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"The Southern Baptist Convention's scriptural ignorance only undercuts their message. The only thing you'll learn about marriage from reading the Bible is just how much it has changed with shifting cultural morals." — Reverend Steven Baines

On March 9, the Southern Baptist Convention released the "Nashville Declaration on 'Same-sex Marriage,'" in which it stated its opposition to same-sex marriage based on what it called, "the biblical teaching that God designed marriage as a lifetime union of one man and one woman." Reverend Steven Baines, an elder in the Disciples of Christ and member of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Religious Leadership Roundtable responds with the following statement:

"As an elder in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and a former Southern Baptist minister, I am saddened and disappointed that leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention continue to present their discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans in the guise of compassion.

While they conclude that, "marriage is a lifetime union of one man and one woman, according to the Bible, and may not be redefined," these so-called Biblical literalists ignore the fact that marriage in the Bible has been used to justify ownership of concubines in the case of Abraham (Genesis 16: 3), an excuse for extravagant polygamy in the case of King Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-3) and as a desperate, but inferior, alternative to burning in lustful celibacy in the case of the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 7: 8).

Their scriptural ignorance only undercuts their message. The only thing you'll learn about marriage from reading the Bible is just how much it has changed with shifting cultural morals.

Instead of packaging a clever marketing campaign of a kindler, gentler homophobia, they could have shown real compassion to the gay community by concentrating on the "love ethic" that is the foundation of both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. Instead, they support a federal marriage amendment that would block thousands of American families from the responsibilities and protections they need for their stability and security. No thanks, Southern Baptist leaders, I will continue to stand on a Gospel of advocating for the marginalized and oppressed."

First convened in 1998, the National Religious Leadership Roundtable of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is an interfaith collaboration of more than forty denominations and faith-related organizations. The Roundtable seeks to reframe the public religious dialogue on issues involving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community by amplifying the voices of LGBT-affirming people of faith, countering religious voices of bigotry and intolerance, and working to advance full equality for all.