Southern Baptists declare gay rights not same as civil rights

Messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in America, went on record Wednesday to oppose any attempt by gay rights activists to frame same-sex marriage as a civil rights issue.

On the last day of their annual meeting, Southern Baptist messengers overwhelmingly adopted a resolution that denounces "the effort to legalize 'same-sex marriage' as a civil rights issue since homosexuality does not qualify as a class meriting special protections, like race and gender."

The resolution, titled "'Same-Sex Marriage' and Civil Rights Rhetoric," was a direct response to President Obama's personal affirmation of gay marriage and recent federal lawsuits against the Defense of Marriage Act, according to the Resolutions Committee spokesperson.

"This was a specific statement regarding the use of rhetoric that we find to be a misappropriation, certainly with people who read a lot of history that talks about the godly Christian influences of the Civil Rights Movement," Kevin Smith, pastor of Watson Memorial Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky., and assistant professor of Christian preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, told reporters Wednesday.

In May, the president had announced during an ABC News interview that he finally decided to support marriage for gay and lesbian couples after years of pondering over the issue.

The Department of Justice has also argued in Perry v. Schwarzenegger that the Defense of Marriage Act – which defines marriage as between a man and a woman and protects states from being forced to recognize gay marriage sanctioned in other states – is unconstitutional.

Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, which advocates for Southern Baptist values on Capitol Hill, said Wednesday that the nation is heading toward the culmination of the debate on same-sex marriage. He pointed out that 32 states have voted to affirm marriage as between a man and a woman, and he predicted that same-sex marriage will also fail in Maryland, Minnesota, Maine and Washington.

"The score is 32 for traditional marriage and zero for same-sex marriage," he said.

Land, who is also the executive editor of The Christian Post, argued that the opinion of the American public will make the Supreme Court, even the liberal justices, think twice on the gay marriage issue.

"If they are convinced that a majority of Americans are opposed against same-sex marriage, I think they are going to be very reticent about trying to repeat the mistake the court made with Roe and cram this down the throats of the American people," said Land.

"I think it is important the largest Protestant denomination in the United States made it clear where they stand on this issue and made it clear that they are offended by the attempt to use civil rights rhetoric to argue for same-sex marriage."

Despite their opposition to same-sex marriage as a civil rights issue, Southern Baptists wanted to express their love to those engaging in the homosexual lifestyle. The eight-paragraph resolution called on those affiliated with the denomination to stand against "gay-bashing" and to "engage in compassionate, redemptive ministry" for homosexuals.