Bless their hearts. Earlier this week, some 8,000 delegates representing the denomination that ordained me some 25 years ago gathered in Birmingham, Alabama, to hold their annual conference. Faced with a history of racism, patriarchy, and sexual abuse, they came together to put into words what they continuously fail to enact in deeds. The Southern Baptist Convention amended their governing documents on June 11 to explicitly state that churches mishandling cases of sexual abuse or racial discrimination will no longer be permitted to remain in fellowship with the Convention.
Pleased with themselves, SBC Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd told the delegates that their proclamation provided “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.” One would think that such a declaration would taste sweet as honey in the mouths of those who have lived a lifetime of racial or sexual abuse in the hands of multiple Southern Baptist churches. But the taste quickly turned bitter due to the disingenuousness of pronouncements that contradict everything the Convention continues to support. If they were to fully and meaningfully implement this policy, I doubt that the Convention would be left with any churches as members, for they all remain complicit with racist and sexist structures that rob many of us of our very humanity.
Our Lucha 
As always, Dr. De La Torre, you bring light to the darkness. Thank you for your prophetic voice. I, too, was a Southern Baptist-Bob Jones Univ. inspired-warrior for Jesus when I was 17. Still in my drug haze-I smoked a bowl of Jesus for 3 months-listening to the hate and fear that our Pastor spewed. He insisted that we new converts-cut our hair before being baptized as we were “dirty hippies”.
After 3 months-I knew deep in my soul that fear and hate was not the message of Jesus or of my “hippie” soul-as wasted as it was. And so I went back to the God of Hashish for several more years until the truth found me.
Coming to Iliff and discovering the Jesus that you helped me to understand was the experience of salvation always professed and preached those 3 months.
Again, thank you.
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