An evangelical group Tuesday released a manifesto with anti-LGBT rhetoric called the “Nashville Statement.” And the mayor of Nashville is not happy about it.
The Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, a coalition of evangelicals, released the statement “to address current issues of sexuality,” according to a statement on the group’s website.
The statement is broken down into 14 articles, with the first one stating that marriage should be the “union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife.”
A coalition of over 150 evangelical leaders released a manifesto on Tuesday reiterating their belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
Document titled “Nashville Statement,” , asserts that God Created two distinct sexex, that sex should only occur within the bounds of heterosexual marriage, and that “it is sinful to approve of homosexual immorality or transgenderism.”
Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood on Friday, presented this statement at the Souther Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission’s annual conference in Nashville. Document consists of 14 statements of affirmation and denial relating to human sexuality.
For instance, Article 7 of the statement reads:
WE AFFIRM that self-conception as male or female should be defined by God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption as revealed in Scripture.
WE DENY that adopting a homosexual or transgender self-conception is consistent with God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption.
Nashville mayor Megan Barry is also conncerned about #NashvilleStatement and tweeted Tuesday criticizing the coalition for using her city’s name in a statement of exclusion.
The @CBMWorg's so-called "Nashville Statement" is poorly named and does not represent the inclusive values of the city & people of Nashville
— Megan Barry (@MayorMeganBarry) August 29, 2017
Signers of Nashville Statement are many prominent and influential evangelical leaders, such as Steve Gaines, president of The Southern Baptist Convention, Russell Moore, president of the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. Perkins was also reportedly one of the architect’s behind President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender service members.
CBMW president Denny Burk said the statement aimed to mitigate Christians’ “confusion”over issues of sexuality.
Critics in the Christian community noted the bizarre and even “callous” timing of the document’s release and warned that it would do more harm than good.
To release it in the direct aftermath of Charlottesville, in the throes of Harvey, is a gross example of pastoral & leadership malpractice.
— Nish Weiseth (@NishWeiseth) August 29, 2017
The fruit of the "Nashville Statement" is suffering, rejection, shame, and despair. The timing is callous beyond words.
— JenHatmaker (@JenHatmaker) August 29, 2017
Just read the #NashvilleStatement Perfect example of ignoring the hearts and lives of real people so you can adhere to an idea or doctrine
— Nadia Bolz-Weber (@Sarcasticluther) August 29, 2017
A Christian pastor and LGBTQ activist Brandan Robertson, who helped organize a protest at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Conference last week, said the statement will further marginalize sexual and gender minorities in the church.
“This is indeed yet another sad day in the history of the modern evangelical movement,” Robertson told HuffPost.
“The most heart breaking part of this statement is that this document will promote and perpetuate teachings that will cause verifiable psychological harm to LGBT+ Christian youth in churches around the world.”
He further added:
“I am confident that future generations will look back at this resolution and see it as despicable as we do former Southern Baptist statements promoting slavery and segregation.