N. C. Baptist Convention measure would oust churches that support gays

[Charlie Brown]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/15992783.htm

The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina could expel any church that endorses homosexuality after its annual meeting this week.

On Tuesday, the organization is expected to pass a measure that would alter the articles of its constitution to provide for such exclusions. Some local churches said the move symbolizes a divide that began years ago between conservative and progressive churches.

"Bill thought it was timely that the North Carolina Baptists address the issue head on, and we said we consider homosexual activity a sin," state convention spokesman Norman Jameson said. "We will not view favorably churches that allow that practice."

The state convention will initially investigate about 20 churches because they are listed on the Alliance of Baptists' Web site as a supporter.

"Those churches that are listed are immediately under suspicion and opened to being questioned," Jameson said.

[xultar]

1. Well that isn't very christian is it?

[Freedom_from_Chains]

2. Well guess that means the churches who are full of bigots

will be given the hev-ho. I'm sure that will be good news to them.

[Occulus]

4. b-b-b-b-but

"(T)here has been statement after statement from the mainline clergy on behalf of gays!"

:eyes:

[Sgent]

14. Southern Baptists are not "mainline"

Souther Baptists are not considered a mainline denomination -- which is generally considered members of the National Council of Churches.

They are evangelical -- members of the NAE (Ted Haggards group).

[VegasWolf]

3. The bible-whacker,sky people fearer battle among themselves. My guess

is the snake-kissing, floor-rolling people like Ashcroft will win.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Meh. Just another case of Southern Baptist vs mainline Baptists. They

already bugged out at the nat'l lvl. This is just going down another step.

[nickyt]

6. Well good, since homosexual activity is a "sin", I hope these righteous Baptists

also commence to weed out their adulterers, smokers, drinkers, cursers, dancers and card-players. Which will leave them with a total of 19 congregants, which is fine by me!!
-sarcasm-
(sorta)

[damntexdem]

8. No, wait! They'd have to weed out the liers, too. There goes the 19.

Let he who is without sin cast the first ballot at the church convention.

[LiberalFighter]

7. I support them doing that... the endorsers should form their own group

[cboy4]

9. Those Baptists are sure obsessed with homosexuality, aren't they?

Too bad they're not as interested and vocal about members who are rapists.

Must not be as big a sin. :eyes:

[nealmhughes]

10. Another good reason for them to become Methodists or Episcopalians.

Or ECLA.

Women can be ministers, even bishops!, there is no overt homophobia, and the people of the church are more interested in Jesus than thy neighbor's ass.

[kineneb]

23. inclusion rather than exclusion

something I have discovered as an "outsider" playing services for a Methodist church- they are really putting an emphasis on living the Christian message: charity, attending to the sick, elderly and poor, and not condemning those on the margins of society. I was and continue to be astonished at the "liberal-ness" of their teachings. It sure ain't a fundie church.

[truthisfreedom]

11. forcing people into the closet only creates more weirdos.

these idiots never learn.

[cboy4]

16. Perhaps a poor choice of words on your part! ;) I'm 99% sure

you didn't mean to imply that people in the closet (including those forced into it) are "weirdos." ;)

[VegasWolf]

12. I thought the hard core Baptists were all METHodists? nt

[wholetruth00]

13. What the hell does "endorses homosexuality" mean?

Most of the conservative RW funddies don't even "endorse" sex of any kind except maybe polygamy.

[JerseygirlCT]

25. By endorse they undoubtedly mean not discriminate too badly. nt

[TaleWgnDg]

15. Ummmm, this is the very same group that favored slavery over

.

Ummmm, this is the very same group that favored slavery over the abolition of slavery just prior to the U.S. Civil War. Indeed. These yo-yos broke away from mainstream Baptists to form their own sect of Baptists who favored slavery. I think the date was around 1848 or so. Slaveowners had to go somewhere to church, correct? The rift of separation never has been pasted back together to this day!

So what's the surprise today? When these bigots want to exclude themselves from gays and those who allow gays into their churches? Merely more of the same old same old discrimination. S'all.

However, and here lies the irony, their leaders may be gay and carry on extra-marital trysts! No surprise there either. After all, didn't slaveowners father many progeny too?

Bigots, typically, are hypocrites, period.



.

[cboy4]

17. Excellent bullshit meter! They should have that on a stadium-like

jumbo screen in front of the White House!! :thumbsup:

[Maddy McCall]

18. Looking at recent history, I'd bet that Bill Sanderson and Norm Jameson are gay.

Seems like the most fierce opponents to gays are hiding their own skeletons.

:eyes:

[MasonJar]

19. Who needs them? Let them isolate themselves from the rest of

us with policies reminiscent of the Inquisition. I do think as a very ex-Southern Baptist that these un-Christian segments of any denomination should move right along their own dreary road and let the rest of us live our lives free of their despicable mantra.

[citizen snips]

20. They can spend their time better by discussing other things.

[IndianaGreen]

21. Lying is also a sin, are they going to expel churches that have liars?

These fanatics would have expelled Jesus if they had a chance.

[Anakin Skywalker]

22. Who would want to be with fundamentalist churches anyway?

A big middle finger to bigots.

[xchrom]

24. let them split --

this will further marginalize and identify these radicals.

they are not christian -- but they do need to be identified and watched -- just my two cents.

[JerseygirlCT]

26. That's what I was thinking. nt

[Divine Discontent]

27. right on....

and AMEN to that! sick people.



www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<-- antibush prodem stickers/shirts