The Southern Baptist Convention was the target of a hoax press release yesterday from a fictional group, a fake website and a fake voice message. The fake group was called the Center for Responsible Christian Living.
The fake press release — sent out early in the morning — and fake website falsely claimed that the Executive Committee, “meeting in extraordinary emergency session,” had asked that the SBC adopt a statement defining marriage as “two partners” because “loving and committed homosexual relationships must have the right to acknowledgment in the eyes of God.” The hoax further said the Executive Committee had proposed a resolution urging “our agencies and institutions seek diligently to bring about greater diversity from the LGBT community.” The fake resolution also said Southern Baptists were repenting of their past stance.
The hoax came complete with a website that didn’t look anything like the convention’s real website but did have enough faith-themed icons that it likely could trick some people. Curiously, the website claimed to be the “Southern Baptist Convention of America.” The real SBC does not have “of America” in its title.
One Catholic blog fell for it. That’s it. Which I guess just goes to show how well the SBC has gotten it’s message out that hell will freeze over before it changes it’s position on rights for GLBT, and that any one who thinks differently is just, well, un-christian. Media wasn’t fooled by the supposed repentance and alerted the SBC.
Roger S. (“Sing”) Oldham, vice president for convention communications and relations for the SBC Executive Committee, said the SBC’s approach to homosexuality is not only biblical but loving.
“Southern Baptists do not think it irresponsible or unchristian to uphold clear biblical teachings on human sexuality and marriage,” Oldham said. “God’s expectation of sexual purity is woven throughout every part of Scripture, across generational and cultural lines. The Bible is equally clear that all who receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, those who repent of their sins and trust in Christ alone, will be forgiven and delivered from the bondage of sin. To deny such a fundamental biblical teaching as God’s redemptive purpose is the height of irresponsibility and would clearly be un-Christian.”
A GLBT group in Nashville claimed responsibility, saying they put their hoax out to coincide with the 42nd anniversary of the Stonewall riots and the NY state legislation of same sex marriage. The group called what they did a friendly prank.
The Southern Baptist Convention executive committee doesn’t think so. They made it clear they are not amused and are looking into possible legal action.
screenshots below the fold
I don’t suppose God is all that amused with what we’ve done with this issue the last half century or so. (Not that we were doing all that well with it before)
But there is a certain compulsive attention that homosexuality gets now. One might think the big dividers of humanity are male and female and then gay and straight.
Anyway, hypocrisy is shot through the whole thing, top to bottom and every side of the issue. It’s ugly.