Guidepost Solutions’ website boasts about support of radical leftist charities that promote abortion and LGTBQ+ issues despite claims from the Southern Baptist Convention to the contrary.
In a move that surprised exactly no one, the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF) named Guidepost Solutions to administer its Ministry Check website. The Task Force announced the decision Sunday night and included a defense of Guidepost Solutions over its widely reported Pro-Gay agenda.
The Task Force said, “Notably, Guidepost Solutions was the only firm which does not fund these causes in any form. (Guidepost’s charitable giving is focused exclusively on supporting local law enforcement and assisting impoverished communities.) Additionally, Guidepost has altered its social media policies in order to better serve clients like the Southern Baptist Convention.”
However, this is misleading and false. Guidepost Solution’s website proudly declares that its members support charities including Human Rights First—a group that declares on its website that “The human rights of LGBT people should be a foreign policy priority of the U.S. government.”
Further, Human Rights first opposes the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. Why? Because it restricts access to abortions for immigrants. In a post titled Dobbs Restricts Access To Abortion Services For Asylum Seekers, Represses Reproductive Rights, the charity that Guidepost brags about supporting comes out squarely for abortion.
According to the Human Rights First website, “Late last month, the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs that overturned Roe v. Wade and stripped hundreds of millions of people of their fundamental human right to abortion care went into effect. Reproductive surveillance and restricted access to reproductive healthcare disproportionately affect women of color, low-income women, LGBTQ+ women, and gender non-conforming pregnant people, among many others.”
And the Human Rights First organization filed an amicus brief urging the repeal of Title 42 Immigration restrictions because “Title 42 has proved especially dangerous to vulnerable populations, including women, children, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and Black and Indigenous migrants.”
So, the SBC Abuse Reform Task Force selected a firm that brags about its support for a pro-abortion, pro-LGBTQ charity.
Pro-abortion. Pro-radical immigration policy. Pro-LGBTQ. Are those now SBC values?
And that is not all.
Other charities Guidepost brags about on its website include one promoting “Equitable” development. One of that group’s projects is a park on a bridge—that includes an entire section on Equity as a driver to “eliminate racial inequities.” However, conservatives claim equity is a scam that eradicates equality and is based on Neo-Marxist assumptions. In other words, equity is all about making everyone equally miserable. Think bread lines in the Soviet Union type of misery.
The social media policies section of the Task Force statement is all about the Pro-LGBTQ messaging of Guidepost Solutions, reported last year. Concerns that led state Baptist leaders to demand the SBC end its partnership with Guidepost.
Some Southern Baptists noted how the Task Force evaluated firms on criteria including conflict of interest and if a firm represented someone accused of abuse.
Interestingly, Guidepost Solutions was accused of conflicts in this report from Julie Roys.
Also, Guidepost Solutions was retained to discredit an alleged sex abuse victim when the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was accused of abuse. According to news reports, “These investigators have been hired to uncover any elements that could discredit the alleged victim.”
How very trauma-informed!
Task Force defines ‘Credibly Accused’
Drawing fire from conservatives who care about justice is the SBC’s intent to include on its list of sex abusers those it deems to be “credibly accused.” The Task Force defined the term and it is Orwellian.
According to the Task Force, “Per the recommendation adopted by the Messengers, a credibly accused pastor, denominational worker, or ministry employee or volunteer includes one who has confessed in a non-privileged setting, who has been convicted in a court of law, or who has had a civil judgment rendered against them. Additionally, a qualified, independent third-party investigative firm hired by any church or other Baptist body may determine, by preponderance of the evidence following an inquiry, that a pastor, denominational worker, or ministry employee or volunteer is credibly accused. A ‘preponderance of the evidence’ is the legal standard required for a civil judgment.”
However, a decision made by some random lawyer or “investigator” based on evidence is not the same as a court verdict returned by a jury or a judge based on a preponderance of the evidence. A court is far different than some private party investigation. Everyone knows this; however, the task force and the Woke SBC Elites hope to fool you by sounding pretentious through the application of these legal terms.
The “credibly accused” standard has evoked important pushback from conservative Southern Baptists. In fact, some compare it to the draconian, un-fair Title IX prosecutions on college campuses. Also, they point out, “Finally, to the argument, that preponderance is the same standard used in a civil court, it’s important to note that civil cases offer deterrence of possible perjury charges, something independent investigations that don’t involve legal system do not.”
Oh, and “trauma-informed” will determine the way these “investigations” are conducted. What does that mean? Essentially, believe the victims regardless of what the evidence says.
Liar Todd Benkert resigns from Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force
On Friday, known liar Todd Benkert resigned from the Task Force. Benkert had made several foolish statements including urging making innocent churches responsible for sex abuse at other autonomous churches.
Also, Benkert unethically reported a church to the Credentials Committee.
Even though Liar Todd Benkert resigned from the committee, it appears the Task Force intends to continue spreading lies as its statement about Guidepost Solutions makes clear.
These “Christians” lie as much as Democrats. Weird.