Across town, the annual Gay Pride parade was setting attendance records. The usual assortment of flamboyant costumes swirled around revelers celebrating the previous day’s victory over an ancient institution they’d found confining. One straight couple said they brought their toddlers, Fox and Bear (no kidding), so they could understand both freedom and homosexuality. About five miles down the road, in the little church my mother attends, the Ledbetter clan was gathered with other great … [Read more...]
Missourians still support biblical marriage
JEFFERSON CITY – Even after the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex “marriage” is legally valid throughout the United States, most of the Missourians that are likely to vote in 2016 still believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, according to a poll released by the Missouri Alliance for Freedom. The survey, conducted by the Kansas-City based Remington Research company, polled nearly 800 likely voters throughout the state—representing those who live both in rural and urban … [Read more...]
Presidential hopefuls react to gay marriage ruling
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Reaction among 2016 presidential candidates to the Supreme Court's nationwide legalization of gay marriage is divided largely along party lines, with all five Democrats in the race lauding the decision and at least 13 of 14 Republicans opposing it. As marriage and religious liberty moved to center stage of the campaign, one pastor and former U.S. Senate candidate urged Christians to consider supporting a candidate financially. "There are enough believers in this … [Read more...]
State resistance to marriage ruling dissipates
WASHINGTON (BP) – Three days after the U.S. Supreme Court's legalization of gay marriage nationwide, all 50 states have begun issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and instances of publicized resistance by government officials seem confined largely to the South. Some gay marriage proponents have advocated building on the court's ruling by legalizing polygamous marriages and abolishing tax exemptions for religious institutions. Meanwhile, Southern Baptist Convention President … [Read more...]
What every Christian should know about same-sex attraction
Next month the MBC releases What Every Christian Should Know About Same-Sex Attraction, a new resource that offers a Biblical perspective on homosexuality and how Christians can express Christ-like love for our LGBT friends. A series of columns beginning today features excerpts from the book, available in print and Kindle formats. Last month Ireland became the first country to legalize gay marriage by popular vote after a referendum found that 62 percent of voters favor … [Read more...]
Gay weddings: who must perform them?
WASHINGTON (BP) -- Legal opinions vary widely on what the U.S. Supreme Court's mandate of nationwide same-sex marriage will mean for pastors and government officials authorized to perform weddings. Some legal experts say government officials charged with performing weddings could lose their jobs for refusing to marry gay couples. But others believe both ministers and government officials likely will have freedom not to perform same-sex marriages that violate their religious … [Read more...]
What now? Reflections from John Yeats on the Supreme Court decision sanctioning same-sex marriage
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision sanctioning gay marriage comes as no surprise to me, or to many of my Missouri Baptist colleagues. As I read reactions from Christian leaders across the state and around the nation, it’s hard to avoid the angst and anger arising from their deeply held convictions. “The Supreme Court has stripped all Americans of the freedoms to debate and decide marriage policy through the democratic process,” writes one such leader. “The sacred institution of … [Read more...]
Leader reaction to Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage
WASHINGTON -- In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court today redefined marriage, ruling that same-sex couples may now marry in all 50 states. The ruling overrides Missouri’s Constitution which defines marriage as being only between a man and a woman. Reaction from religious leaders and supporters of traditional marriage was swift. Don Hinkle, Pathway editor and director of public policy for the Missouri Baptist Convention called the decision “a travesty. Marriage is not even … [Read more...]
GuideStone reacts to Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide
DALLAS -- GuideStone Financial Resources is studying the Supreme Court’s decision that legalizes same-sex marriage in all 50 states," Guidestone officials said in a prepared statement today (June 26). We join with the vast majority of Southern Baptists and other conservative Christians in strongly disagreeing with the Supreme Court’s decision to redefine judicially what we believe God has defined perfectly for all time, and which has been the building block of every decent society for … [Read more...]
Church planters win at U.S. Supreme Court
Just as everyone was headed home from Columbus, Ohio, from another productive Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, word came of a major victory at the U.S. Supreme Court for free speech and church planters. On June 18 the Supremes delivered a stunning, unanimous 9-0 victory for the 82-year-old pastor of Good News Presbyterian Church in Gilbert, Ariz., finding that the Town of Gilbert’s sign ordinance is content-based discrimination. The win paves the way for smaller congregations … [Read more...]
SBC panel: Value love, Gospel with LGBT community
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) – Christians should not undervalue the effect of love or the Gospel in relating to gays and lesbians, recognizing, however, that faithfulness to the biblical definition of marriage will prove costly, members of a special panel told messengers at the 2015 Southern Baptist Convention. During the Wednesday afternoon session (June 17), five panelists answered questions from SBC President Ronnie Floyd about how churches and pastors can minister in an American culture that … [Read more...]
SCOTUS votes 9-0 to uphold free speech for church planters
WASHINGTON – On Thursday (June 18), the United States Supreme Court delivered a landmark win for free speech, ruling 9-0 in favor of Pastor Clyde Reed in the case of Reed v. Town of Gilbert. The Missouri Baptist Convention’s Christian Life Commission was among the friend of the court briefs filed on the winning side in support of Arizona church planting pastor Clyde Reed. The Court found that the town’s sign code, which generously permits an array of political, ideological, and other … [Read more...]
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