The Holiest of the Holy Not Bothered by Inevitable Failure

Conservative Christianity was against freeing slaves. Then was against equal racial integration. It's against women as pastors. Add to that opposition to abortion. Each of these condemnations cost it members and support. Now the popular press is covering the rapid loss of women in Christianity. They are leaving faster than men. One would think there is a panic button in full view and the time to press is now. 

The Southern Baptist Convention just adjourned after failing to put in place a forever prohibition against women pastors. A New York Times article provided a little more context to the history and contemporary status of this. Of those who came to the convention and who held credentials to vote, two thirds were needed to put in place a forever ban on women pastors in the SBC. The vote failed. 

The link tells of churches with women as pastors who are growing while other churches are closing. I don't see it possible that women pastors per se can reverse the downward trend in numbers, including women, but it is a lifeline to stretch the existence of churches and all of Christianity.

There is a branch within the SBC which is determined to drive it to the right. With a vote outcome like this one, which signals to the right it will not prevail, it is easy to see a breakaway denomination forming. Breakaways are the norm in Methodists, Presbyterians, etc. Among Baptists, it seems the money and numbers are there. A breakaway will be gone in a generation or so but, to quote myself, the holiest of the holy cannot be bothered with inevitable failure. 

From time to time we discuss here other forms of religion that have very few followers but might have the potential for being popular. These faiths, Paganism, Zoroastrianism, etc., all have peculiar beliefs. Yet, it doesn't possible, to me at least, any of them could be worse than Christianity. The latter picks out groups it enjoys demonizing and goes after them. 

We don't need that.