Most LGBT Friendly UC?

Marsian
Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:27:03 +0000

To add to bclintonk’s remarks, specifically about Baptists in the South:

There are many formerly Southern Baptist churches that are still just as Baptist and just as Southern but have withdrawn from the Southern Baptist Convention in the past twenty years because of the Convention’s fundamentalist stances. Some have affiliated with American Baptists; most have not. If a label were to be assigned to them, it would more accurately be mainstream than evangelical. (Although that brings up another issue, which is that a lot of churches that are mainstream in their theology may call themselves evangelical in the “small e” sense.) These churches are generally ecumenically- and interfaith-minded. A number of these churches are “open and affirming” (i.e. welcome gay people into the full life of the congregation, including marriage ceremonies). If I were to drive within an 50-mile radius of my home in North Carolina, I could find at least 60 churches that are “open and affirming”. Of these, probably 10-12 would be Baptist.



And those theological debates are also contributing to an evolution in the views of millions of people who strongly identify with one of these denominations, just as the rapidly evolving views of individual congregants are influencing the churches themselves.
…

Here in Minnesota during recent battles over same sex marriage, the voices of leaders of mainstream Protestant denominations in favor of marriage equality were a very important counterweight to the voices of the Catholic bishops and conservative evangelical ministers. Religion played a huge role, on both sides.



I see that in North Carolina as well. Because there is not a large Catholic presence here, the voices are mainly the mainstream Protestants (including many Baptists) versus the evangelical Protestants (also including many Baptists). On this issue the mainstream Protestant voices are gaining ground quickly, and they are coupled with the younger generation’s increased acceptance of same-sex relationships. In 10-15 years this issue will be settled. (I used to say 20 years, but things are turning around more quickly than I thought they would.)