The Southern Baptist Conference has been getting more and more conservative over the past 20 years. This latest decision is not surprising, other than it took so long to occur.

More an more churches and colleges are splitting away from the SBC. Stetson College in Central Florida did so several years ago. Even Jimmy Carter has publicly split with the Conference.

Aws for the Episcopals, there are still plenty within their ranks who are still unhappy about allowing women into the leadership, let alone gays.


This is why I am a Unitarian Universalist. Unitarian Universalism's most basic tenent is the "Inherent worth and dignity of every person." Because of this, we find it possible to grow and change as a denomination. It hasn't always been easy, but currently, about 55% of our clergy are women, 45% of our congregational presidents are women, 21% of our clergy is gay, lesbian or bisexual. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was the first U.S. denomination to pass a national resolution affirming gay rights within our congregations and calling for gay rights in the rest of America. This happened 30 years ago.

The UUA also supports a women's right to choose, calls for an end to the "War on Drugs," and asks serious questions about how the current administration is handling the war in Iraq (By the way, the Beacon Press, owned by the UUA, was the publisher of the Pentagon Papers.