The "Status Quo" in Religion and Politics is Change

Many religious people like to say "the faith never changes." But it changes all the time. It follows the culture around like a puppy dog.

Most of us recognize politics is always changing. To some degree we have learned to expect surprises. Religion, politics and the culture are birds of a feather, constantly changing together.

The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination. It has been losing ten per cent of it membership annually for several years. Only a few decades ago it embraced racial segregation. Now its new young President is warning the faithful not to get comfortable in the old time religion but be ready always for change. He said this has been the faith's history.

He gave as an example the first time he baptized a black person in his Southern Baptist church. Older members were comfortable with having no black people in their midst. They used the Bible to justify their dislike of black people.

Today, we can guess the majority of Southern Baptists do not like gay people. Like segregation, they can justify their prejudice by referring to passages in the Bible. It is the same with women holding the rank of clergy.

I don't know the mind of the Southern Baptist President, but perhaps he is preparing the faithful for changes in its position on gays and women. To change on these issues would be to retain the status quo of change.