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...]
Naghmeh Abedini calls for husband’s release
WASHINGTON (BP) – The release of Americans imprisoned in Iran should be a condition of any nuclear deal with the Persian nation, the wife of imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini told the House Foreign Affairs Committee June 2. Following testimony from Negmeh Abedini and the families of other U.S. citizens imprisoned or missing in Iran, the committee passed a resolution stating, “Iran should release all detained United States citizens immediately and provide any information it possesses … [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...]
Floyd & former SBC presidents take marriage stance
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- The current and 16 former Southern Baptist Convention presidents released a statement on biblical marriage and the national implications of same-sex marriage in a June 17 news conference prior to the concluding sessions of the SBC annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio. The full statement follows: As Southern Baptist Christians, we are committed to Biblical faith and ethics. As a result, this body of Believers stands on the authority of Scripture and God's Truth as … [Read more...]
Abedini beating intensifies calls for release
TEHRAN, Iran (BP) -- American pastor Saeed Abedini has been "viciously" beaten in the Iranian prison where he is being held for his Christian faith, the American Center for Law and Justice reported June 10, prompting renewed calls for Abedini's release as a condition of any nuclear deal between the U.S. and Iran. "It is crucial to speak out for Saeed as we approach the June 30th deadline between the United States and Iran," Abedini's wife Naghmeh said in a June 10 Facebook post. She … [Read more...]
Mule muffins: A liberal’s view of Christians, politics
There seems no end to the cacophony of liberals in the media demanding that there be no biblical influence on government. One of the most recent is David Rosman, columnist for The Missourian in Columbia, in his column, “Forcing religion into government is wrong.” To make his point, Rosman cites two instances where it was apparently attempted. The first was Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia requesting a grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The church wanted to resurface … [Read more...]
Payday loans targeted by SBC’s ERLC
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has helped launch a religious coalition seeking an end to the predatory loan industry. The ERLC joined with other religious organizations, May 14, to announce the Faith for Just Lending Coalition at a Capitol Hill news conference. The diverse alliance that includes Baptists, other evangelical Christians and mainline Protestants seeks to raise awareness about predatory lending and to motivate individuals, … [Read more...]
Marriage, Supreme Court deserves fervent prayer
NASHVILLE (BP) – The Supreme Court will soon decide whether states can legally choose to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. It is a watershed moment in our nation’s history. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has filed briefs with the court; argued in public and in private about why marriage, defined as the union of one man and one woman, matters as a social good; and more than there is space to list here. But beyond all this we as Christians and churches … [Read more...]
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