April 10, 2000
Texas Baptist Forum
Hope & sadness
___I was listening to KCBI radio March 30. As I pulled into the church parking lot, I heard the announcer switch to a remote microphone in Arlington. The plea went out for listeners to drop by and make contributions to an organization called Mission Arlington.
___KCBI would have a presence there all day as they helped Mission Arlington gatheritems for those who had been ravaged by a tornado.
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___Tears came to my eyes as I prayed: "Thank you, Father, for the chance for Texas Baptists to come together. Please give us more chances, and please bring healing to us."
___Here we had the radio station of First Baptist Church in Dallas, which recently announced alignment with Southern Baptists of Texas, enlisting support for a ministry of First Baptist Church in Arlington, whose former pastor has become executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
___I have mixed emotions. I am full of hope that we can work together (God, please grant it!). I am also saddened it takes a tornado to bring us together for the cause of Christ. Wouldn't it have been better to come together because of the millions in our state who are lost and ravaged by the sin that so easily entangles us? Will you join me in praying for us to continue to work together, my brothers and sisters in the BGCT and SBT?
___ Ben G. Condray
___ Midlothian
Olive branch
___In the name of doctrinal purity--who is right and who is wrong--we have literally dragged our Savior, Jesus Christ, through the cesspool of guilt by association and the muck and mire of innuendo.
___It is hard to find Ephesians 4:25-32 in the recent or present years. And that grieves the Holy Spirit.
___When will the leaders of all involved extend an olive branch--get together, talk and pray--and become a part of a greater awakening than the Great Awakening.
___"Get Mark, bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry" (2 Timothy 3:11) is still God's way.
___ Henry Adrion III
___ Hilltop Lakes
Faithful servants
___As I read the article (March 27) announcing Joy Fenner's retirement as executive director-treasurer of Woman's Missionary Union of Texas on Feb. 28, 2001, speculation as to her successor immediately came to my mind.
___Then, all of a sudden it hit me! Who will take her husband Charlie's place? What a team! They both deserve a very strong, "Well done, good and faithful servant." They both will be greatly missed!
___ Jim Humphries
___ San Marcos
Prayer for healing
___I cannot get over the petty bickering among Texas Baptists. If Baylor University wants to build a seminary that is more in line with its beliefs, then let them. The Southern Baptist Convention has taken over Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. By establishing Truett Seminary, Baylor is ministering to people whom the SBC has deemed not "good" enough for ministry because of their beliefs and/or gender and upholding the basic Baptist foundation--"priesthood of the believer."
___As a Baylor graduate in religion and a woman called to the ministry, I thank God for Baylor's stance. As long as Christian-Baptists believe God is the Creator; sent his Son, Jesus, to die for all sins; and Jesus rose again providing all believers with eternal life, then how a person interprets the Scriptures is between her and God and not the leaders of the SBC.
___What kind of witness are Baptists presenting to the rest of the world? It would be great if all Baptists would agree to disagree. Recall Galatians 3:28 and remember, if women are not deserving leadership roles, why would a woman be chosen to bear the Son of God and why would women be the first to witness the resurrection of Christ? I pray God heals the wounds in the SBC so we can get on with our main purpose--winning souls for Christ.
___ Donna Bragdon
___ Austin
Who's false?
___I just came to the Baptist Standard website for the first time and caught Al Mohler's assertion that the Catholic Church is a "false church" (April 3). As a member of a church affiliated with the SBC, I wanted to take a moment to say that he is wrong and that if the stance of the SBC is that the Catholic Church is "false," then I think my wife and I will be looking for a new church soon.
___It takes about 30 seconds to read the Catholic Creed and see their core beliefs are right on. By the way, the doctrine of Mary is not a core belief necessary for salvation within the church, so don't even go there. Salvation comes through faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and his sacrifice to forgive our sins. The Catholics hold this as well as the Baptists.
___It always freaks me out when a body of believers that totals the majority of the world's Christians gets ripped on by a relatively infant sect that distinguished itself from "Northern" Baptists by making a pro-slavery stand.
___Who's the false church?
___ Bill Carl
___ Tampa, Fla.
True compassion
___In "Fight hunger; pick up your pen" (March 22), Marv Knox urged readers to write letters in support of the Hunger Relief Act and an increase in the minimum wage.
___Both of these pieces of legislation force others to spend their money for these programs. If we as Christians really want to fight hunger, we should pick up our pens and write checks to organizations and individuals who are in a position to help.
___For us to personally help others is true compassion. For us to force others through legislation to do so is nothing more than fake compassion.
___ Wallace Pippin
___ Grandview
Unite in love
___After marrying a Southern Baptist who later became an associate pastor, I was baptized and became a member of the church he attended.
___He received the Baptist Standard, and years later, after he died, I continued to subscribe.
___Sad to say, over the past few years, I have been dismayed to find the tone of the letters to be just as Sherry Westbrook says (March 27). It is only on rare occasions that you find a letter that gives a word of praise to someone else. All this criticism, fault-finding and back-biting is very hurtful and destructive.
___God is love. So let us pray for God's forgiveness and love for one another. That was Jesus' command, "Love one another as I have loved you." Let us be united in Christian love and fellowship.
___ Kathy Burtis
___ Canyon
Praise for women
___Your cartoonist (March 22, April 3) gives me mixed emotions. I don't like the way he suggests that women, no matter what age, cannot control their emotions or reason.
___Praise the Lord they have the emotions and caring attitude they do (Acts 1:10, 11).
___ Don Hicks
___ Fort Worth
Prevailing illogic
___The school-prayer controversy demonstrates prevailing illogic. That such prayer must be defended on "free speech" principles is sad. Could our courts get sensible for a change?
___Sources indicate about 97 percent of us believe God exists. Our founders clearly did: "... they are endowed by their Creator." That the founders intended to prohibit establishment of a state-favored "church" is clear. That they did not intend to prohibit state-recognition of God also is clear. Witness the wording of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution's free exercise clause. That this would be a Christian (actually Protestant) nation was simply assumed.
___The intent was to satisfy the worriers and ensure freedom of--not from--religion. A secular state, in the sense of being God-neutral--as contrasted with "church" or religion--was never intended.
___There is a category difference between the Being that is God and any religion. Ignoring or failing to recognize this difference has profound consequences and has led to absurd judicial results. No-favoritism toward a particular "church" was intended and possible. State-neutrality on God was not intended and is impossible.
___It may therefore be said the "separation" of church and state is one thing, but the separation of state from God is another. That is atheistic, which has led to court-ordered state denial of God.
___Now they are considering whether a student can pray publicly to God at a football game, which should be a non-issue.
___How far have we fallen? Will we ever learn?
___ Tom Edwards
___ Houston
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