Lesbian pastor ruffles Southern Baptist tradition in Tenn.

Associated Press ^ | July 5, 2003 | Jim Patterson

[nwrep]

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[Pan_Yans Wife]

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[DannyTN]

Glendale's half-century associations with the Tennessee Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention have been dissolved over the past month because of Baker. Baptist officials said the church's choice to support Baker, currently its only full-time minister, left them with no choice.

When I read the title, I wondered why the SBC hadn't already disassociated itself. Good, they didn't waste any time.

Jesus died for all the lost, gays as well as straights. But the scripture is clear. Continuing in the gay lifestyle is incompatible with Christianity. It's a failure to submit to Jesus as the Lord of your life.

Ask any gay and he will tell you something like "I have to be true to myself". Forget his maker, he's focused on self.

[xzins]

Baptist officials said the church's choice to support Baker, currently its only full-time minister, left them with no choice. "In having a homosexual or lesbian minister, they are clearly endorsing homosexual behavior, and thus have defined themselves outside of the Southern Baptist Convention," said Richard Land, president of the SBC's public policy arm.

They've done more than that.

They've defined themselves out of the Christian religion.

[Bismark]

She is a gifted speaker, a great pulpit speaker. She is a very spiritual leader for the kids."

Spiritual is not the same as Christian. All of us are sinners, but one should draw the line at continuing in sin and denying that it is sin.

[Gritty]

(The congregation) decided to pick the best candidate for the job, regardless of sexual orientation.

I can't imagine what the other candidates were like!

The church was rightly expelled from the Convention. However, look for the upcoming lawsuits which will force churches to hire such people. The lawsuits will no doubt come, and given the pathetic state of today's American jurisprudence will probably succeed.

Just because Sodom would be proud of such a state of affairs doesn't mean America should be.

[JakeWyld]

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Now I'm not a practicing Christian. Left the faith actively about a year and a half ago. So I couldn't quote bible versus in my arguments. However, I'm willing to defend the faith (more importantly the man himself) especially when questions of spirituality vs. faith and conviction come up. As you so simply pointed out they are not the same thing.

[GatekeeperBookman]

Narcissism-THE disease of the age.

[AD from SpringBay]

"What will happen when we move from the center to the margins, and make friends . . . with those that our society smugly thinks of as the disinherited and marginalized? What will happen when they become our heroes and heroines of friendship and faithfulness, forgiveness and grace?"

Well (just thinking out lout here) if the disinherited and marginalized become our heroes and heroines without repenting (recognizing that it's wrong to be a queer, or that there are qualifications to being a pastor, for example) and turning to Jesus Christ as their savior then I guess that means they will go to hell and probably lead a lot of people there with them.

[billhilly]

Religion has always been an impediment to man's desires. Why else would it exist? The trick, and it is a huge trick, has been to convince people thay they no longer need to change their behavior, they only need to change the church.

Those of a certain age will remember laughing at Flip Wilson, the great comic, when he would explain things that he did with the phrase, "The devil made me do it."

[Paul Atreides]

She is a very spiritual leader for the kids.

That is all that matters to them. Notice how many people who defend homosexuals want them constantly around children, teaching them all about how they live and convincing them that they might be one as well.

If a straight guy wanted to be a leader to the Girl Scouts as badly as homosexual men want to be to the Boy Scouts, his entire life history would come under scrutiny.

[Paul Atreides]

These days, I've heard "spiritual" applied to things such as being at a rock concert to getting a bodily piercing. Some people increasingly want a New Age religion, devoid of judgments or restrictions. Just preach love and peace, that abortion and homosexuality are actually what God wants, and socialism, and forget all of that morality stuff and Jesus.

[Zack Nguyen]

The church was rightly expelled from the Convention. However, look for the upcoming lawsuits which will force churches to hire such people.

I am very concerned about this too. I think an attempt will be made in the near future (the next several years, maybe) to silence pastors who speak out against homosexual behavior. Possibly "hate crimes" law will be used as the excuse.

[CindyDawg]

A female preacher, homosexuals in leadership postions, and sacramental robes? Yep, sounds like your run of the mill SBC.

[Gil4]

Those of a certain age will remember laughing at Flip Wilson...

Then there are those of us of a certain age who remeber a pastor who liked to use Flip Wilson as an illustration fairly regularly. I don't remember the original, however.

[who knows what evil?]

No wonder that 'home churches' are growing by leaps and bounds, just like home schooling. Jesus warned us about apostate churches...they are here, and they are spreading like wildfire. I'm located in the Bible Belt, and I gave up trying to find a church several years ago.

[NeoCaveman]

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

Baker's sexual orientation is "such a small fraction of who she is," White said.

I doubt that.