Without being contentious, we must “contend for the faith,” and when God’s Word clearly names sin, it is HIS preachers’ responsibility to do the same. Scripture can only answer why so many Denominational groups acquiesce to the world’s pressure and politics again. Again, sin and the unregenerate mind are subject to satanic deception and these are perilous times.
My wife and I have been invited to weddings conducted in the context of Southern Baptist Churches. Sadly, one wedding ended in their fellowship hall with the “first dance”. The second wedding disintegrated into a reception and booze bar. We had no idea such would be the case. It is so grievous when you take a stand against sin and family/friends attack you as being “hateful and holier than thou!” Jesus said HIS Church is built “Upon the Rock.” A departure from Christ and HIS Truth leads to “shipwreck.” Dr. Don Jasmin of the “Fundamental Digest” cites this re-occurring trend in the Southern Baptist Churches:
At its 2014 national meeting, SBC messengers passed an excellent resolution opposing transgender identity but also promoting evangelism of LGBT individuals. The resolution stated that, “God’s good design for gender identity is determined by biological sex and not by one’s self-perception.” At a conference sponsored by the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, more than “1,000 evangelical pastors and others” affirmed heterosexual marriage only, as well as condemning all same-sex marriage relationships. However, the ERLC’s president and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s [SBTS] president both issued statements that appear to de-emphasize the above stand.
The “Baptist Banner” printed a report authored by Gordan Runyan entitled “Southern Baptist Policy Wonks Know More About Executing Justice on Sodomites Than God, Apparently.” Runyan noted that Russell Moore, the ERLC president, stated that “at the same time, we believe laws criminalizing homosexual activity to be unjust and an affront to the image of God embedded in all persons.”
This is an incredible statement for a conservative religious SBC spokesman! Criminal laws against perverted homosexual behavior are certainly not an affront to God’s image!
In another confusing statement, at the SBC-ERLC sponsored conference cited above, Dr. Albert Mohler, the president of the SBTS, said that he was “wrong years ago when he said same-sex attractions could be changed.” Greg Quinlan of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays said that he “considers that statement an affront to people who have been successfully treated: by the therapy offered."
…Some SBC leaders are apparently endeavoring to make the SBC’s stance against homosexuality as palatable as possible to the American public. –Don Jasmin, Fundamental Digest
"The Rev. Russell Moore, director of the Southern Baptist's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, which organized the conference, said Southern Baptists do not support 'reparative therapy' for gays based on psychological counseling and do not believe people can necessarily eliminate same-sex attraction. But he said the denomination believes Gospel teaching can help people live chastely while being attracted to people of the same gender." (dallasnews.com 10/28/14)
According to "ONE" Magazine, reporting on the December 2014 Free Will Baptist Leadership Conference, Russell Moore provided this denominations keynote address.