May 5, 1999
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM
Hate kills
___Everyone has a "reason" why tragedies such as the Colorado slayings happen: We should have a father in every home. The death penalty should be mandatory in these cases. The absurdity in these two statements should be evident.
___These actions werecarefully premeditated. This spells H-A-T-E. What are we doing to cure the problem?
e-mail marvknox@flash.net
___Overall, Baptists are contributing more than helping solve the problem. Do we use hate in our terminology? When the word "liberal" is used, it conjures up the images desired by the user and the listener. This is why Jesus would have been called "liberal" if the word had been in use.
___Let's continue the effort to get guns out of the hands of potential criminals, fight the smut in Hollywood, etc. But let's stop contributing to and promoting the message of hate.
___ Carl L. Hess
___ Ozark, Ala.
School retreat
___Last time (in Paducah, Ky.) it was death in a prayer group. This time (for Cassie Bernall in Littleton, Colo.) it was a lone Christian girl with only her faith.
___How many more Christian martyrs must die in our public schools before we, as Baptists, realize we need to set up our own nationwide education system?
___ Kerry Hodgkinson
___ Orange
Body piercing
___Your articles condoning the GenXers' (body-piercing) lifestyle of empirical behavior (April 14) is outrageous and out of line with biblical standards established by God.
___Their behavior is exactly what the Apostle Paul is trying to discourage in his letters. Self-gratification, outrageous behavior and outlandish dress are not what Paul had in mind when he indicated freedom in the non-essentials (1 Corinthians 6:12; 8:9). Modesty was the result Paul was striving for.
___God commands us not to act like the pagans: "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:28).
___We are to be new creations in Christ, not the same old person with a new song to sing. "We are not to conform to the ways of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2).
___ Bill Flight
___ Irving
Outlaw thing
___What is biblical or even church-related about the stories on body piercing (April 14)?
___Instead of publishing and thereby promoting this reprehensible outlaw thing that some are doing in the name of Christ (?), why not accent the positive things done by so many young people truly in the name of Christ?
___ Lona Mae Gordon
___ Brazoria
School vouchers
___Should the government give vouchers to parents to help pay at least part of the tuition for the private school of their choice? Absolutely!
___Where does the government get money to fund the school system anyway? From we the people. Christians may not be happy with Buddhist teachers promoting yoga in schools, and Buddhists may not be happy with Christian prayers in public schools.
___That is understandable, but if each has a voucher and makes their own choice, then that is called liberty.
___Our founders did not have a non-religious attitude. We pledge allegiance to the flag and say, "one nation under God." We have "In God We Trust" on our coins.
___The National Education Association will fight the voucher idea. They don't want to give up their powerful position of influence over our children's minds. But I think our nation's founders would support it. The voucher idea is not government-sponsored religion, it is limiting government to give power to the people. That is just what our founders had in mind.
___ Victor Ray Vaughn
___ Richardson
Seniors neglected
___In regard to "seniors neglected" (April 14), I, too, have noticed the same problem.
___My mother served as church secretary for 10 years and then retired to care for four great-grandchildren whose mother was terminally ill and died.
___The church members honored her with a luncheon and a plaque stating her years of service. She was 70.
___Since then, the visits and concerns have diminished to the point of "I plan to call (or visit), but I just don't have time." My mother is 84 now. The pastor might visit her once a year now.
___As a dear friend, now dead, said, "Boy, when you can't go to church, they just forget about you." How many are there that feel that way?
___ Lottie Yarbrough
___ Freeport
Precious saints
___Regarding the letter concerning senior members of our churches being neglected (April 14), I would like to assure you that such is not the case in all churches.
___Under the capable leadership of Mary Jo Essex, First Baptist Church in Texarkana has one of the most effective homebound ministries to be found anywhere. With 40 workers and over 130 members, our homebound ministry makes certain that every homebound person receives a visit at least once a month, usually more often. They each have their own personal visitor who each month delivers to them literature, cassette tapes of services and Sunday school lessons, gifts and always encouragement and prayers.
___We consider our homebound members a strategic part of our church family, and they are encouraged to pray for our church, its leaders and particularly for the younger families of the body. We consider these saints the backbone of our current ministries and credit many of our blessings as a direct result of their fervent and faithful prayers. While in previous years they were valuable as workers and active members, they are perhaps even more valuable as prayer warriors.
___Don't miss out on a wonderful opportunity to minister, to evangelize, as well as to reap the rewards of the many years of faithful service and experience from these precious saints.
___ Larry Sims
___ Texarkana
Brag on Jesus
___After pastoring for 30 years in Texas and California and preaching for almost 40--from Texas pulpits to Philippine barrios--I have come face-to-face with the greatest disappointment of my life: Retired from the pastorate and not being offered the opportunity to share what I know and have experienced about Jesus Christ.
___My availability has been published in the Standard, resumes sent ... but still there are no opportunities.
___I am not a threat to anyone but Satan and am not looking for a pastorate--just an opportunity to brag on my Lord.
___ Ken Tierce
___ Abilene
Not acceptable
___The three letters attacking Frank Page's statements on Calvinism (April 7) are blind toward what is wrong with Calvinistic theology.
___Calvinism teaches that God alone--before Christ, before the world was even created--chose the elect. If God has chosen the elect based solely on his sovereign choice, then those who are not saved are not chosen, which logically means God chose them for eternal damnation. If God wanted them to be saved, he would have saved them, just like he saved the elect. So, logically, he wanted them to be damned.
___We're talking about billions of people consigned to eternal torture. How can we worship such a God, and call him merciful, loving and just?
___Remember, this happened before the world was created, and before Adam ever sinned. God cannot be said to look ahead in time and base his choice on what individual humans will do--that's Arminianism. So, God did not look ahead in time, see that Adam would sin, and make a contingency plan based around the salvation of the elect. God's plan all along, according to Calvinism, was for God to choose the elect, to create the world and mankind, for mankind to sin and for Christ to be sent into the world to save only the elect--in that order.
___This is the abhorrent underbelly of Calvinism, and this is why what is known as contemporary Calvinism is anything but acceptable Baptist theology.
___ James Moore
___ Houston
'Stinkweed' stinks
___How anyone who claims to be saved by grace could utter the words of the letter from Tommy Hall (April 14) is both incredible and tragic.
___"Stinkweed" and "poisonous"--in reference to the Apostle Paul's vision of a God-centered view of redemption embraced by Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Knox, Cranmer and great Baptists such as Spurgeon and Carroll.
___ Paul Richard Strange Sr.
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