
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 18, 1993                   TAG: 9306180149
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
DATELINE: HOUSTON                                LENGTH: Short

BAPTISTS DECRY GAY RIGHTS PUSH

Southern Baptists lambasted the gay rights movement Thursday and opposed lifting the ban on homosexuals in the military in a strongly worded resolution approved during final sessions of their national convention.

Calling homosexual behavior "immoral," the resolution urged church members to oppose "all effort to provide government endorsement, sanction, recognition, acceptance or civil rights advantage on the basis of homosexuality."

"Homosexual politics is masquerading today as `civil rights,' " declared the resolution, which also contended that "homosexual conduct and other learned sexual deviance have nothing in common with the moral movement to stop discriminating against race and gender."

The resolution said sanctioning gays in the military "is detrimental to morale, unit cohesion, good order, discipline and mission accomplishment."

by CNB