A majority at the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention voted to reverse the 2015 Obergefell ruling, pushing for a federal ban on same-sex marriage, sparking sharp backlash and debate.
At a Glance
- More than 10,000 SBC delegates in Dallas overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution calling for laws affirming marriage strictly as between a man and a woman and the overturning of Obergefell v. Hodges.
- The resolution also targets transgender ideology, pornography, sports betting, and defunding Planned Parenthood.
- The SBC is the first major denomination to formally call for repealing the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision.
- It comes despite 68–70 % of Americans currently supporting same-sex marriage, according to recent polls.
- The vote coincided with the death of whistleblower Jennifer Lyell, spotlighting the church’s ongoing sexual-abuse issues.
What The Resolution Says
The resolution, titled “On Restoring Moral Clarity Through God’s Design,” calls for reversing the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. It affirms marriage as between one man and one woman, and also urges lawmakers to combat what it terms “transgender ideology,” defund Planned Parenthood, and restrict pornography and sports betting, as reported by The Washington Times.
Context and Cultural Clash
Although the resolution carries no legal force, it marks the most aggressive SBC stance yet on marriage laws. The Associated Press confirmed the convention’s leadership in calling for Obergefell to be overturned—a first for any major denomination. As Politico notes, the move echoes the SBC’s post-Roe strategy, escalating faith-based lobbying on moral legislation.
Public Reaction and Backlash
This push comes at odds with prevailing public opinion: recent Gallup polls show 71% of Americans support same-sex marriage, up from 60% a decade ago. The Human Rights Campaign sharply criticized the resolution, calling it “an outdated attack on civil liberties,” while legal analysts noted that the Respect for Marriage Act still protects same-sex unions federally. The resolution’s passage also followed the sudden death of Jennifer Lyell, a whistleblower whose sexual abuse case helped prompt internal SBC reforms.
The vote signals a widening rift between conservative denominations and the evolving moral landscape of the United States, raising questions about religion’s role in civil law.
