Grammy-winning gospel artist, Kirk Franklin, has criticised Western Christianity’s approach to marriage, giving, and s3xuality, calling it “weaponised” and “dysfunctional.”
Franklin argued that the church’s emphasis on marriage and traditional family structures has created a culture of shame and exclusion, particularly for single women.
In an interview on the ‘Funky Friday’ podcast, he noted that the pressure to conform to these expectations can lead individuals to rush into marriages that may not be in line with God’s will.
The singer also pointed out that Apostle Paul’s teachings on marriage as a “necessary distraction” are often overlooked in favor of societal norms.
Franklin emphasised that single individuals can still be used by God and have purpose, challenging the notion that marriage is a prerequisite for spiritual fulfillment.
“I believe that marriage, giving and s3xuality have been weaponised in Western Christianity,” he said.
“Any woman listening to this can attest in our culture: ‘Don’t be no 30, 35 single black woman and go to the family reunion.’ All the older women are going to look at you and be like, ‘Why are you not married?’
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“It’s like a prerequisite for identity and value. If you don’t have a man or kids, then something about you is broken. Do you understand how dysfunctional these messages are and how we superficialise these messages?
“[Apostle] Paul said that marriage is a necessary distraction. I have many friends that were in ministries in church, and the churches told them, ‘If you’re going to be in ministry, you can’t be single.’ So what people do is, that they quickly get married thinking that they’re fulfilling God’s will for their lives but they’re fulfilling man’s dogma.
“You can be single and be used by God. You can be single and have purpose. Being married is not a prerequisite for God’s hand in your life. It’s not. But we’ve weaponised it. And they crucify people when those same marriages failed.”