ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, June 14, 1996 TAG: 9606140038
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW ORLEANS
SOURCE: CODY LOWE STAFF WRITER
Wrapping up their most sparsely attended national convention since 1981, Southern Baptists passed a series of resolutions Thursday, including a lengthy condemnation of the concept of same-sex marriages.
"The future of the United States will be placed at risk because no society can survive that does not recognize, protect and defend the unique importance of heterosexual marriage," the resolution condemning same-sex marriages contends. It rejects any efforts to define homosexual behavior or orientation as "moral" and cites scriptural condemnations of homosexuality and affirmations of heterosexual marriages.
The 13,700 "messengers" to the convention passed the resolution to address the likely legal recognition of same-sex marriages in Hawaii.
While the stand opposing homosexual marriages was predictable, the resolution concludes with an uncharacteristic pledge to disobey any "law, policy or regulation ... that legalizes homosexual marriage."
Baptists historically have affirmed the obligation of citizens to obey the laws of the countries in which they live. In this case, however, the resolution contends laws, policies or regulations that "accept, sanction, approve, protect, or promote homosexual marriage" would be "completely and thoroughly wicked according to God's standards revealed in the Bible, [and] we do most solemnly pledge our decision never to recognize the moral legitimacy of any such law."
It concludes, "we affirm that, whatever the stakes, we will never conform to or obey anything required by any governing body to implement, impose, or act upon any such law. So help us God."
The issue of homosexuality sparked the two highest-profile resolutions to come out of this year's meeting.
In the other, approved Wednesday, the messengers threatened to boycott Walt Disney Co., primarily in protest of corporate benefit programs for same-sex couples and what they see as the "promotion of homosexuality" by allowing gay and lesbian groups to hold "theme nights" at the company's parks.
Homosexual marriages wasn't the only issue involving church-state relationships that the convention took on. It also passed a resolution encouraging legislators "to develop the means and methods of returning educational and funding choices to parents." The resolution was seen as an endorsement of some system, such as vouchers, to allow parents to use tax funds for parochial or home schooling.
Messengers also voted to "vigorously denounce assisted suicide"; to urge all political parties to include an anti-abortion plank in their platforms; to urge federal officials "to uphold the fundamental freedom of religious liberty in the conduct of foreign policy"; and to support a national commission to study the effects of the growing legalized gambling industry in the country.
Another issue that held messengers' attention throughout the meeting was the arson of some 30 black churches in the South and Southwest in the past year and a half. Even as they concluded their meeting Thursday, word came that another such church in Oklahoma had been burned.
Wednesday morning, messengers passed a resolution saying they "deplore these despicable and abominable acts of lawlessness and racism." That night, they took up a special offering for a fund to assist the congregations that had lost their buildings to arson.
The cash and pledges received Wednesday, plus the $185,000 pledged before the convention started, brought the fund's total to $281,000.
Attempts to atone for the racist roots of the denomination - dating to its foundation in protest of anti-slavery efforts among Northern Baptists at the time of the Civil War - peaked last year with the passage of a resolution apologizing for the past and pledging to fight racism.
The 1994 convention elected the first black officer, Second Vice President Gary Frost of Ohio, who concluded his second term this year. His successor is another black pastor, the Rev. Fred Luter, pastor of the 2,500-member Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. The predominantly black congregation is the largest Southern Baptist church in Louisiana.
Conference registration officials were at a loss to explain this year's decline in attendance - some 30 percent below last year's 20,500 in Atlanta. Registration secretary Lee Porter had predicted 18,000 to 19,000 for this meeting.
The last time Southern Baptists met in the Louisiana Superdome, in 1990, they numbered 38,493. At that time, however, the "moderate" faction of the denomination, which had been ousted from power by "conservatives" in 1979, was still attempting to exert influence at the meetings.
Since then, most "moderate" churches, including the majority of Virginia Southern Baptist congregations, have quit sending messengers to the annual convention, convinced that they can no longer influence the denomination's national leadership.
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