Bellevue Baptist Tosses Out Gay Softball Team

[Bruce Gourley]

The Memphis Commercial Appeal this AM has a front page story about Adrian Rogers' Bellevue church .

The comments section includes 200+ plus and adding about one a minute ... and most are not complimentary of Bellevue.

[Dave Roberts]

I guess God doesn't want "deviants" to play softball

[fgantz]

Is it still "Adrian Rogers' Bellevue"?

[Haruo]

It's quite unclear whether this was in any sense a "Gay Softball Team". There are references to "a player", "players", yet the only identified gay person appears to be the coach (unless it's the kind of league where coaches play).

What's a church doing with a softball league of its own, anyway?

[Big Daddy Weaver]

Pretty sure that Bellevue has many more members than my hometown - Vidalia, Georgia - had residents. And we had multiple softball leagues in Vidalia! Be interested to know of Bellevue owns a softball/baseball complex. In south Georgia, there were a few small Southern Baptist churches (150-250) who built their own softball/baseball field for Wednesday nights.

[Gary]

[Bruce Gourley]

[ET]

[Ed Pettibone]

[scottaerwin]

Ed,

I just have a simple question. Do you support just their right to do it, or do you support the decision?

Scott

[Neil Heath]

[Bruce Gourley]

ET: I identified (in this thread) Bellevue as Rogers' church so that everyone (herein) would know what church I am talking about. That's all.

As to me being contacted, I periodically get contacted by reporters who find my profile online or were referred to me by someone else. This was one of those "out of the blue" calls.

[Haruo]

[KeithE]

[Dave Roberts]

Bellevue does have some softball fields in its complex. Whether all games are played on the church's fields, I don't know. They do, however, have a complex visible from I-40.

[Ed Pettibone]

[scottaerwin]

[Big Daddy Weaver]

Strange analogy indeed.

The lesbian coach is not out having sex on the softball field....

Interesting that Ed dubs those with different beliefs than his on this subject "sinners" yet he has spent a good bit of time, money and energy over the years participating in Baptist organizations comprised of "sinners," some with different views than his own. Gay folks in those organizations as well. So, you'll work with "sinners" in that context yet are supportive or a softball league prohibiting the inclusion of gays and lesbians. A bit inconsistent.

[ET]

[ET]

[Ed Pettibone]

Tim Bonney: " Ed, it is my experience over the years on BaptistLife.com that you are always one of the first to jump on anything related to the issue of homosexuality and to encourage or support the exclusion of gay persons on many different levels."

Ed: You have made the first half of this assertion before, but I do not believe you can support it. In this thread I made the 11th post, and of the 10 ahead of mine, 8 where by other individuals,including yourself. Nor was i the first to defend Bellevue's action. And tim on what different levels have I encouraged or supported the exclusion of Gays.

Tim B.: And "I am sure you won't agree with me, but you appear to treat homosexuality differently."

ED: Different than what?

And Scott says "Do you mean they discriminate against drunkenness only on their property, or other places as well? Same with other sins. If this is the case, if a homosexual person holds to all those rules while at Bellvue would you support their inclusion. This is a strange analogy.

Ed: I will never understand why otherwise intelligent people insist on reading more into a statement that what it says.
The thread is about a softball league sponsored by a church that seems to have adequate facilities to host it. My comments where in that context alone.

And fellows this thread is not/ should not be about me. You know my position you know Bellevue's position yo may think tose positions are wrong headed but you chose to attack the messenger rather than the message

[Chris]

[Neil Heath]

[Stephen Fox]

http://www.ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=16241

We don't know if she played on the Sodom Softball team ornot; we just know she was exalted, she halted,and she was salted.

[scottaerwin]