Chaplain Abandons Faith Group over Homosexuality
The Associated Press (reprinted in the Air Force Times) finally caught up to the story from last week over Chaplain (Col) Timothy Wagoner’s decision to leave the Southern Baptist Convention. He had been portrayed in a news article as supportive of a homosexual ceremony he attended at a military chapel.
There is a bit of new information, though, and it appears commenter DrewCollins+ was prescient:
The chaplain, Col. Timothy Wagoner, is remaining on active duty and has affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, which holds more moderate views on homosexuality and some other issues than the Southern Baptists.
As an organization, the CBF holds almost no views, except to say it believes Christians can interpret the Bible as they want. However, with respect to their own organization (not the churches with whom they partner) they do say:
the [CBF] does not allow for the expenditure of funds for organizations or causes that condone, advocate or affirm homosexual practice. Neither does this CBF organizational value allow for the purposeful hiring of a staff person or the sending of a missionary who is a practicing homosexual.
The article also has some revealing analysis by David Key of Emory University’s Candler School of Theology:
“The SBC has been defined by its anti-gay stance,” Key said. “They now find themselves not just out of synch with growing segments of society but also out of synch with the U.S. military.”
That seems to say opposition to homosexuality on religious grounds is “out of synch” with military service, though that’s not the military’s public position. He goes further [emphasis added]:
Showing affirmation for gay and lesbian soldiers is what the military wants, and exactly what the SBC doesn’t want. At the moment, it’s irreconcilable.
Notably, Key isn’t part of the military — but it is his apparent observation that the US military wants its servicemembers, even its chaplains, to “show[] affirmation” for homosexuals.
Again, that’s not the US military’s official policy, but its a conclusion an outside observer drew nonetheless. Now, why would that be?
Wonder if DrewCollins+ will be proven correct on the rest of his prediction.
Also at the Christian Post.