October 13, 1999

TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM
Revere God
___Upon returning from Wednesday night choir rehearsal Sept. 15, I found myself watching the TV coverage of the Wedgwood tragedy. I was in agony for the families of the dead and injured, the pain and hurt of Pastor Al Meredith, church members, neighbors, friends, law officers.
___When I heard the comments of young people and adults stating, "We thought it (the

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shooting) was just a skit," I was horrified. How could we come so far away from reverence in our sanctuaries that some would mistake gunshots and shouting as a skit? We applaud instead of an "amen" for a beautiful music presentation, touching testimony, drama skits and announcements.
___I've asked myself, would I have mistaken that episode for a skit? Have I ever encountered a time when a gun was present in the sanctuary? I think the loudest semblance to a gunshot would be the nailing of our Lord's hands and feet on a cross during a drama or pageant.
___Let's rethink and revere God with our best.
___ Gina Dean
___ Waxahachie

How dare you?
___How dare you trample on the principles on which our country was and is founded with your editorial on prayer at football games (Sept. 15)?
___Mr. Knox, I pray that you will turn your face toward God and that he will show you that unless you stand for something, you will fall for anything.
___The thing you are supposed to be standing for is godly principles.
___You have entered my prayer journal, that God will become real and personal to you. That you may understand why he is someone worth standing for and if necessary giving our lives for. After all he has done for us, we can do no less for him if we have to.
___It is people like you who caused prayer to be taken away from us to begin with. I cause it too by not speaking out to people like you, but I promised God I would not be guilty of that same mistake again. We learn from our mistakes; I hope you learn from this one.
___ Nadene Moore
___ New Baden

Church direction
___Am I wrong or are we wrong? I have been troubled and concerned about the way our churches are going.
___We as parents have already taught our younger generations:
___ It is OK not to salute the American flag.
___ Not to pray in schools.
___ To watch anything on TV.
___ To commit murder, violence and abortions.
___ To join gangs.
___ To sue anyone for anything.
___ It is OK not to be disciplined in home or school.
___ Not to respect human life.
___ Not to honor their mother and father.
___ Homosexuality is an accepted way of life.
___And on and on the list goes.
___My question is: Are we teaching them the church is not a house of prayer, worship and reverence but a house of entertainment? With the "continental services," we may be getting more numbers in our pews, but is it for the right reason? When the entertainment programs get into reruns, what happens to the audience? They usually change channels or theaters.
___We are wrong, since our Bible says God was the same yesterday, today and forever and we are in the world but not of the world.
___Why are we conforming to the world (Romans 12:2)?
___ Roy Karl
___ Brazoria

Left dangling
___If any individual, any church or any state stops giving to missions through the Cooperative Program of Southern Baptists, he or she or they leave the missionaries--international, North American or state--dangling without their support.
___Then those missionaries who want to be faithful in sharing the gospel where they have been are left dangling.
___Surely Texas Baptist leaders and pastors and churches do not want that.
___We are Texans and want to be able to support Texas plans and policies.
___ Meredith and Pearl Wyatt
___ Dallas

Off plumb
___Your coverage of the Southern Baptist Executive Committee's action (Sept. 29) was good, but the opening sentence is a little bit off plumb.
___I made no "demands" of the Executive Committee. One does not "demand" anything from brethren. I followed the SBC constitution and bylaws in the proper procedure to "request" a study of something important to Southern Baptists. SBC Bylaw 18 states the Executive Committee is "authorized, instructed and commissioned ... to study and make recommendations" regarding SBC agencies. This is what I "requested." Any legitimate messenger to the SBC may do the same.
___That consideration of this motion set a record for the longest debate in several years indicates a considerable interest. I am grateful the door was left open for "revisiting this issue."
___There is much to be gained in cooperative evangelism with genuine evangelicals. The problem is that through parachurch organizations such as Mission America we are joining together in evangelism with some who teach perverted doctrine. Several leaders involved in Mission America, including Larry Lewis, endorse the Evangelicals and Catholics Together accord, which states that one may be saved through the "sacrament of baptism." This illustrates the distortion of doctrine that can be spawned by ecumenical entanglements.
___We have a great opportunity to advance the gospel through cooperative efforts, but we need to be careful not to confuse people by compromising the one gospel that has been entrusted to us.
___ Jerry Moser
___ Theriot, La.

Gone too far
___Please remind Helen and Joe Rossiter (Sept. 29) Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
___Notice that he did not choose to build a Christian television network. No doubt television evangelists help a good many people to come to know Jesus. However, the Rossiters' comment that "television evangelists will save more souls for Christ in one month than the Texas Baptist churches will in one year or maybe 10 years" is a slam against the institution that Jesus died to establish. His plan to extend the kingdom of God through the church remains in place.
___I do not believe their comment can be supported by the facts. I am sorry that someone's cartoon offended them, but their defense of TV evangelists at the expense of local churches has gone too far.
___ Bill Fowler
___ Pleasanton

Sad day
___It is a sad day when American Christian organizations forsake their moral beliefs in favor of political expediency. I'm referring to the article "Diverse religious liberty coalition parts ways over RLPA" (Oct. 6).
___It's no surprise that Jerrold Nadler, Barney Frank, the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and People for the American Way are against the Religious Liberty Protection Act.
___What really surprises me is that the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs finds itself in such a lukewarm position that it is unwilling to take a stand one way or the other. They claim that they support it but will no longer work for its passage.
___What kind of support is that? What if the "supporters" of the Cooperative Program "supported" it but didn't send the checks? Would we call that "support"?
___The folks over at the BJC have forgotten one overwhelming principal: "Choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the God of our Baptist forefathers or the gods of Barney Frank and the ACLU. Go ahead. Make your choice. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them."
___ Bill Shipman
___ Hamilton

Inspiring resource
___We of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth were fortunate to hear Keith Parks (former president of the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board and retired global missions coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) preach this morning and speak in our missions banquet after church. Very inspiring and informational.
___Everyone who can should invite Dr. Parks to their church. He is a wonderful resource for inspiring us to look out into the world at large and see everyone through the eyes of Jesus Christ.
___ Abigail Brown
___ Fort Worth

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