17 June 2025
The Southern Baptist Convention’s recent resolution demanding the Supreme Court overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage, is a stark reminder that the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States is far from over. This resolution also signals a troubling denial of the radical love that lies at the very heart of the Christian Gospel. As people of faith committed to justice, equality, and human dignity, we must respond with both theological clarity and prophetic courage.
Liberation theology teaches us that God’s preferential option is always for the marginalized and oppressed. When religious institutions use their power to restrict the civil rights of LGBTQ+ Americans, they align themselves not with Jesus of Nazareth who welcomed “the other” and the outcast, but with the very systems of domination that Jesus consistently challenged.
The Baptist delegates who gathered in Dallas on 10-11 June 2025 claim to represent “moral clarity,” but their resolution reveals moral confusion. True biblical morality is not found in the selective enforcement of ancient purity codes, but in the consistent Gospel witness to God’s expansive love. When Jesus summarized the law in two commandments—love God and love neighbor—he established a hermeneutic that prioritizes loving relationships, human dignity, and inclusion over legalistic exclusion.
Progressive Christians understand that marriage is fundamentally about covenantal love, mutual support, and the support of families. These sacred values are not diminished when same-sex couples participate in them; rather, they are affirmed and celebrated. The fruits of marriage equality over the past decade—stronger families, reduced discrimination, and greater social cohesion—bear witness to the Spirit’s blessing on this expansion of human flourishing.
Liberation theology’s call to “see, judge, and act” demands that we examine the real-world impact of anti-LGBTQ+ theology: these include rejection of individuals by their families of origin, increased suicide rates, and all manner of spiritual trauma suffered by queer people, our families, and our allies.
How are these outcomes compatible with the abundant life that Jesus has promised all persons?
The Baptist resolution’s language about being a “prophetic minority” misappropriates the biblical tradition of prophecy. True prophets spoke (and still speak!) truth to power on behalf of the vulnerable; they did not use their institutional authority to further marginalize already oppressed communities. Contemporary prophetic witness calls us to resist the forces of hatred and exclusion that target LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and other vulnerable populations.
People of faith – and all people of goodwill – must recognize that constitutional rights are not subject to religious veto. Our democracy protects religious freedom precisely so that no single denomination can impose its theological interpretations on others. The Obergefell decision upholds both religious liberty and civil equality—churches remain free to define marriage according to their traditions while the state ensures equal protection under law.
As the Southern Baptist Convention plans its long-term strategy to restrict civil rights, progressive Christians must recommit ourselves to the longer arc of God’s justice. The Center for LGBTQ and Gender Equality (CLGS) calls upon all people of faith – and, indeed, all people of good will – to stand with LGBTQ+ Americans, to defend marriage equality as both a constitutional right and a theological good, and to proclaim a gospel that liberates rather than oppresses.
The choice before Christians is clear: we can be agents of God’s inclusive love or guardians of discriminatory and damaging traditions. A theology of liberation calls us to the radical hospitality that reflects God’s reign as preached by Jesus of Nazareth: a realm where love wins, dignity is universal, and justice flows down like a mighty stream.
Bernard Schlager, CLGS Executive Director