The ACLU goes to bat for a senior Southern Baptist pastor

[Pah]

Lonnie Latham, senior pastor at South Tulsa Baptist Church and one of the leaders of the powerful Southern Baptist Convention, had been arrested and charged with 'offering to engage in an act of lewdness'.

http://atheism.about.com/b/a/240934.htm?nl=1

In a friend-of-the-court brief the ACLU argues that the law used to arrest the Rev. Lonnie Latham contravenes the Supreme Court ruling that overturned sodomy laws. “The Supreme Court has made it crystal clear that, when it comes to their sex lives, consenting adults are free to do whatever they please in private,” said Joann Bell, Executive Director of the ACLU of Oklahoma.

“According to the police report, Rev. Latham did nothing more than invite another man to his hotel room for consensual sex. It is not a crime merely to invite someone to have completely lawful sex. If it were otherwise, every bar in the state may as well shut its doors.”

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/02/020106lewdPastor.htm

ACLU protects even those who oppose the "life-style" of homosexuals from and in their churches. The irony is that that it was in a case revolving around a pastor's homosexual proposition.

 

[Flappycat]

Hopefully, this will be a valuable lesson for the pastor.

 

[CaptainXeroid]

First, a lot of people throw around the word 'hypocrite' incorrectly, and I hope they read this article. Lonnie Latham provides a perfect example of one, presuming he did that of which is accused of doing.

Second, I doubt the ACLU has much concern for Rev Latham. Their interest, and on this point I agree with them, is that this law...

...Oklahoma law prohibits a person from offering to engage in a lewd act "regardless of whether money is sought for or engaged."...

...ought to be overturned as unconstitutional. Click here for the article.....I like clicky linkies.

 

[Flappycat]

First, a lot of people throw around the word 'hypocrite' incorrectly, and I hope they read this article. Lonnie Latham provides a perfect example of one, presuming he did that of which is accused of doing.

Second, I doubt the ACLU has much concern for Rev Latham. Their interest, and on this point I agree with them, is that this law...
...ought to be overturned as unconstitutional. Click here for the article.....I like clicky linkies.

Well, yes, you're going to disagree with the ACLU at times, and you will sometimes agree with them. They have a very rigid and inflexible civil libertarian agenda. Some fundamentalists may not agree with their objection to exclusion of homosexuals from adoption, but the organization wouldn't hesitate to defend their right to openly disagree. Whether you agree or disagree with their agenda, you have to admit they're pretty consistent.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

This story really is tragic, and the good ol' boy polity among Southern Baptists set up Mr. Latham from the beginning. Can you imagine if he had ever tried to be a "normal" homosexual? He still would have lost his family, career, education (his seminary degrees can be revoked), and leadership positions. A religion that backseats ethics is suffocating and crushing, and it has suffocated and crushed Lonnie. I hope that he's OK and is fully redeemed.