March 15, 2000
Pray for Castro
___Wouldn't it be great if every Texas Baptist were to pray for the salvation of Fidel Castro?
___Our pastor, Raymond Edge of First Baptist Church in Bastrop, and four other pastors just returned from a visit to Santa Clara, Cuba.
___He was made glad by their happy devotion to Christ, and saddened to tears by their poverty.
___ Dale Taylor
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
___ Bastrop
Live with it
___When George W. Bush apologized again to Roman Catholics (and the American people) on CNN, I couldn't believe my ears. He reiterated his sadness for failing to denounce Bob Jones University's intolerance of gays, interracial marriages and Roman Catholics. None of the other politicians who have spoken there (Bob Dole, Ronald Reagan, etc.) were expected to condemn them for their lack of tolerance.
___ Will Bush be required to chastise Roman Catholic institutions for disagreeing with Bob Jones?
___Imagine what would happen if presidential candidates took on the task of addressing all the prejudices we have in this country. Being offended is part of being a human being. We need to grow up and live with it.
___Josh Billings used to say, "When you meet a fact in the road, take your hat off to it." Americans (including Bush) should take off their hats to this plain fact: He is no more guilty for speaking at Bob Jones University than the Apostle Paul was for preaching in Athens.
___He didn't go there to change their religious beliefs. He couldn't, even if he had tried.
___ Doug Fincher
___ San Augustine
No propaganda
___I cannot imagine that Mark Wingfield lays any claim to being an objective journalist. His article on the Prestonwood (March 8) meeting was clearly biased against the churches that are breaking or have broken their association with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
___For example, Wingfield made a very strong point that even though Prestonwood has "a $23 million budget" they only "gave a total of $12,575" through the BGCT last year.
___He failed to mention how much Prestonwood gave through Southern Baptists of Texas and the Southern Baptist Convention.
___Furthermore, he cited "philosophical differences" as the reason behind these churches' disputes with the BGCT, when in actuality it is the BGCT's pro-abortion, anti-scriptural stances that are doing the job.
___Wingfield should either do better research or henceforth relegate himself to only writing BGCT propaganda.
___ Jon Gardner
___ Bryan
Wake up
___Jack Graham must think Texas Baptists are dense (March 8). What else could explain his comments after the pastors' meeting at Prestonwood Baptist Church?
___He stated his concern was the BGCT leadership held ideas not in the spirit of the Baptist Faith & Message.
___Excuse me?
___The BGCT leadership didn't amend the Baptist Faith & Message. The BGCT didn't appoint a study committee to bring the Baptist Faith & Message "in-line" with current SBC leadership's views. In fact, the BGCT leadership supported the overwhelming affirmation of the Baptist Faith & Message. Now just exactly who's going in the different direction?
___Second, Graham offers the outrageous assertion that 40 percent of Texas Baptist churches are not happy with the current direction of the state convention. No person or church should let such an unsubstantiated claim go unchallenged. If you are going to make such an assertion, you better have some hard facts to back you up. If not, don't try to pass off pretentious ponderings as your estimate.
___Wake up, Texas Baptists! Find out for yourselves what's going on and make your own educated decisions. Don't let Jack Graham, me or anybody else lead you around by a theologically fabricated ring in your nose.
___ Van Christian
___ Comanche
Sick of vitriol
___I agree with Jack Graham that the SBC is experiencing "success, success, success" in missions and evangelism, but the BGCT does not recognize or highlight those successes.
___I would also like to add that the Baptist Standard would rather choke than highlight those successes. Like many, I am tired of the anti-SBC spin of the Standard and the 20-year-old vitriol against conservatives.
___Is it too much to ask for a paper that does not denigrate, grieve or offend loyal Southern Baptists?
___Maybe, if more churches move in the direction of heavyweights like Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Second Baptist Church in Houston and others, then the BGCT will get the message that a few leftists in their ranks and the Standard shouldn't be allowed to foment division and continue strife.
___Much of the tension in our state can be laid at your feet.
___ Steve White
___ Dallas
Big tent
___Thank you for a very balanced understanding of the issue of "widening the tent" (March 8). I first brought this issue to the forefront in a guest editorial about two years ago. I know it unleashed some of the frustrations of those who were tired of the conflict. Yet then and now, I never intended to suggest that Texas is not an "open state." If only the Southern Baptist Convention would allow anywhere near the same kind of diverse and proportionate representation, the climate that now exists between the SBC and the BaptistGeneral Convention of Texas would improve.
___Why? Because it would demonstrate a spiritual shift in the hearts of those now controlling the SBC. It would indicate that "reconciliation is more important than control." The drift I saw two years ago among we Texas Baptists was a "sliding down the slippery slope of denominational control." If continued unchecked, we, as a whole, would find ourselves implementing the same kind of tactics and rhetoric employed by those we distrust in the SBC. All I was trying to do was to "prick the conscience of Texas Baptists." There is never a place for "unkindness and negative rhetoric" among God's people. Of course, there is a place for "open and firm discussion." My perception was that "dialogue was a dead issue ... even in Texas."
___ I am glad that through some of our reconciliation meetings we were able to have some "open and firm discussions." My prayer is that as a result of those gatherings, we will be a better people; not because we agree on every issue or because we don't go our separate ways, but because God's people have demonstrated what the real essence of grace is all about.
___ I feel for those pastors who are struggling with the issue of "how to relate to both the SBC and the BGCT." I struggle with it too! For all of our churches are filled with people who see things from various perspectives. I think that's good. Therefore, our pastoral struggle is to be the pastor of all the people.
___ As a whole, this 20-plus years of struggle has had a very negative effect on the local church and has given a very negative image to the world. At the same time, it has caused us to be better stewards of the resources the Lord has given us. We no longer give and ask no questions. We give because we have asked questions. Our commitment to any denominational entity in the future will be based on prayer and open communication with these entities. In other words, "What would the Lord have us to do with what he has blessed us with?"
___ I see us having to make some very tough decisions in the very near future about our networking with mission opportunities. I'm not sure we're ready to do that, but we're much better prepared than we were before we entered into an emphasis on prayer and reconciliation. Therefore, our decisions will not be "reactive but proactive." We will try to answer the question, "How can we best serve the kingdom of God?"
___ I feel good about being a Texas Baptist. In spite of the criticism of many who just want everything their way, the BGCT is "big enough for all kinds of Baptists."
___ BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade deserves our best efforts. I am encouraging every pastor and layperson I speak with to hear his heart and to judge him on who he is and not what we hear he is. He is a man of honor and integrity. I think that we are a good convention and will get better under his leadership.
___ Pete Freeman
___ The Woodlands
All are guilty
___There is more than one way to view the action of Missouri Baptists in regard to the attacks made by Roger Moran.
___Just maybe they are acting with the Spirit of Jesus, who never defended himself but let Father God take care of his reputation.
___There may be some truth in what Moran has said, but he is saying it to the wrong person.
___As an intercessor, I have been strongly impressed by the Holy Spirit that God does not need our puny defense and we had better be careful how we put our hands--or our mouths--on the ones he has called and empowered by his anointing.
___I find myself grieved by the actions of those who are spreading discord by introducing political moves for power in our churches rather than waiting for promotion from God. As far as I can see, none of the parties are guiltless.
___ Jo Ann Smith
___ Milam
Send tapes
___Having read the article on the "Fundamentals" conference (March 8), I suppose the only honorable thing for all us pastors to do would be to send tape recordings of our sermons and Bible studies to Paige Patterson.
___Then he could pass judgment on which of us are interesting enough that we are fit to pursue our divine callings and which of us are boring enough that we should be "confined to a cell somewhere" so that we "can do no more damage to the gospel."
___Patterson implies he in no way would count himself among those "pastorettes" nor his preaching efforts among those "sermonettes" he vigorously decries.
___For that reason, the most fitting conclusion to his address might well have been a prayer: "God, I thank Thee ... that I am not like other men. ..."
___ Louis Johnson
___ Abilene
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Agree to disagree
___As I read letters on women's ordination and Calvinism, I am reminded that I remain in a very lonely position in Southern Baptist life.
___Following a prominent roll-call of my Baptist forefathers, I stand in the line of those who call themselves Calvinists. When it comes to matters of salvation and sanctification, I believe the "five points" are a wonderful summary of the biblical teaching on these matters.
___At the same time, however, I believe biblical teaching allows for the roles of women deacons, pastors, teachers and leaders, and for the ideal of mutual submission in marriage.
___I have come to my beliefs based on what I think the Bible teaches, as I am sure that any mature Christian on either side of these issues also believes that they have read and understood Scripture properly.
___My point is this: Can we not disagree without using pejoratives and mislabeling others' beliefs as "liberal"? Classical religious liberalism denies the deity of Christ, the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture, the salvation of "faith alone, through Christ alone" and other fundamentals of Christian faith.
___If I hold to the fundamentals of the faith, may I not be as conservative, Bible-believing and faithful to Scripture as you?
___We should all learn that even as we are not perfect in deed, neither are we perfect in doctrine.
___Maybe if we all had a more humble attitude in these things, we could love each other as Jesus intended.
___ Doran Brown
___ Toledo, Ohio
The result
___Yes, Mac Galloway, Truett Theological Seminary in Waco is the result of politics (March 8).
___It is just as political as the elections of Southern Baptist Convention leaders in the past 20 years; just as political as the firing of Russell Dilday by the trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theology Seminary; just as political as the formation of Southern Baptists of Texas; just as political as the recent affiliation of a large Dallas Baptist church with the new splinter Baptist organization; and just as political as the establishment of Criswell College in Dallas, which in relationship to Southwestern is less than half the distance between Southwestern and Truett.
___Is all of this politics helpful to the kingdom of God? No. Ask the churches that do not use "Baptist" in their names. Ask the Baptist laymen who have found new church homes in other denominations. Ask any Baptist who believes in the autonomy of the local church. Ask any Baptist who believes in the priesthood of the believer.
___Will the politics end soon? Probably not. Not until the leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention satisfy their quest for power and personal ego.
___ Andrew A. Litzler
___ Fort Worth
_Teach Bible, not evolution
__The Bible is the No. 1 book in the world to teach right from wrong. We as good citizens, as a whole, admit we have stood by while the Bible was taken from our classrooms and have been negligent in not standing for the Bible to be taught as a subject in our schools.
___ Recently, a school board member was asked if they thought we would ever see the Bible taught again as part of the curriculum in our schools, to which the reply came that they doubted it. We as responsible adults should influence and encourage our school board members to have courage and to fight to have the Bible taught in our public schools again.
___ We should not allow the theory of evolution to take the place of the fact of creation that we know to be true according to the Genesis account given in the Bible.
___ These three points are the most important points we need to make in order to help drive the influence of Satan, the devil, from our public schools.
___ Jim Hicks
___ Clyde
Impressed with Sloan
___ I am not a Baylor University graduate, nor am I a player on either side of the denominational debate. I am not beholden to anyone or any side. I am simply a Christian Baptist who considers himself theologically very conservative. I believe the Scriptures are "truth without any mixture of error."
___ As a bivocational pastor, I have few opportunities to attend Bible conferences, workshops, etc. But when I heard Baylor President Robert Sloan would be teaching a
___ In only a brief time, he proved to be not only a student and scholar of the Scriptures, but also a gifted teacher and expositor. His method of teaching reflected his love and respect for the Scriptures. It is notable that he read or recited Scripture as much or more than he commented on it! It is clear that the Baylor president holds to the total fidelity of God's word.
___ As he continues to require the same love for and scholarship in the Scriptures from his faculty, it appears that more Southern Baptists will have less to argue about and more to be grateful for. Thank you, President Sloan.
___ Bob Stanford
___ Austin
Stonecasting is dangerous
___ And it came to pass, Jesus just shook his head as the group returned this time bringing the woman sinner as well as men who had been accused of associating with her and others.
___ Jesus recognized the charge of "associating with sinners." Even as Jesus knelt down to write in the clay, the stones hitting nearby, no one looked to see what he wrote, since they were busy with the work they had organized to do.
___ Was this the same group about which the statement, "see how they love one another" was made? Was there a tear in Jesus' eye as the group sought to spread their accusations throughout the land?
___ Did any one care what was happening to the brothers and sisters in Christ being hit with the stones? Jesus did.
___ Bud Strawn
___ St. Petersburg, Fla.
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