlier
this year on Sharia, local
Muslims said Sharia was
not incompatible with the
United States or its laws.
Sharia is a moral code and
religious laws taken from
the Quaran and the exam
ple of the Prophet
Muhammad in the Sunnah.
Panelists like Imam Khalid
Griggs of the Community
Mosque said that it doesn't
justify terrorist attacks or
extremism practiced by
radicals like A1 Qaeda and
ISIS. They said laws in
North Carolina and around
the country designed to ban
Sharia to "protect" the
Constitution is stoking fear
and false stereotypes of
Muslims. Such laws have
been opposed by the
American Civil Liberty
Union and the American
Bar Association, among
others.
Fulton said that for
Carson to make those state
ments as a presidential can
didate "says that he would
not be fair to Muslim
Americans. And if we can't
trust him to be fair to
Muslim Americans, we
can't trust him to be fair to
African-Americans."
Eric Ellison, president
of the Forsyth County
Democratic Party, is Kevin
Ellison's brother. He said
Carson's comments show
"his unfitness to be presi
dent of the United States.
"Freedom of religion is
who we are," Eric Ellison
said. "We should be
allowed to live the
American Dream."
He said there should
not be a litmus test for a
candidate based on reli
gion, race or other such
factors.
"Once we start putting
a litmus test on people, it
just works against them,"
Eric Ellison said.
Eric Ellison said his
brother has gone on to do a
great job as a representa
tive from Minnesota.
U.S. Rep. Keith
Ellison, who was out of the
country on Tuesday, left a
message on his Facebook
page to Carson and fellow
Republican presidential
candidate Donald Trump,
who also has an issue with
a Muslim president:
"The freedom of reli
gion is a founding principle
of our nation. Our
Constitution gives this
right to all Americans -
including elected officials.
For Ben Carson, Donald
Trump, or any other
Republican politician to
suggest that someone of
any faith is unfit for office
is out of touch with who we
are as a people. It's
unimaginable that the lead
ing GOP presidential can
didates are resorting to fear
mongering to benefit their
campaigns, and every,
American should be dis
turbed that these national
figures are engaging in and
tolerating blatant acts of
religious bigotry."
Organizers say 'Amen' to diversity at Gospel Fest
BY MAYEESA MITCHELL
FOR THE CHRONICLE
Gospel entertainment
will not remain in church
on two Sundays in October.
It will also be at the Dixie
Classic Fair.
The annual Gospel Fest
at will be from 3 to 6 p.m.
on Oct. 4 and Oct. 11.
The Chronicle again
will sponsor Gospel Fest.
In years past, hundreds
have gathered at the Clock
Tower Stage with emcees
Debra Terry and Carmen
Russell for the concert, and
this yeat.is expected to be
no different.
For years, the concert at
the Dixie Classic Fair has
catered to those who enjoy
listening to gospel music
while exposing many to a
new genre.
Within the last two
years, the Gospel Fest has
continued to represent the
gospel genre by adding
praise team and mime min
istry performances in an
effort to diversify the talent
featured and incorporate
young people into the
event.
In addition to the diver
sified acts, there are also
diverse performers.
"There are performers
from all backgrounds and
ethnicities," said Terry. "It
is a melting pot celebration
of gospel."
Those who attend can
expect an "awesome dis
play of gospel music, not
just singing and great
music, but actual ministry,"
according to Terry.
The Oct. 4 line up (not
in performance order) will
include St. Paul Mass
Choir, Central Triad
Church Praise Team,
Dionn Owens &
Renaissance, Anointed
Expressions, JH Heath
Mass Choir, Raymond &
Kim Larkin, Big Four
Choir and Bishop Grosjean
L. Stephens with Nu
Sound.
The acts scheduled to
perform on Oct. 11 include
Bryon Strickland, Peace of
Mind, Walter Johnson,
Matrimony Mime, Pastor
Todd Curry with St. Peter
United Church of God
Choir, Love & Faith Mass
Choir, Saxophonist
Gregory Amos and Bishop
Christopher Brinson.
Terry, who is event
coordinator as well as co
emcee, said these choirs
and ministries were
required to submit a DVD
or link of their performanc
es, a bio and photograph in
August before they were
selected.
"It is important to keep
gospel music at the fore
front," said Terry, who has
been coordinating the
event for the last six years.
"Other genres are repre
sented at the fair, why not
gospel? The Gospel Fest
makes sure there is some
thing for everyone."
The concert is included
in the price of admission
for the Dixie Classic Fair .
Get tickets now through
Oct. 1 for the Fair. For
advance purchase, the cost
is $8 for adults, $3 for chil
dren ages 6-11, and free for
children S and under and
seniors ages 65 and older.
Go to The Chronicle's
website, www.wschroni
cle.com and look for the
Dixie Classic Fair adver
tisement.
After Oct. 1, the prices
are $10 for adults and $5
for children ages 6-11. The
other prices remain free.
Parking is available at the
LJVM Coliseum lot and
Groves stadium to be deter
mined by Wake Forest
University.
For additional informa
tion, call 336-727-2236 or
visit www.dcfair.com.
Davis
Emmy win
from page A1
She and her husband,
Julius Tennon, have started
a production company to
try to continue erasing that
line.
"My story doesn't end
here," Davis said. "There is
so much work that needs to
be done in so many areas in
the business with actors of
color, so many narratives
that need to be seen by peo
ple, so many stories that
need to be seen and felt."
Davis's friend and peer
Taraji P. Henson was also
nominated in the same cat
egory for her performance
in "Empire." lire competi
tion between the two was
only on paper, though. As
Davis walked up to accept
the award, she and Henson
hugged and exchanged
words of support.
"We whispered to each
other: 'Whoever gets it, it's
great, it's wonderful and I
love you,'" said Davis.
Other black winners
were: Uzo Aduba for out
standing supporting actress
in a drama series in
"Orange is the New
Black," and Regina King
for outstanding supporting
actress in a miniseries or
movie in "American
Crime." HBO's
"Bessie ."which starred
Emmy nominated Queen
Latifah and Oscar winner
Mo'Nique, won outstand
ing television movie.
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