Posted on 06/17/2015 4:31:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
The president of the Southern Baptist Convention has a message regarding the looming Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage: We will not obey.
“The Supreme Court of the United States is not the final authority nor is the culture itself,” declared Ronnie Floyd, the elected leader of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. “The Bible is God’s final authority about marriage and on this book we stand.”
Dr. Floyd’s powerful and provocative comments were met with thunderous applause and standing ovations from thousands of Southern Baptist messengers meeting in Columbus, Ohio.
“While some evangelicals may be bowing down to the deception of the inclusiveness of same-sex marriage, we will not bow down nor will we be silent,” Floyd declared in a fiery speech on Tuesday. “We do not need to redefine what God Himself has defined already.”
And from there Dr. Floyd went where few prominent pastors have gone before – a Supreme Court showdown.
“America – we stand believing that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime,” he said in a thundering speech. “We have believed this and do believe this and will continue to believe this as a convention of churches. We stand for biblical and traditional marriage.”
Dr. Floyd reminded the gathering of something German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said: “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
“This is a Bonhoeffer moment for every pastor in the United States,” Floyd said, warning ministers that the time has come for every minister to stand strongly and clearly – regardless of the cost.
“That’s what Bonhoeffer did,” he said.
The pending decision over gay marriage weighed heavily on the minds of many Southern Baptists and messengers will consider a resolution calling on all Christians to stand firm on the biblical definition of marriage.
“Resolved, that Southern Baptists recognize that no governing institution has the authority to negate or usurp God’s definition of marriage; and be it further resolved no matter how the Supreme Court rules, the Southern Baptist Convention reaffirms its unwavering commitment to its doctrinal and public beliefs concerning marriage,” the resolution reads in part.
Evangelical Christians across America fear a decision legalizing same-sex marriage would have a devastating impact on religious liberty.
A growing number of Christians have already faced persecution because of their objections to gay marriage. Public workers have lost their jobs, private business owners have been slapped with lawsuits and complaints and private citizens have been bullied and harassed for signing pro-traditional marriage petitions.
It’s not exactly clear how the Southern Baptist Convention’s defiance will manifest itself — but Floyd revealed his personal plan.
“I declare to everyone today as a minister of the Gospel – I will not officiate over any same-sex unions or same-sex marriage ceremonies,” he said. “I completely refuse.”
Dr. Floyd stood resolute – the face of what I am sure will be national attacks from intolerant bullies and the radical speech police. There is no doubt he will be called a homophobic bigot. I’m sure some will label his remarks as hate speech.
I urge you to ignore them and truly listen to this brave man of God’s words – his call to “love and respect those who do not agree with us.”
“And while we affirm our love for all people, including those struggling with same-sex attraction, we cannot and will not affirm any behavior that deviates from God’s design for marriage,” he said.
The issue facing Southern Baptists is one that will face every person of faith in the United States – do you follow God or the government?
“Our first commitment is to God and His Word – nothing else and no one else,” Dr. Floyd said matter-of-factly.
Amen, sir. Amen.
Bravo & amen!
Amen, Amen
[The issue facing Southern Baptists is one that will face every person of faith in the United States – do you follow God or the government?]
God bless the Southern Baptist Convention for standing on the Word of God.
Bravo!
Hear, hear. Certainly the religious community must stand athwart this perversion of God’s institution. But there is also a secular interest. If we allow the government to capriciously define morality — in direct contravention of common sense and natural law — then we risk being slaves to whatever whimsy moves the masters on any given day.
I am proud of our leadership at the SBC.
At least they stand in unison claiming the freedom given to us by Christ rather than hugging some elected politicians and proclaiming Communist values that have had as their manifesto to destroy Christianity!
It is about time they woke up.
Acts 4:19
But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!
Catholic kudos to Dr. Floyd here!
“America – we stand believing that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime,” he said in a thundering speech. “We have believed this and do believe this and will continue to believe this as a convention of churches. We stand for biblical and traditional marriage.” Dr. Floyd reminded the gathering of something German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said: “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” “This is a Bonhoeffer moment for every pastor in the United States,” Floyd said, warning ministers that the time has come for every minister to stand strongly and clearly – regardless of the cost. “That’s what Bonhoeffer did,” he said.
The pending decision over gay marriage weighed heavily on the minds of many Southern Baptists and messengers will consider a resolution calling on all Christians to stand firm on the biblical definition of marriage. “Resolved, that Southern Baptists recognize that no governing institution has the authority to negate or usurp God’s definition of marriage; and be it further resolved no matter how the Supreme Court rules, the Southern Baptist Convention reaffirms its unwavering commitment to its doctrinal and public beliefs concerning marriage,” the resolution reads in part.
Bravo.
“Choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29
God is a majority.
God Bless Dr. Floyd.
I wish he would have added that the Southern Baptist Churches will not allow membership of sodomites.
I'm glad he affirmed that, but it isn't the issue. They won't try to force every minister to violate their religion until a decade or a generation has passed.
So, the issue is civil disobedience NOW that actually injures the enemy or disrupts their plans.
1. Check law to see if a marriage done without an official license is STILL a legal marriage, and then do the marriages with zero input from the state. Stop solemnizing state marriages.
2. Have your church vote to forego any federal tax deduction benefits your members might receive, so that the church doesn't have to deal with the federal government pretending they're in charge of speech that takes place in our pulpits. (Hint: most incomes don't receive any benefit due to the standard deduction. And any benefit is only relevant at the tax rate on the dollar. So, if a person donates 2000 and their effective tax rate was 10%, then they really only gained $200.)
3. Sam's Club gets away with being a club. Have Christian businesses become clubs, where any customer must pay their buck to join and must sign an agreement to "business principles" in order to shop, eat, order, etc. from that 'club'.
4. Adoptions: have parents state in their wills that their church's principles are the only acceptable beliefs of any adoption agency or adoptive parent, should that become necessary in the lives of their children.
5. Orphanages: reestablish church-based orphanages, and then have parent's wills state these as the only acceptable location for their children should a tragedy make it necessary.
6. Education: strongly encourage parents to send their children to Christian schools, online or brick-and-mortar, DESPITE any property tax laws that might burden them.
7. School Boards: have Christians run for and take over school boards. Have those school boards enact the most lenient monetary policies toward home-schooled and Christian-schooled families that they can succeed at passing.
8. County Government: have Christians run for an win every county office, including Sheriff.
As only Christ truly sees the heart, anyone living openly in a sinful relationship be it unwed couples or homosexual couples though, would be refused as members as it is obvious that their lifestyle is indicative of the fact that they have not renounced their former lives and embraced Christ.
Deuteronomy 30:19
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
That would kind of fly in the face of his "...we affirm our love for all people, including those struggling with same-sex attraction..." claim wouldn't it?
Ping for later
A Christian church should not allow membership of sodomites, nor couples living together but not married.
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