Among the reasons I can get very down on religion in general and certain sects in particular, is the insane intolerance the exhibit.

Someone ought to keep on asking bigots like those in the Baptist world, "If God hates homosexuals, why did he make so many of them?"

I just got done watching an episode of Queer Eye and what I was most struck by was the easy relationship between the older (age 57) very straight southern guy (lives in Georgia) and the five much younger gay men. It was a degree of comfort on both sides that was truly wonderful.

There are many, many different "Baptist" denominations. The Southern Baptists are a huge group that is, of course, very, very conservative (as befits their origin as the Baptist denomination of the Confederacy). The American Baptists are mainly northern and urban, and are rather progressive (a number of years ago, the Seattle branch offered its church as sanctuary for undocumented immigrants). This particular group (the West Virginia Baptist Convention) seems to be separate from either of the "big" groups. And then, there are the completely independent Baptist churches that have no connection to any organization (most notoriously the Westboro Baptist Church, which holds that all other Baptists are bound for hell).

I would assume the West Virginia Convention is on the conservative side, mainly because the entire state seems such. But it's hard to tell from that article, which is very sloppily written. (For example, "Pastor Valerie Gittings has publicly supported homosexuality" is a really strange way to describe an inclusive policy. I mean, it's not like she's preaching that all Christians must turn gay or anything, as much as certain conservatives would apparently like to think is the case with liberals.)

(I'm a West Virginia United Methodist), but I'm impressed that the pastor is a woman. That's quite unusual among the more conservative churches.

On the other hand, my church is on its second woman pastor, and the president of our church council is a gay man in a long term relationship. Don't judge us West Virginians by stereotypes!