Compassionate Rhetoric

The Southern Baptist Convention has hired a pastor to serve as the director of the Convention's Ministry to Homosexuals Task Force. The job of this person will be "[t]eaching churches compassionate and redemptive ways to deal with gay people." The Reverend Bob Stith, who has been pastor of Carroll Baptist Church in Southlake, Texas, will be taking the job. Back in 2001, Stith began urging Southern Baptists to not be as hateful toward homosexuals. There is a lot of work to be done to tone down the rhetoric of many Southern Baptists and other Christians. As I argued in my book, For God's Sake Shut Up!: Lessons for Christians on How to Speak Effectively and When to Remain Silent , many Christians need to start to be more loving, especially toward homosexuals. I hope that this effort will make a positive difference.