LGBT Christians Respond to Southern Baptists' Call For Kindness, Understanding

[cbayer]

http://religiondispatches.org/lgbt-christians-respond-to-southern-baptists-call-for-kindness-understanding/

BY MIKE GREER NOVEMBER 3, 2014

Last week’s Southern Baptist Convention conference on “The Gospel, Homosexuality, and the Future of Marriage” presented a somewhat untidy hodgepodge of mixed messages as it vacillated between its stated themes of conviction and kindness.

Although Southern Baptists’ preeminent theologian Al Mohler began the conference, which brought some 1,300 Southern Baptist clergy and laity to Nashville, with a defiant declaration that Southern Baptists and their churches will never recognize or tolerate same-sex relationships, another more pastoral and conciliatory theme was later championed by the conference convener, Russell Moore. Mohler later gave a brief nod to Moore’s tone when he acknowledged that he had been wrong years ago when he said that same sex attractions could be changed, echoed by Moore who declared his disapproval of reparative ex-gay therapies. (Moore has already received some feedback from those who still see this approach as valid, like the IRD’s Chelsen Vicari, writing in the Christian Post.)

These small steps toward the unified recognition of the reality of same-sex attractions was something new for Southern Baptists. During the conference it was made clear that there was no sin or abnormality in such attractions, as long as one remained celibate. Although these changes were not seen as sufficiently meaningful by many of the LGBT attendees, they may at least be seen as an admission that most Southern Baptists aren’t quite sure how to relate to gay people.

Moore also admitted that Southern Baptists have failed miserably at sustaining and demonstrating healthy marriages and thus are as prone to divorce as the rest of the culture, which may be seen as a nod to critics who question Southern Baptists’ right to make judgments about the legitimacy of gay marriages.

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[AtheistCrusader]

1. Getting a little tired of the 'small steps' from assholes that never should have had a say

in how to define marriage in the first place.