January 27, 1999

Texas Baptist Forum
Dropping 'Baptist'
___Some churches leave "Baptist" off their names because people think that means "fundamentalist." We wouldn't want that--

e-mail marvknox@flash.net

preaching hellfire and brimstone. Let's just preach Jesus!
___Yeah, let's preach "The Rich Man and Lazarus." Oh, I forgot. That talks about hell and how hot the flames are and how thirsty its occupants are.
___Well, what about "The Sheep and the Goats." Oh, it says the goats go off into "everlasting punishment." Shoot!
___Surely we can find a "nice Jesus" story somewhere. The "Parable of the Talents." It ends with, "Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness."
___Why is it we are giving up the proven name of "Baptist"?
___ Thomas F. Harkins Jr.
___ Fort Worth

Good Samaritans
___Thank you for the Christlike love we experienced from churches in Texas. On a mission trip, our Baptist Collegiate Ministry van wrecked outside of Mathis.
___Our injured one was taken to Corpus Christi, where the only people we even thought we knew--other Baptist Student Ministry directors--were away.
___Yet one phone call from a not-yet-on-the-field youth minister at Yorktown Baptist Church resulted in meals, transportation and housing; a visit from a minister; and offers of vehicle use. First Baptist Church provided a van they had to rent and a driver. All the while, prayer was not forgotten.
___Oklahoma and Texas may compete in some areas, but when it comes to the cause of Christ, they come together just as they should.
___ Bobby & Debbie Lipscomb
___ Baptist Collegiate Ministry
___ Northeast Oklahoma A&M
___ Miami, Okla.

Help for Hyde
___Your editorial "Can we learn from this spectacle?" (Jan. 13) contains unfortunate references to partisan politics.
___You do not have any basis to mark Henry Hyde with shame. He has been a moral leader among Republicans. He is the pro-life leader in the House.
___ Albert Odell
___ Beaumont

Trivializing sin
___Reaction over President Clinton's failures not only shows that Christians aren't very forgiving, it also shows they don't have a clue as to the depth of sin and failure that grips each of us. By reducing sin to three or four overt actions and condemning these (in other people, of course), they believe they are standing up for righteousness. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
___Not long ago, a family member said she often goes several months without sinning. Another person agreed that he did, too. This is the extreme version of believing that sin is most wholly represented by adultery, lies and murder.
___To forgive our president and to harbor no outrage over his behavior is not to trivialize sin. Rather, it is to acknowledge that sin is vast and deep and to understand that we all fail gravely in many ways many times each day.
___ Mary Blye Howe
___ Duncanville

Defeat alcohol
___On May 1, 1997, my son was tragically killed. He was stoned on cheap wine mixed with other alcohol. This wine generally is boosted to as much as 19 percent alcohol by adding pure alcohol. At $2 or less per bottle, it is the choice of poor alcoholics.
___This killer wine is sold through virtually every convenience store and supermarket throughout Texas.
___After an apropos sermon about these wines, I asked my Baptist pastor to get our congregation to protest to our grocers to eliminate these killer wines from their shelves. He said he would "rather do other things."
___Other than spreading the gospel, what other things should the church be doing? Did not Jesus "go about everywhere doing good"?
___ Name withheld by request

Family beer joint
___One of Texas' best eating establishments is on the verge of becoming a beer joint.
___Luby's Cafeterias already have begun selling beer and wine in certain stores as a test.
___Now is the time for Baptists of Texas to register their opposition to this change. Baptists can write to Luby's in San Antonio, or they can pick up a comment card in any Luby's.
___Voice your strong opposition to changing Luby's from a fine dining establishment to nothing more than another beer joint.
___Express your concern to the managers in each store. They need to hear from some of their best customers.
___ Bill Sutton
___ McAllen

Open concern
___Praise God! Thank you for upholding the models of congregations responding compassionately to the AIDS epidemic (Jan. 13).
___If more Baptists would struggle openly and honestly about difficult social issues, more of the world would take our witness seriously.
___ Brian Burton
___ Dallas

---

Frontpage / Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!