June 29th, 2009
The interim pastor of Broadway Baptist Church has provided additional detail to the reason that the Southern Baptist Convention has ousted them from communion. It wan’t because they were too pro-gay; it was because they weren’t adequately anti-gay.
More conservative voices on the Executive Committee wanted Broadway to do something clearly not required by the SBC Constitution: take formal congregational action to condemn homosexual behavior. This extraordinary measure has not been required of any other SBC church. It would be unprecedented and unauthorized.
…
The breakdown came when those advocating the more rigorous constitutional test won the day. It became clear several weeks ago from the Executive Committee that Broadway would have to implement measures to identify, isolate, and distinguish our gay and lesbian members from the rest of the congregation in order to be found in friendly cooperation. Of course, conscience, congregational autonomy, and common decency prohibit us from doing so.Now, it appears that the constitutional language as presently stated in Article III is not sufficient. It is not enough for cooperating Southern Baptist churches simply to take no action to affirm homosexual behavior. They must now take formal action explicitly to disapprove such behavior.
Undoubtedly some well intentioned Southern Baptist will soon stop by to tell us that they “love the sinner” and only hate “the sin.” They will tell us that they believe that God loves everyone, that all sinners are equal in God’s sight, that everyone is welcome at an SBC church, that they really and truly are not haters; honestly.
It’s only fair to let them know in advance that as time goes on I find it harder and harder to believe them.
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Alex
June 29th, 2009
The pettiness of these people never ceases to amaze me.
Lynn David
June 29th, 2009
Well, what else should one expect if Southern Baptists consider homosexual sex to be a sin against their god – assuming they take the same dim view of other sexual sins.
AJD
June 29th, 2009
“It’s only fair to let them know in advance that as time goes on I find it harder and harder to believe them.”
I never believed them to begin with. I’ve always thought that “love the sinner, hate the sin” mantra was a cop-out and a convenient way to avoid accusations of bigotry. You can’t compartmentalize two things that are indelibly related to each other. It’s like saying “It’s okay to be religious, just as long as you don’t believe in the supernatural; that way, atheists and religious people are all equal because atheists don’t get to believe in the supernatural either!”
tavdy79
June 30th, 2009
If they love us, why is it that what they actually do to us is so cruel that it can only ever be perceived as hate?
JonJon
June 30th, 2009
I’m an adult gay man who was raised in a Southern Baptist Church. I joke that my preacher only ever had 2 sermons, increasing your tithe & homosexuality is an abomination. That said, I see some change in the individual churches even if the old guard still holds the convention in its clutches. The churches that aren’t becoming more inclusive are dying out as well, even here in South Carolina.
AJD
June 30th, 2009
tavdy79: As much as I see the “love the sinner, hate the sin” canard as bullshit, I do think these people really believe it. They just have a definition of “love” that differs markedly from that of most other people. What they call “love,” most other people would call “arrogant disdain.” It’s the so-called “love” of someone who thinks he knows what’s best for everyone else and doesn’t care to listen to what others have to say.
paul j stein
June 30th, 2009
Tax them on ALL cash, donations, will bequests and the like. That will give them plenty to do and not worry about our souls.
Rev. Ray Neal
June 30th, 2009
As a ‘recovering Southern Baptist’ I must say I am extremely tired of hearing the line about ‘loving the sinner, but hating the sin.’ I used to be an SBC ordained minister…still am for that matter, they never took my credentials away. My brother, also an SBC pastor, uses that line on me. I told him that hating my ‘sin’ meant hating me, because being gay isn’t a sin, and having sex with my partner isn’t a sin anymore than his having sex with his wife is a sin. I am a person who God created to be Gay! If he can’t accept my being Gay, then he doesn’t really accept or love me. Jesus Christ loved people just as they were, just as God created them to be. Christians need to read the life and teachings of Christ as they are recorded in the scriptures, not as they wish for them to be. I am so glad I am not part of that group any longer! I am now a proud and gay pastor of Metropolitan Community Church Seattle!
Alex
June 30th, 2009
Wow, so many other recovering Southern Baptists here. Glad to see I’m not the only one who made it out alive!
Jason D
June 30th, 2009
Love the sinner but hate the sin can be found on page NOWHERE of the bible. It is not a quote, it is an amalgamation of ideas. Much like a list of the 7 Deadly Sins can also be found on page NOWHERE of the Bible.
How about they start using the parts that exist, not the parts they dream up in their heads?
jim
June 30th, 2009
Let them eat shellfish.
Trends In Hate
July 1st, 2009
In 2007 we at Trends In Hate published a report (“For the Love of God”) showing a strong association between evangelical Christianity and hate groups in America (the report can be read by clicking the “Trend Reports” tab at our site), so Southern Baptist Convention’s recent actions come to us as no surprise.
ravenbiker
July 6th, 2009
Freedom of religion is guaranteed in this country. So is freedom FROM religion. These poor saps can fight on the loosing team as far as I’m concerned. Hypocrites. All of them.
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