Religious right hold children to ransom to force World Vision into not accepting same-sex marriage

[muriel_volestrangler]

Step 1: World Vision, major evangelical charity that says its employees should not have sex outside marriage, decides that same-sex marriages are OK for it employees, to the general approval of liberal Christians:

This was a decision based on the reality that Christendom is no longer unified on the place of gay people in society or the church. With many Episcopalians and Lutherans and Congregationalists now finding grace in same-sex marriages, World Vision decided that it was not its job to hold to some purity test for just who could be the hands of Christ to a sick child or impoverished family.

“It’s easy to read a lot more into this decision than is really there,” he said. “This is not an endorsement of same-sex marriage. We have decided we are not going to get into that debate. Nor is this a rejection of traditional marriage, which we affirm and support.”

“We’re not caving to some kind of pressure. We’re not on some slippery slope. There is no lawsuit threatening us. There is no employee group lobbying us,” said Stearns. “This is not us compromising. It is us deferring to the authority of churches and denominations on theological issues. We’re an operational arm of the global church, we’re not a theological arm of the church.
…
“Denominations disagree on many, many things: on divorce and remarriage, modes of baptism, women in leadership roles in the church, beliefs on evolution, etc.,” he said. “So our practice has always been to defer to the authority and autonomy of local churches and denominational bodies on matters of doctrine that go beyond the Apostles’ Creed and our statement of faith. We unite around our (Trinitarian beliefs), and we have always deferred to the local church on these other matters.”

...
Until just a few years ago, marriage was a shared position of much of Christian faith and those who supported inclusion were an anomaly. Now it appears that one’s take on recognition of same sex marriage is becoming – at least to this important organization – a issue of denominational theological variance, an interesting and respected matter of opinion but not essential to Christian faith.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2014/03/25/if-the-comment-section-of-christianity-today-reflects-the-state-of-christianity-today-then-we-need-to-burn-the-whole-thing-to-the-ground-and-start-over/

Step 2: Blackmail by the religious right, who care more about shunning LGBT people than helping children in need:

The earlier decision was a groundbreaking change for the Christian institution that came with heavy criticism from evangelicals. After its initial announcement, the Assemblies of God had urged its members to consider dropping support.

Ryan Reed tweeted on Wednesday (March 26), “My wife works for WV. In today’s staff meeting Stearns announced that so far 2000 kids dropped.”

World Vision’s child sponsorships are $35 a month, which means the organization could have lost at least $840,000 in revenue over the longterm.

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/03/26/world-vision-reverses-decision-sex-marriage-mistake/

Step 3: removal of backbone, World Vision collapses, religious right do victory dances (I'm not going to link to the arseholes), liberals get completely demoralised at the evil of the religious right and their apparent power over everything:

Same old story, same old act: A song for World Vision, and for Jesus Jerks everywhere

World Vision’s letter announcing this retreat into the shared dishonesty of institutional evangelicalism is one of the most pitiable, groveling, sniveling profiles in cowardice I’ve ever seen. You can read it at the link above.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2014/03/26/same-old-story-same-old-act-a-song-for-world-vision-and-for-jesus-jerks-everywhere/