Breaking News: Sit-In at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

[NathanATX]

PRESS RELEASE

Subject: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sit-in at Southern Baptist Leader's Office TODAY

Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(March 26, 2007)


Contact:
Kyle DeVries, Media Director East Bus (612) 715-6284
kyle@equalityride.com
www.equalityride.com

GAY/STRAIGHT YOUTH SIT-IN AT SOUTHERN BAPTIST LEADER'S OFFICE
Demand Apology for Eugenics Remarks

WHAT
In light of recent inflammatory comments by Albert Mohler, leaders of the Soulforce Equality Ride have decided to reroute temporarily in order to conduct a sit-in at his office in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. They will demand a public apology for statements Mohler made earlier this year that encouraged the intentional prevention of homosexuality. The 2007 Soulforce Equality Ride is a journey by 50 young adults seeking to end religion-based discrimination by visiting Christian universities where both policy and doctrine condemns lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The group is divided between 2 buses traveling 2 distinct routes across the nation.

In a recent blog, Mohler wrote, "If a biological basis is found, and if a prenatal test is then developed, and if a successful treatment to reverse the sexual orientation to heterosexual is ever developed, we would support its use as we should unapologetically support the use of any appropriate means to avoid sexual temptation and the inevitable effects of sin." The Equality Riders do not plan on leaving the Seminary until Mohler rescinds his harmful comments and publicly apologizes for them.

WHERE
Norton Hall, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (http://www.sbts.edu/Home.aspx)

WHEN
Monday, March 26th at 10:00 AM

WHO
Twenty-five lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight young adults, Christian and non-Christian, on a mission to converse with and educate tomorrow's conservative leaders.

WHY
Mohler is considered the "reigning intellectual" in the Evangelical Christian community and therefore holds influence over millions of people. His support of eugenics is both dangerous and immoral. Left unchallenged, such prejudice becomes a destructive force that affects everyone. The 25 young adults who will sit-in recognize the ignorance, fear, and hate that impel such homophobia. They feel called to meet such bigotry with nonviolent resistance and to demand change.

Soulforce Q is the young adult division of Soulforce, a social justice organization that works to end political and religious oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people.

[kara speltz]

Sit-in at Southern Baptist Leader's Office Ends in 12 Arrests
12 Arrested Demanding Apology for Comments About Gay Eugenics
Equality Riders Arrested for Sit-in Outside of Albert Mohler's Office at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Mohler Refuses to Respond
******************************************
SOULFORCE PRESS RELEASE: March 26, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kyle DeVries, East Bus Media Director
Cell: 612-715-6284, kyle@equalityride.com
******************************************

(Louisville, KY) -- Today, 12 young adults were arrested for conducting a sit-in outside of the office of Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS). In light of recent inflammatory comments by Albert Mohler, leaders of the Equality Ride eastbound bus decided to reroute temporarily in order to demand an apology for his remarks. Earlier this year, Mohler encouraged the intentional prevention of homosexuality. In an article on his website, Mohler wrote, "If a biological basis is found, and if a prenatal test is then developed, and if a successful treatment to reverse the sexual orientation to heterosexual is ever developed, we would support its use as we should unapologetically support the use of any appropriate means to avoid sexual temptation and the inevitable effects of sin."

Twenty-two Equality Riders sat in Norton Hall at SBTS awaiting a response from Mohler. After about 75 minutes, the Vice President of Communications listened to a statement read by Jarrett Lucas, Co-Director of the Equality Ride. Afterwards, the administrator informed the group that Mohler was unwilling to meet with them or speak with them via telephone.

An excerpt from the statement reads, "We are gathered here as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to demand that Albert Mohler openly recognize our right to life, love, and liberty. As it stands, his voice is terribly misguided in believing that God does not affirm the identities of gay and transgender people. So, we call on him to take responsibility for his bigotry and the hurtful effects of his statements, and ask that he issue a public apology for having said them. We have a moral obligation to speak out in the name of truth and justice."

After the statement was read, Louisville Police were called in and informed the group that their peaceful assembly would result in arrest. At that point, a delegation left to stand vigil outside of the Seminary. Twelve Equality Riders, determined to stay until Mohler apologized, remained seated outside of the President's Office. Eventually, they were taken into custody under criminal trespassing charges.

The 2007 Equality Ride is a 2-month journey that is taking 50 young adults on 2 distinct bus routes to schools that actively discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

[dsdrane]

May God bless and keep the Equity Riders; they are heroes!

:cool: :love: :pray: :applause:

[pnggrad79]

If I understood Mohler's comment correctly, he wants to see if there is a way to "correct" homosexuality in utero to reverse the effects of sin. If I understood it properly, is Mohler putting himself in the place of God, who masterfully created us to be what we are? This idiot is painfully arrogant and pompous to suggest this ridiculous idea. He is apparently admitting that homosexuality is formed before birth, so this preposterous idea that we "choose" to be this way is what he is now refuting. Amazing! More and more, these religious fundamentalists remind me of Hitler and his quest to create a master race. One of his cronies, Dr. Mengele, tried to do this with horrific scientific, (if you could call it that) experiments at Auschwitz. Is this what we are headed for? Scientific experiments to change our sexuality? Women choosing abortion if they find out their unborn child is gay? Wow! I wonder how they see this as honoring God and practicing the love Jesus showed us on the cross. Or is this even a consideration for these people? Press on Equality Riders!!! We have to stand up to this nonsense before we are led to gas chambers and scientific labs!!!:mad:

[JacoBison]

Here is the report from the local paper, the Courier Journal. (http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070327/NEWS01/703270394)

When Mohler first posted his blog, the "story" made front page news and drew quite an uproar. The comment that he is "playing God" is a common consensus. Everyone in this town thinks he's nuts.

[NathanATX]

Also, it's very telling that he is being heavily criticized by fundamentalists because he basically acknowledged that sexuality isn't a choice.

[spiritplgrm]

I am stunned and disgusted by Mohler's comments...I just dont understand how he can actually rationalize what he is thinking....It is scary to think at what links some would go to evade the truth...how could he be so threatened as to dare support an action that would be much more contrary to fundementalism than the glbt community could ever be? He cannot simply accept the truth...instead he has too mold the truth to fit his percieved intepretation of what God has to say about the gay -lesbian-bisexual-transgender existence. Sounds to familiar to a Nazi spew about the "true Aryian race"...or the "dengenerate jew". It is no less horrific in its connetation. My prayers are with you daily equality riders.

[kara speltz]

If I understood Mohler's comment correctly, he wants to see if there is a way to "correct" homosexuality in utero to reverse the effects of sin. If I understood it properly, is Mohler putting himself in the place of God, who masterfully created us to be what we are? This idiot is painfully arrogant and pompous to suggest this ridiculous idea. He is apparently admitting that homosexuality is formed before birth, so this preposterous idea that we "choose" to be this way is what he is now refuting. Amazing! More and more, these religious fundamentalists remind me of Hitler and his quest to create a master race. One of his cronies, Dr. Mengele, tried to do this with horrific scientific, (if you could call it that) experiments at Auschwitz. Is this what we are headed for? Scientific experiments to change our sexuality? Women choosing abortion if they find out their unborn child is gay? Wow! I wonder how they see this as honoring God and practicing the love Jesus showed us on the cross. Or is this even a consideration for these people? Press on Equality Riders!!! We have to stand up to this nonsense before we are led to gas chambers and scientific labs!!!:mad:

It seems to me that fundamentalist, as a rule, believe that they can comprehend the mind of God. To me that is equating yourself with God. So they go about trying to enforce their beliefs on others.

There's a place in the NT, I can't recall where, that speaks about the only unforgiveable sin. I have never quite been sure what it meant, but I wonder if it was refering to equating yourself and your capacity for understanding, with God might not be that. Though truthfully, I'm not sure I truly believe there is any unforgiveable sin. Guess we'll only know these answers for sure when we finally come to rest in our Creator's arms.

kara

[keltic63]

It seems to me that fundamentalist, as a rule, believe that they can comprehend the mind of God. To me that is equating yourself with God. So they go about trying to enforce their beliefs on others.

There's a place in the NT, I can't recall where, that speaks about the only unforgiveable sin. I have never quite been sure what it meant, but I wonder if it was refering to equating yourself and your capacity for understanding, with God might not be that. Though truthfully, I'm not sure I truly believe there is any unforgiveable sin. Guess we'll only know these answers for sure when we finally come to rest in our Creator's arms.

kara

Mark 3:22-30, Jesus talks about that sin, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I've understood it to mean attributing the work of the Holy Spirit (God?) to some other source (perhaps Satan). It's certainly difficult to grasp, isn't it? I agree that it could certainly apply to stealing power from God and claiming it as your own. That certainly seems to be what Mohler is doing in his statements.

[andrewlittle]

There's a place in the NT, I can't recall where, that speaks about the only unforgiveable sin. I have never quite been sure what it meant, but I wonder if it was refering to equating yourself and your capacity for understanding, with God might not be that. Though truthfully, I'm not sure I truly believe there is any unforgiveable sin. Guess we'll only know these answers for sure when we finally come to rest in our Creator's arms.

kara
Matthew 12:
31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Luke 12:
10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

The Greek blashpemew has the meaning of "speaking against, slandering, insulting." To equate oneself with God, or the Holy Spirit, would be to say that God is like creation - if I were God, I might be insulted.

[u-dog]

- if I were God, I might be insulted.

.... You arent, Andrew... You ARE NOT.

[andrewlittle]

.... You arent, Andrew... You ARE NOT.

Well, according to YOU ...

Oh, crappe, I may be blaspheming.

[tdogg]

It seems to me that fundamentalist, as a rule, believe that they can comprehend the mind of God. To me that is equating yourself with God. So they go about trying to enforce their beliefs on others.

There's a place in the NT, I can't recall where, that speaks about the only unforgiveable sin. I have never quite been sure what it meant, but I wonder if it was refering to equating yourself and your capacity for understanding, with God might not be that. Though truthfully, I'm not sure I truly believe there is any unforgiveable sin. Guess we'll only know these answers for sure when we finally come to rest in our Creator's arms.

kara

I have an aunt, who I use to be quite close with. After coming out to her, and her going through her grief phases, trying to 'save' me, she often told me that she knows what Jesus wants for my life more than I could ever know. I expressed that sounded arrogant, and in a flurry of back and forths she no longer speaks to me. It amazes and baffles me when other people profess to know what I'm supposed to do with MY life. My experience throughout the years, since a pre-teen child, are that this is quite common in fundamental religious circles.

The 'unforgiveable sin' has been a tool used in Pentecostal circles (at least those I've been in and around) to scare the heck out of people and keep them guessing as to what it could be, so that their behavior could be controlled to an extent by others. One that I've heard, that goes along with Biblical writings, is that it's not accepting Jesus as one's saviour when the Holy Spirit calls upon one's heart to consider it. Keltic's sounds pretty reasonable tho. This is speaking of what we might consider the Bible says about this subject, but not necessarily what I believe. I have a difficult time truly comprehending and buying into all the writings about 'sin' and 'hell'.

[JacoBison]

You guys should be here in Louisville to read all the letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles about Mohler's blog. Everyone thinks he's wacko and few people take him seriously.

I think when TIME named him the leading intellectual of the conservative movement, it was a commentary on the lack of intellect in the conservative movement.

I know it makes you all angry to read his words, but having been in Louisville when he became president of the seminary (at age 33) and seen his quotes and articles in the news for the last 15 years... trust me when I say no one lends credence to his thoughts.

I don't think he has many followers. Even current seminary students have been rolling their eyes when I talk about him.

Here is an article from the local weekly (http://www.leoweekly.com/?q=node/4248). Unfortunately they did not post the photos online that appeared in the paper, which were headshots - I think mug shots - of the ERiders who were arrested.