Chicken-Fried News: Marriage wows

Some of Oklahoma’s religious conservatives found themselves all kinds of ragey as the United States Supreme Court readied Friday’s landmark decision regarding same-sex marriage.

For all the huffing and puffing, though, opponents could not blow down the institution of marriage or the fact that it now legally includes LGBTQ couples.

Recently, Rev. Doug Melton, senior pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, vocally supported national Southern Baptist leader Ronnie Floyd’s statements condemning the practice and vowing to never officiate a gay wedding.

“America: We stand believing that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a covenant commitment for a lifetime,” Floyd said, according to the Associated Press.

Melton agreed.

“Our stance remains as it has been because God’s Word remains the same,” he told NewsOK.com.

Because, obviously, he’s not talking about members of his own flock who might be divorced, single parents or remarried … or (ahem, God forbid) gay.

That would be hypocritical.

The bluster quickly transformed into a collective groan, however, as the Supreme Court made its own decision based on the laws of our country and the rights guaranteed to its citizens.

After the decision, Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Executive Director-Treasurer Anthony Jordan responded via press release.

“Nothing has changed and everything has changed … We will face those challenges with uncompromising faith and inclusive love for all,” he said. “People of faith will face new challenges, and our religious freedom will likely come under assault.”

That hits us as a bit reactionary, but it’s far more hopeful than Texas pastor Rick Scarborough’s response reported in The Washington Post: “We are not going to bend, we are not going to bow. If necessary, we are going to burn.”

  • or