March 24, 1999

Texas Baptist Forum
Football prayers
___The mania to keep any vestige of religion out of the school house has now reached dazzling new heights. No prayer to open football games!
___As a so-called "justification," cross-burners always say, "No one should be subjected to a religious message against his will." Poppycock! People are bombarded with "religious

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messages" everyday! Christians flocking to a church house on Sunday mornings convey a "religious message" to those who pass by, whether they like it or not.
___But it's the government which cannot "subject," is the response. Open your wallet, flip to the back of any paper bill, and what do you see? "In God we trust." Who do you think "publishes" these messages, seen by almost everyone everyday? Even the presidential swearing-in ceremonies open and close with prayer.
___Even so, nobody is forced to attend a football game. How far are we supposed to go with this "compulsion" business? Can't anyone pray anymore?
___ Thomas F. Harkins Jr.
___ Fort Worth

Baptists at Harvard
___In "Where are the Baptists at Harvard?" (March 10), the writer suggests more Baptists should be admitted to Harvard and other Ivy League schools in the interest of diversity, and representation of Southern Baptists is important because "Ivy League schools are the gateway to America's power elite."
___This point of view contradicts the admonition of Jesus that the greatest are to be servants. He would have us influence the world on his behalf from the bottom up, not from the top down.
___I lived in Cambridge near Harvard for seven years and worshiped at Metropolitan Baptist Church, which is about two miles from the campus. John Hughston, the first pastor, had pastored prosperous churches in the South, but he felt led to the task of establishing a church that could minister to the "best and brightest" Southern Baptists, though the work was hard and the monetary benefits modest.
___Most Southern Baptists with credentials who are willing to make the required sacrifices can get into Ivy League schools. But their motivation should not be to break into the power elite but to prepare themselves in the best way they can for a life of service to God and to their fellowman.
___ Jerry Allen
___ Plano

No to prejudice
___Regarding Baptists at Harvard (March 10), why can't we Baptists stop harping on skin color and race? I am Scotch, Irish, Anglo, brunette, white and a born-again Christian.
___It irks me that we can't let people in business, politics, education and religion do what they do best--use their God-given talents to enter the colleges that are available, promote their crafts in business and win their positions.
___We have a queer sense of prejudice and jealousy. What ethnic group brought us the Bible? Who wants to say Jesus was not a Jew? Why are Jews so disliked? Prejudice? Let us live up to our God-given name.
___ Janet Hargrove
___ Mount Pleasant

New Bible
___Paige Patterson and Al Mohler are aiding in "plans for an inerrancy-based edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible" (March 10).
___Are we using an errant Bible?
___Has something changed, or is this a project of a small group of men who know better than God what we should know, how we should speak, how we should live?
___Could it be that our time could be better used to reach out to a world that needs Jesus as personal Savior rather than trying to negotiate the political power structure we now find ourselves involved in?
___ Tommy Johnson
___ Houston

Slander
___As a resident of Jasper, I was appalled and offended by the comments of Betty Neville (March 17). For her to compare the scandalous behavior of President Clinton to the horrible crime committed here in Jasper is irresponsible and inflammatory at best and libel at worst.
___Clinton's behavior was sinful, arrogant and bad for the morale of this nation, and of course in God's eyes, sin is sin. However, anyone with even a basic knowledge of the case in Jasper would know that the two crimes simply don't compare.
___This town has gone through hell in the last year, and we still have two trials to go. The racial attitudes here are uneasy, but healing. Comments such as Neville's simply serve to make the problem worse.
___We don't need that in Jasper or anywhere else in Texas.
___ Virgi Sander
___ Jasper

Prayer, not fire
___I am writing in response to Betty Neville's letter (March 17). I find it quite disheartening that someone would use the tragedy in Jasper to make such a statement regarding President Clinton's behavior. The comparison is obviously inflammatory and does little more than add rhetoric to the fire.
___President Clinton is guilty, but rather than use spurious analogies to inflame, let's commit to prayer and encouragement as Hebrews 10 commands.
___ Jeremy David
___ Canyon Lake

Musical substance
___I have three suggestions for the writer who can't find substance in worship (March 10):
___Wake up. Music always is changing. History bears this fact. The "mission" of every "song leader" and "choir director" I know is ministry. That is ministry to God, to God's people and to the world.
___Start reading the Bible. Psalms would be a great place to start, with attention given to the 96th Psalm. Many choruses used in worship are Scripture or are a paraphrase of Scripture set to song.
___Finally, get busy serving Christ, who has given life, both physical and spiritual, so that the transformation which occurs through him can be experienced. An "old song" may not express new-found joy in Christ, and that "bulletin ditty" may become an extension of corporate worship each day in private worship with God.
___ Wayland Hazel
___ Dimmitt

Sustaining songs
___I was born into a Baptist family; lived, ate and breathed Baptist doctrine; taught, directed and sang in choirs; and participated to the extent that I almost spent more time at church than at home.
___So, I feel familiar with the subject of the music put forth in the majority of our Southern Baptist churches.
___I feel devastated that the faith-inspiring, Scripture-based songs of faith which have been sung for decades are barely even used in congregational singing anymore.
___The words of these old hymns, which come back to me in trying times to give comfort and encouragement, our young people don't even know anymore because they are too busy singing the repetitious choruses over and over as if we were all in children's Sunday school.
___ Elizabeth Hobbs
___ DeSoto

Gun security
___Regarding the Christian Life Commission's efforts to abolish church "freedom of choice" concerning concealed handguns: I guess I have been under the erroneous impression that two Baptist principles were beliefs in favor of local-church autonomy and against mandatory government regulation of churches. The CLC's position is one we would expect from Episcopalians, not Baptists.
___The recent church shooting near Baton Rouge is instructive. A man burst into the church service and killed two people and wounded four others. Since he was the only one armed, he could have shot everyone in the church.
___ Michael Sutton
___ Dallas

Eternal blessing
___I have been a member of 17 churches in the last 50 years (seven in Texas). Without exception, these churches have had at least one member who was a graduate or a former student of a Texas Baptist university, all serving effectively as deacons, teachers, pastors and music leaders.
___My life first was touched by a summer missionary from Hardin-Simmons University.
___Later, my life was influenced beyond measure by godly professors, able administrators and many brothers and sisters in Christ while a student at Hardin-Simmons University.
___My eternity has been greatly blessed, and I thank Texas Baptists for providing me an excellent education, for expanding my horizons and for helping me to get in touch with the "keys to the kingdom."
___ Fred Chapman
___ Sun City Grand, Ariz.

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