I think that we all probably have in our lives some person, perhaps a relative or a neighbor or a co-worker, who has views that we find reprehensible. I know that I do.

And each of us have to decide for ourselves whether we should reprimand this person, shun them, oust them from social company, ignore them, seek to change their views, or just exactly how to interact in social settings. And for each of us, the decision is personal.

From the outside, we can declare, “Well! They should just denounce the bigots and be done with it!” And sometimes that is the right approach.

But it isn’t our call to make. I let those within the American Baptist Churches decide whether they can remain in communion with those who do not support us. They know them better than I do.

I suppose the American Baptist position is better than the Southern Baptist one, but would you belong to a church which officially considered interracial marriages to be sinful, but allowed individuals and congregations to dissent? Why would you want “communion” with bigots?

While no Baptist organization that I know of is considered an ally to our community, there are several individual Baptist churches that see God’s revelation in the working of their own community to be inclusive of gay people and who are religious, community, and political voices for our inclusion in both the body of faith and the body of the nation.

To the best of my knowledge, the American Baptists, while officially opposed to the “sin of homosexuality” do allow those who disagree with the majority to be included in communion. Unlike Southern Baptists – who believe that simply not reviling gays at every opportunity is a sin worthy of excommunication – the American Baptists are willing to let those who find gay people to be worthy children of God (as they are) to be errant brothers with whom they can still find commonality.

And they have lost members – even entire regions – because they were unwilling to expel congregations who were not adequately condemnatory. (For many, it seems that being anti-gay is a core belief right along with the trinity, virgin birth, and resurrection of Christ).

And for their courageous inclusion, I am grateful.

http://www.exgaywatch.com/wp/2009/11/xgw-digest-november-7-2009/#comments

I’m married now but in my next life, I’m looking you up and begging you to marry me.

I do know. Because I work in the same building they do. :D