Expert: Bruce Gourley - 2/27/2008

Question
What is the baptist church stand on homosexuality and gay marriage. and is their a difference of opinion between southern baptist and the american baptist church

Answer
Hello Patrick,

First of all, Baptist churches are autonomous, which means each congregation decides its own beliefs, elects its own leaders, chooses what literature to use, etc. Thus, there is no official stance regarding homosexuality and gay marriage that speaks for all Baptists of any one Baptist group, much less all Baptist groups.

But, by and large most Baptists believe homosexuality is a sin, and probably most Baptists are opposed to gay marriage. But within any given group of Baptists (including both Southern and American Baptists) you will find individuals and congregations that either believe homosexuality is not a sin, or is no greater a sin than any other sin.  You will also find Baptists within any given group who believe that homosexuals should have the same civil rights (in this case, marriage) as any other American citizen.

So, there is no hard-and-fast answer to your question, although one could say, for example, that Southern Baptist leaders are very much opposed to homosexuality and gay marriage (believing homosexuality, in fact, is a greater sin than other sins), while Southern Baptists (and other Baptists) in the pews have a much more mixed view of these issues.

Bruce Gourley
www.baptistlife.com
www.brucegourley.com