5 Things to Look for at the Southern Baptist Convention Meeting in Dallas
Resolution Denouncing Gay Therapy Bans, 'Homosexual Identity Politics'
Robert O. Lopez, a professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, submitted a resolution calling for the denomination to reject "homosexual identity politics" and state bans on conversion therapy.
Lopez's resolution, among other things, calls on the SBC to "offer loving assistance to people with same-sex attraction, so that they may turn from homosexuality to heterosexuality" and to reject "as heresy any claims that God makes people homosexual."
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"... the movement against so-called 'conversion therapy' poses an immediate threat to Christian obedience to the Gospel of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because it is possible that due to lack of support from Christian ministries, some people with same-sex attractions may err in defining themselves as 'homosexual' by nature, and may thereby invite a fatal sin into their hearts," states the resolution.
"... in both Christian and unbelieving political contexts, homosexual identity politics has prompted a dangerous movement to ban so-called 'conversion therapy' or 'reparative therapy,' banned in terms so broadly as to endanger the work of Christian ministries in aiding people with same-sex attraction to turn away from homosexuality toward heterosexuality."
Lopez, who was raised by two lesbians, explained to The Christian Post last week that the resolution came partly in response to recent political efforts to ban gay conversion therapy or sexual orientation change efforts.
"We saw that Southern Baptists who want to make a change from homosexuality to heterosexuality are not getting enough help from churches. New laws banning change therapy are likely to worsen the situation," he said.
