Southern Baptist Convention

[Rick336]

I saw in the Anti-GLBT Watch section of this web site that SoulForce has been present at every Southern Baptist Convention since 2000. Will volunteers be needed at this year's convention in Greensboro, North Carolina? I live close by and will be glad to help out.

Rick Hunter

[Jamie McDaniel]

I served as co-chair for the 2003 (http://www.soulforce.org/article/29) and 2004 (http://www.soulforce.org/article/25) Soulforce action at the SBC. Those were large actions with about 100 volunteers protesting the anti-gay teachings of the Southern Baptist Convention. (Check this (http://www.soulforce.org/flash/indianapolisSBC.html) out, I think it still works. :))

In 2005 (http://www.soulforce.org/article/552) we had a much smaller presence, but still distributed lots of booklets. (It was a last minute decision to go.)

There is currently no planned action for the 2006 SBC. Part of this is due to our redirecting resources from organizing the annual SBC action to organizing the Dobson action. Both fall in that June-July period. Soulforce feels that Dobson has a much larger reach than the SBC and that he is doing far more harm to the GLBT community.

I don't, however, want to minimize the damage that the Southern Baptist Convention is doing. My journey began in that denomination and my heart goes out to those youth growing up Southern Baptist who are just beginning to discover they are different than their friends. Their spiritual walks are being sabotaged at this very moment.

Here are some of the resolutions the Southern Baptist Convention has voted to affirm during their past annual meetings:

SBC Resolution on Homosexuality, June 1988.
“Homosexual activity is the primary cause of the introduction and spread of
AIDS in the United States which has not only affected those of the
homosexual community, but also many innocent victims.”

SBC Resolution on Homosexual Marriage, June 1996.
“God makes it clear in Scripture that even desire to engage in a homosexual
sexual relationship is always sinful, impure, degrading, shameful, unnatural,
indecent and perverted.”

SBC Resolution on Homosexual Marriage, June 1996.
“God by saying their blood will be on their own heads (Lev.20:13) has
explicitly ruled out any effort by homosexual couples to justify their
behavior.”

SBC Resolution on the President’s Executive Order on Homosexual Federal Employees, June 1998.
“The open affirmation of homosexuality represents a sign of God’s
surrendering a society to its perversion.”

SBC Resolution on Same-Sex Marriage, June 2003.
"We oppose all efforts by media and entertainment outlets and public schools to mainstream homosexual unions in the eyes of our children."

SBC Resolution on Supporting A Federal Marriage Amendment, June 2004.
"We call upon Southern Baptists and all members of the Body of Christ to provide their elected representatives at the federal and state levels with verbal and written encouragement to pass such an amendment."

[Rick336]

Thanks for the info Jamie. I'm looking forward to Colorado Springs.

Just as a note:

The Southern Baptist Convention was created in 1845 when they split from the Northern Baptists over the issue of slavery. ( Southern Baptists were in favor of slavery and used scripture to support it ).

It wasn't until 1995 ( 150 years later ) that they finally wrote a resolution denouncing slavery.


Here's a link to an article about Southern Baptists:
http://www.txbc.org/2000Journals/July2000/July00southernbaptistsnot.htm

[NathanATX]

Thanks for the info Jamie. I'm looking forward to Colorado Springs.

Just as a note:

The Southern Baptist Convention was created in 1845 when they split from the Northern Baptists over the issue of slavery. ( Southern Baptists were in favor of slavery and used scripture to support it ).

It wasn't until 1995 ( 150 years later ) that they finally wrote a resolution denouncing slavery.


Here's a link to an article about Southern Baptists:
http://www.txbc.org/2000Journals/July2000/July00southernbaptistsnot.htm

Hey Rick... is this something you would want to lead this year?

[Rick336]

Nathan,

The Southern Baptists Convention's annual meeting started today ( June 13 ) in Greensboro and apparently ends tomorrow. This doesn't give me time to really do anything.

However, I will more than likely be available to help out next year.

Rick

[NonLemming]

Thanks for the info Jamie. I'm looking forward to Colorado Springs.

Just as a note:

The Southern Baptist Convention was created in 1845 when they split from the Northern Baptists over the issue of slavery. ( Southern Baptists were in favor of slavery and used scripture to support it ).

It wasn't until 1995 ( 150 years later ) that they finally wrote a resolution denouncing slavery.


Here's a link to an article about Southern Baptists:
http://www.txbc.org/2000Journals/July2000/July00southernbaptistsnot.htm

Why does the slavery part not surprise me? How embarrassing.

[Rick336]

From Yahoo news June 14, 2006:

Click here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060614/ap_on_re_us/southern_baptists