Pastor Jared Moore sees a shift within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) regarding teachings on same-sex attraction and homosexuality, particularly influenced by figures and ministries that allegedly advocate for a more accepting stance on these issues without labeling them as sins.
This perspective contrasts with traditional evangelical teachings that view such attractions as sinful unless they are resisted and not acted upon. Jared Moore warns of the potential long-term consequences this shift could have on the doctrinal purity and the moral direction of the SBC.
Center for Baptist Leadership reports:
In a 2019 interview with Apologia Radio, Butterfield said that if she were still living a lesbian lifestyle today and were trying to repent, theologians and pastors who teach that same-sex attraction is not sin would have prevented her from doing so: “I don’t know how it would have gone for me today, because … in working out what it means to have the indwelling sin of homosexuality, I would be told that it wasn’t a sin at all; or I would be told it’s only a sin if you act on it.”
Butterfield is right—doctrine has consequences, for good or for ill. What if her pastor or church had told her that her same-sex desire was an “affliction” and that she was “dealing first and foremost with an unanswered prayer,” as former SBC President J.D. Greear preached in 2019? What if she had believed that her homosexual attraction didn’t really matter when it came to living faithfully as a Christian, like a leader at CRU and a recent speaker at the SBC 2023 Pastor’s Wives/Women’s Conference and the SEBTS Re-Forming-Gen Z event, Rachel Gilson, teaches? She probably would not be married to her husband, and she may be living with an “inner bondage” to her former homosexual desires rather than enjoying the victory she has in Christ today.
Read the full article.
| Themes | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Doctrinal Integrity | Maintains traditional biblical interpretation | Risks of alienation and division within the church |
| Pastoral Care | Provides clear guidance based on doctrine | May fail to address the complexities of individual cases |
| Church Unity and Identity | Strengthens identity around shared beliefs | Potential for increased internal conflict |
Questions to Consider
- How can the church balance doctrinal integrity with compassionate pastoral care?
- What are the potential consequences of redefining sin in the context of evolving societal norms?
- How should the church respond to members who experience same-sex attraction but seek to live in accordance with traditional biblical teachings?
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