homosexuality Archives - Baptist & Reflector

TWO TRAINS APPROACHING HEAD-ON COLLISION

May 29, 2019

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Two trains from opposite directions are moving toward each other at breakneck speed. A collision is inevitable.

Train one is religious freedom. Train two is the Equality Act, H.R.5.

The United States House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, H.R.5. on May 17 by a margin of 236-173. See story on page 1. This would eliminate the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the classifications protected in the federal civil rights law. The likelihood of this bill passing the Republican-controlled Senate in the near future is not likely. The key words, however, are “near future.” [Read more…]

‘HATE’ SHOULD BE USED ONLY FOR SIN

April 5, 2019

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

“Hate” is one of the most powerful words in the English language.

Most dictionaries define the verb “hate” as to “feel intense or passionate dislike for (someone).”

“Hate,” when used as a noun means “intense or passionate dislike.”

How we use the word “hate” is important. In and of itself, “hate” is not a bad word. There are some things we need to “hate” — violence, poverty, abortion, liver and onions, Clemson, etc. But there are some people who use the word to stir up bitterness and anger. That needs to stop. The word “hate” is polarizing our nation as never before, especially when it is used to describe Christians. [Read more…]

UMC ACTION PROVIDES HOPE: MOHLER

March 5, 2019

Baptist Press

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey chaired the conference as the United Methodist Church narrowly upheld traditional marriage and a ban on LGBT ordination.
-Photo by Paul Jeffrey/United Methodist News Service

ST. LOUIS — United Methodist bishops are promoting unity in the global church after delegates narrowly retained biblical marriage and a ban on LGBT ordination at a contentious 2019 General Conference in St. Louis.

Delegates approved Feb. 26 the so-called Traditional Plan by a margin of 53.3 percent to 46.7 percent, going against the One Church Plan backed by the United Methodist Church (UMC) Council of Bishops in advance of the conference. The Plan would have largely left LGBT marriage and ordination in the hands of local church pastors, while the Traditional Plan strengthens church policy prohibiting same-sex unions and the ordination of practicing homosexuals. [Read more…]

CITY SETTLES WITH FORMER FIRE CHIEF

October 25, 2018

Baptist Press

Kelvin Cochroan
-BP file photo

ATLANTA — The Atlanta city council has agreed to a $1.2 million settlement with former fire chief Kelvin Cochran over his January 2015 termination for his views about marriage and sexuality.

The city council voted 11-3 after an executive session Oct. 15 during which city attorneys recommended a settlement and legal fees negotiated with the religious liberty organization Alliance Defending Freedom, which has handled Cochran’s court case, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. [Read more…]

A CRAZY WORLD

September 25, 2018

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Screen capture/YouTube

If you ever doubted we’re living in a crazy, mixed up and definitely sinful world, just read this latest article from Baptist Press about popular Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie.

Bert and Ernie and Big Bird and all the gang have been around for decades. My children are ages 33 and 29 and they watched Sesame Street faithfully as preschoolers and young children. I watched it with them at times. [Read more…]

EC CONSIDERS DC CONVENTION, MISSION BOARD MERGER

February 26, 2018

Baptist Press

Stephen Rummage, chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, presided over the EC’s Feb. 19-20 meeting in Nashville. Photo by Morris Abernathy (for Baptist Press).

NASHVILLE — The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has given the District of Columbia Baptist Convention (DCBC) 90 days to “secure” the “the removal of any churches from its fellowship that have demonstrated a faith or practice affirming, approving or endorsing homosexual behavior,” according to a recommendation adopted by the EC Feb. 20.

If such churches remain in friendly cooperation with the DCBC after that period, the DCBC will lose its authorization “to receive and disburse Cooperative Program and other SBC contributions,” the EC stated during its Feb. 19-20 meetings in Nashville. [Read more…]

CBF NIXES ‘ABSOLUTE’ LGBT HIRING BAN

February 21, 2018

By David Roach
Baptist Press

Charlie Fuller, chairman of the CBF’s Illumination Project Committee, presents a report to the CBF General Assembly June 29. -Screen capture from CBFblog.com

DECATUR, Ga. — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Governing Board has voted to lift the Fellowship’s “absolute prohibition” of hiring homosexual and transgender employees.

But CBF “leadership positions in ministry” and missionary roles still will be limited to individuals “who practice a traditional Christian sexual ethic of celibacy in singleness or faithfulness in marriage between a woman and man,” according to a hiring “implementation procedure” also adopted by the Governing Board. Other positions will be open to “Christians who identify as LGBT.”

The new hiring policy and implementation procedure — adopted Feb. 9 at a CBF Governing Board meeting in Decatur, Ga. — replace the previous CBF hiring policy, which prohibited “the purposeful hiring of a staff person or the sending of a missionary who is a practicing homosexual.” [Read more…]

THE NASHVILLE STATEMENT: A CLEAR WORD IN A CONFUSED SOCIETY

September 5, 2017

By Todd Brady
Vice President for University Ministries, Union University

My wife and I were in Nashville recently for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission’s annual conference on parenting. Hearing from folks like Russell Moore, Jen Wilken, Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) and others, we sought to learn what we could to grow in this great work of parenting.

While we were there, the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood finalized The Nashville Statement, a series of affirmations and denials “declaring once again the true story of the world and of our place in it—particularly as male and female.” In a world of squishy ambiguities, vague double-speak and moral menageries, I was glad to read this clear, precise and definitive declaration espousing God’s design for biblical sexuality. You may read The Nashville Statement at www.cbmw.com. [Read more…]

FOUR FROM UNION SIGN NASHVILLE STATEMENT

August 31, 2017

From Union University News Office

JACKSON, Tenn. — Union University president Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver and three other Union faculty members were initial signers of the Nashville Statement released Aug. 29 that affirms biblical teaching on issues pertaining to gender and sexuality.

The statement, released by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, counts among its initial signatories such evangelical leaders as John Piper, D.A. Carson, R. Albert Mohler Jr., James Dobson, Russell Moore, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Steve Gaines and dozens of others. [Read more…]

EUGENE PETERSON CLARIFIES COMMENTS ON HOMOSEXUALITY

July 14, 2017

By David Roach
Baptist Press

(updated)

Eugene Peterson
-Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

NASHVILLE (BP) — Author Eugene Peterson, known for “The Message” paraphrase of Scripture, has clarified his beliefs about homosexuality, stating he affirms “a biblical view of marriage” and would not perform a same-sex wedding.

In a July 13 statement released by his agent Rick Christian, Peterson said he “would like to retract” a statement published the previous day by Religion News Service that he would perform a same-sex wedding if asked to do so. In an interview with RNS, Peterson also appeared to indicate he did not regard homosexual acts as inherently sinful. [Read more…]

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