By Will Hall, Baptist Message Editor ALEXANDRIA, La. – Already, leaders have made public calls for prayer, and more than one has mentioned possible civil disobedience, too. Churches are phoning their denominations and contacting faith-based organizations for answers about what the ruling means regarding weddings, hiring staff and whether it affects what they can teach and preach on the subjects of marriage and homosexuality. Certainly prayer is a must. Civil disobedience might be in order, too — but who, what, when and where? Until the ruling is applied, it’s hard to know how to marshal such an effort. To be sure, despite Justice Kennedy’s assurances that those with religious convictions “may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere conviction that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage should not be condoned,” Christians already have seen the many ways governments can force compliance, or else. President Obama’s executive order regarding government contractors means Christians can hold their beliefs about the sanctity of marriage, but Christian-run businesses and faith-based groups need not apply if they don’t hire homosexuals. Likewise, states like Washington, Oregon and New Mexico contain constitutional … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor EDITOR’S NOTE: Warning this editorial contains excerpts of statements by the FDA which pointedly describe homosexual behavior. Despite Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy’s statement in 2013 that there is “no legitimate purpose” for denying gay marriage, his legal opinion in United States v. Windsor (which set off a spate of federal judicial activism that overturned 26 voter-approved state protections for traditional marriage) ignored the preponderance of research showing that same-sex relationships are just “too dangerous” to legalize. EXTREME STD RATES For six years, President Obama’s Food and Drug Administration alerted the public about the dangers of the very behavior which defines homosexuality. Until mid-March 2014, the FDA website warned that anal intercourse “is simply too dangerous to practice” – even when wearing condoms – “because it can cause tissue in the rectum to tear and bleed” and allow diseases to pass easily from one partner to the next. Even now, data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention backs up this claim, revealing that men who have sex with men have the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases than any other demographic … [Read more...]

By Will Hall,  Baptist Message Editor There’s been a lot of talk about the recent Pew report announcing the growth of “nones” in the United States during 2007-2014. Overall, the number of adults in the nation grew by nearly 18 million during that seven-year span, expanding from 227 million to 245 million, and the “unaffiliated” segment (atheists, agnostics, and those who named “nothing in particular” as their religious preference) picked up all this gain and then some, growing from an estimated 36.6 million to 55.8 million. At the same time, those who claimed a Christian identity fell in actual numbers, 178.1 million to 172.8 million, dropping from 78.4 percent to 70.6 percent of the adult population. The mainstream press played up the angle that this decline points to signs Christianity is dying in our country, and evangelical commentators were quick to object: -- Some dismissed the sweeping changes as nothing more than “nominals” – those who are Christian in name only, and not committed to the faith – finally being honest that they really are “nones.” -- Others took solace in the fact the actual number of evangelicals increased by an estimated 2 million new members, even if “market share” possibly dropped by … [Read more...]

By Ronnie Floyd,  President of the Southern Baptist Convention COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- There are years when we come together as Southern Baptists annually, having little to no expectation of what God may want to do among us. For the sake of a very lost America and an ever-growing lost and dangerous world, let's come together in Columbus believing God to work in us, among us and through us. Let's refuse unbelief I am reminded of the words recorded in Matthew 13:58, "And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief." I am convinced this is the reason we see a limited work of God in many churches in America. I assure you, in our own church, business as usual is Satan's weapon to create unbelief. This year in our convention gathering, let's refuse unbelief! It is the opposite of faith; therefore, we should refuse it in every way. As pastors and church leaders, let us not be guilty of what we accuse our people of at times: coming together with little to no expectation of God doing anything among us. As leaders coming to Columbus, Ohio, we do not need to sit, listen, evaluate and critique. Let's refuse this way of thinking along with all attitudes and actions of unbelief. Let's believe God I love the words of our … [Read more...]

By Jeff Iorg, President, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, California A very successful political consultant in the Bay Area, who has helped elect a number of local officials, was recently arrested and charged with multiple counts of child pornography.  At his arraignment, the evidence presented reportedly included some particularly heinous depictions of sexual acts involving children. The political fallout has been dramatic and immediate.  Former clients, particularly those now in office, have rushed to outdo themselves with denials of any and all relationship with their confidant. He is radioactive – political death to anyone associated with him. While his purported actions are deplorable, watching politicians scramble to find the moral high ground on this issue has been frustrating at best, comical at worst.  They are applying a double standard to his behavior which reveals the convoluted reasoning prevalent in making and enforcing laws these days. In light of current reasoning, what legal defense should this alleged pedophile mount?  How about these familiar arguments: “My sexual orientation makes me a protected class citizen; therefore, expressing it is my civil right. My sexual orientation is an inborn trait; … [Read more...]

By David Jeremiah, Pastor, Shadow Mountain Community Church, El Cajon, Calif. EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) – “Houston, we have a problem.” When NASA flight directors heard those words from Apollo 13, it was like an invitation: “You are hereby invited to solve a life-or-death problem” – and they did. Flight director Gene Kranz sprang into action: “Okay … stay cool. Work the problem, people.... Failure is not an option!” (Excerpt from the movie, “Apollo 13.”) Work the problem! With no heat, no light and little communication with the ground, the astronauts drifted back toward earth in darkness – helpless. Work the problem! Ground engineers had to conserve enough power to fire the engines and direct them safely into the earth’s atmosphere. And they did!   Lost in space Ever felt lost in space, drifting along, helpless, wondering if even God is stumped by your situation? We know God can solve problems, but in your darkest moments you wonder if He is even working on it. Friend, He is! Look at the Apollo 13 situation in a split-screen format: three astronauts on the left screen huddled in their freezing spacecraft, speaking little to conserve energy, fighting to stay awake, with only a flashlight – dark, cold, silent. On the right … [Read more...]

By Ronnie Floyd, Southern Baptist Convention president COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) – For 11 months, I have had one of the greatest privileges ever given to me by the Lord. Serving as president of the Southern Baptist Convention is one of the most humbling and overwhelming experiences in life and leadership. With each day, while my burden deepens, my hope exceedingly rises. What an incredible moment God has given to each of us to live at this time in human history. In light of that, I want to share a few things on my heart about our upcoming SBC annual meeting. Coming together Yes, coming together is on my heart. I pray we will come together in Columbus, Ohio, on June 16-17. I pray we will come together in unity. While our uniqueness and various perspectives express themselves at times, we do need to resolve: We will come together, stay together, and leave together as followers of our Lord in our Southern Baptist family. I pray we will come together in Columbus with great expectation. This expectation does not need to be in men or programs, but in the Lord Himself. He is doing some mighty things among us and I pray when we are together, He will do some mighty things in us. Come expecting God to meet with us powerfully and send us out … [Read more...]