COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) passed a resolution Tuesday reaffirming the Christian denomination’s stance against same-sex marriage during its annual meeting, its 26th time to do so since 1976.
“The Southern Baptist Convention calls on Southern Baptists and all Christians of like-mindedness to stand firm on the Bible’s witness on the private purpose of marriage, which is to unite man and woman as one flesh; and the public purpose of marriage, which is to secure the basis for the flourishing of human civilization,” the resolution said.
The resolutions committee is chaired by former Gardendale First Baptist Church pastor Reverend Steve Gaines.
With approximately one million Southern Baptists in the state, the denomination is Alabama’s largest by a wide margin.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to make a definitive ruling on whether or not state bans on gay marriage are Constitutional sometime this month.
During oral arguments for the case at least one SCOTUS justice, Antonin Scalia, raised a concern shared by many Christians that establishing gay marriage as a constitutional right would require pastors to violate their deeply held beliefs and perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples.
“I’m concerned about the wisdom of this court imposing through the Constitution a requirement of action which is unpalatable to many of our citizens for religious reasons,” Scalia told Mary Bonauto, a lawyer arguing in favor of same-sex marriage. “They are not likely to change their view about what marriage consists of. And were the States to adopt it by law, they could make exceptions to what is required for same-sex marriage, who has to honor it and so forth. But once it’s made a matter of constitutional law, those exceptions — for example, is it conceivable that a minister who is authorized by the State to conduct marriage can decline to marry two men if indeed this Court holds that they have a constitutional right to marry? Is it conceivable that that would be allowed?”
Despite the misgivings expressed by several Supreme Court Justices, it is widely believed they will strike down state gay marriage bans.
In a preemptive declaration, the SBC restated that they will stand firm against secular calls to change the church’s doctrine.
“Southern Baptists recognize that no governing institution has the authority to countermand God’s definition of marriage;” the resolution states, “no matter how the Supreme Court rules, the Southern Baptist Convention reaffirms its unwavering commitment to its doctrinal and public beliefs concerning marriage.”
During a speech by SBC President Ronnie Floyd, the leader further solidified the church’s position, declaring “The Supreme Court of the United States is not the final authority nor is the culture itself. The Bible is God’s final authority about marriage and on this book we stand.”
Floyd’s speech was reportedly met with thunderous applause from the thousands of SBC representatives in attendance.
The SBC will continue its annual meeting Wednesday with a speech from former Birmingham-based Church at Brook Hills pastor David Platt, who left to serve as the next president of the International Mission Board (IMB).
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
