We’ve Come A Long Way

We’ve come a long way.

I just reread a spy/crime thriller from 1973. The author is well known and well acclaimed. But the interesting insight I got was the way he portrayed women (sexual objects, conquests, etc) would never be accepted today. I get it, it was the 70s … and the author’s book in this century do not portray women in this way at all.

We’ve come a long way.

This week, I am proud of the Southern Baptist in their endeavors to address sexual harassment and racism in the local church and in our society. Here is Baptist Press’s release …

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) — By overwhelming votes, Southern Baptists strengthened their stances against sexual abuse and racism during the opening day of their June 11-12 SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala.

Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, told messengers after their votes, “I believe this is a very significant moment in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention. And I believe that every one of us needs to thank God for this moment.”

Messengers cast their votes — raising booklets that contained their printed ballots — for amendments to the SBC constitution to specifically state that sexual abuse and discrimination based on ethnicity are grounds for a church to be deemed as “not in friendly cooperation” with the convention.

Messengers likewise voted to amend the SBC’s bylaws to repurpose the SBC’s Credentials Committee into a standing committee to make inquiries and recommendations for action regarding instances of sexual abuse, racism or other issues that call a church’s relationship with the SBC into question.

“May this world know that the Southern Baptist Convention stands against all forms of sexual abuse,” Floyd said. “May this world know that this convention of churches — 47,000 churches, plus a few thousand congregations, just under 52,000 churches and congregations — has given a clear signal not only about what we believe about sexual abuse, but we also stand against all ethnic discrimination in the United States and around the world.”

Repurposing the Credentials Committee, which formerly dealt with the messenger registration process, “is an incredible move for the future of this convention,” Floyd said. “While we may not understand it all and how it’s all going to work, we have done our very best to present to you a process.”

We’ve come a long way … and miles to go before we sleep.