S. Baptists: Gay marriage no civil right

NEW ORLEANS, June 21 (UPI) -- The Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in New Orleans, has approved a resolution that declares same-sex marriage is not a civil right.

The resolution also denounces "any form of gay-bashing." But its emphasis is on the declaration that marriage is reserved for heterosexuals and that any sexual relationship outside marriage is sinful, The Christian Post reported.

The resolution was titled "'Same-Sex Marriage' and Civil Rights Rhetoric." It passed Wednesday, the final day of the annual meeting.

"This was a specific statement regarding the use of rhetoric that we find to be a misappropriation, certainly with people who read a lot of history that talks about the godly Christian influences of the Civil Rights Movement," Kevin Smith, pastor of Watson Memorial Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., and an instructor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said at a news conference.

Richard Land, president of the ethics and religious liberty commission and executive editor of the Christian Post, said the resolution was inspired by President Obama's recent public change of heart on gay marriage.