On Tuesday, Ronnie Floyd, the Senior Pastor of Cross Church and President of the Southern Baptist Convention, told delegates at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio, that he will never perform a same-sex marriage.
Floyd also urged the delegates to remain united against the practice of same-sex marriage, acknowledging that his exhortation was also intended for the U.S. Supreme Court, which is deliberating on an imminent decision that may legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.
Floyd expressed compassion for people with homosexual proclivities, but he reiterated his commitment to the Biblical perspective that marriage requires one man and one woman. Delegates will vote on a marriage resolution while at the convention.
Floyd has been unflinching in his defense of his beliefs. On June 5, he wrote on his blog:
Timidity needs to be replaced with fearlessness. We need to resound what God’s Word says about marriage. We cannot be silent now or in the future. We must be faithful to proclaim the biblical view of marriage. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said, “The definition (of traditional marriage) has been with us for a millennia. And it’s very difficult for the court to say, ‘Oh well, we know better.’” I could not agree more. We do not need the Supreme Court or anyone else attempting to redefine what God has defined already.
Nineteen countries have fully legalized same-sex marriage, roughly two-thirds of them from Western Europe:
The Netherlands: April 1, 2001
Belgium: June 1, 2003
Spain: July 3, 2005
Canada: July 20, 2005
South Africa: November 30, 2006
Norway: January 1, 2009
Sweden: May 1, 2009
Portugal: June 5, 2010
Iceland: June 27, 2010
Argentina: July 22, 2010
Denmark: June 15,2012
Brazil: May 14, 2013
France: May 29, 2013
Uruguay: August 5, 2013
New Zealand: August 19, 2013
United Kingdom England and Wales, March 29, 2014, Scotland December 31, 2014
Luxembourg: June 18, 2014
Finland: November 28, 2014
Ireland: May 23, 2015
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