Southern baptist position on homosexuality
The Southern Baptist Convention did not modify its stance on homosexuality or homosexuals during its annual meeting in Nashville, SBC ethicist Richard Land said.
Some national media sources reported that Southern Baptists modified their stance on homosexuality during their June 21-22 sessions. "Baptists alter approach on gays" was the headline in a front page article in the Nashville Tennessean. The article opened by suggesting the SBC "appears to have taken a step back from its hard-line stance on homosexuality."
The media speculation may possess stemmed from such factors as:
• Messengers in Nashville dropping the SBC's boycott of The Disney Company, eight years after calling for the economic deed in describing the entertainment conglomerate as "increasingly promoting immoral ideologies such as homosexuality, infidelity, and adultery."
• A resolution calling on parents and churches to "investigate diligently the curricula, textbooks, and programs in our community schools," but stopping short of specifically calling on churches to explore schools for pro-homosexual curricula or clubs or urging Christians to pull t
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: Southern Baptist Convention
BACKGROUND
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) traces its history to 1845 when it broke off from Northern Baptists over slavery. The roots of Southern Baptist history go help to the Baptist churches established in the American colonies in the 17th century.
By 1891, the SBC formed its own Sunday School Board, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Providing usual literature for all Southern Baptist churches had a strong unifying effect, solidifying the Southern Baptist Convention as a denomination.
Among doctrines Southern Baptists emphasize is the doctrine of local church autonomy. Working through 1,136 local associations and 42 state conventions, Southern Baptists share a frequent bond of basic Biblical beliefs and a engagement to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world.
LGBTQ+ EQUALITY
ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION & GENDER IDENTITY
In a 1996 “Resolution on a Christian Response to Homosexuality,” the SBC declared that “even a desire to engage in a homosexual relationship is always sinful, impure, degrading, shameful, unnatural, indecent and perverted.”
In the 2000 Baptist Faith and Messag WHEREAS, Marriage is a covenant relationship and an institution established by God rather than simply a human social construct (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:22–33); and WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have consistently affirmed our support of the biblical definition of marriage as the exclusive union of one guy and one woman; and WHEREAS, The Scriptures indicate that all sexual action outside of marriage is sinful; and WHEREAS, All people, regardless of race or sexual orientation, are created in the image of God and thus are due respect and love (Genesis 1:26–27); and WHEREAS, The Department of Justice has argued (Perry v. Schwarzenegger) that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional claiming that DOMA unfairly discriminates against homosexuals; and WHEREAS, For the first time in history the President of the United States has publicly voiced his personal help of “same-sex marriage”; and WHEREAS, While homosexuality does not show the distinguishing features of classes entitled to special protections, like the classes of race and gender, we confirm the unique struggles experienced by homosexuals in some parts of society; and WHEREAS, It is WHEREAS, All across our nation there is a concerted effort by “Gay Activists” and liberal humanistic politicians to pass ordinances which, under the deceptive guise of human rights, acquire the effect of giving public approval to the homosexual lifestyle, making it equally acceptable to the biblical heterosexual family experience style, and WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have the opportunity to become involved in their own communities in this struggle. Be it RESOLVED, That our Convention deplore the proliferation of all queer practices, unnatural relations of any character, and sexual perversion whenever found in our society and reaffirm the traditional position of Southern Baptists that all such practices are sin and are condemned by the Word of God. Be it further RESOLVED, That while the Word of God condemns such practices, relations, and perversion, our Convention affirms that the Bible also offers forgiveness for those who will seek and receive it. The American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is the fifth-largest Christian denomination in the Together States, with approximately 1.3 million members and 5,000 congregations worldwide. Although ABCUSA shares many traditions, opinions and values with other Baptists, ABCUSA is a distinct entity from its relatives, the American Baptist Association (ABA), the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the Alliance of Baptists, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Following more moderate ideals than the ABA and SBC, ABCUSA is considered one of the most inclusive and radical Protestant bodies. At its core, ABCUSA believes in and advocates for autonomy in religious organization and function, religious freedom through expression and cultural/ethnic inclusion within the church. Of its more traditional values, the denomination believes that the Bible is the divinely influential guide for serving God, that believers in Christ need to participate in the Lord’s Supper and full-immersion or believer’s baptism and that all members have the responsibility to inform others of Christ through evangelism and missionary work
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: American Baptist Churches USA
BACKGROUND