November 19, 2001
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
Voting age
___I am asking for opinions on what should be the proper voting age for church members.
___I hear 16 years in some churches or any age, so long as they've been baptized. It can be "representation without taxation" or "taxation with representation."
___Over the past four years, I've inquired as to how many youth graduate from high school and remain at their home church. About 93 percent leave, whether it be for college, work, move or marry.
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
___During the past year or so, a church in another city allowed the youth to vote in approximately $400,000 of new expenses, when the church could not even meet its current expenses. The youth leave this burden without paying anything, and parents, saddled with cost over and above tithes, soon leave also.
___What is the proper way to handle voting that is fair to both the youth and the congregation?
___ Jerry Martin
___ DeSoto
Missed the point
___I have several concerns regarding the article headlined "Mohler says Jews worship different God" (Nov. 5). It grossly misrepresented the spirit and nature of a chapel sermon delivered by Southern Seminary President Albert Mohler.
___First, the article and the headline, in an apparent attempt to generate controversy, completely missed the point of Mohler's sermon. The message was presented in the context of the Sept. 11 attack on America. Mohler spent some 45 minutes carefully demonstrating from Scripture the difference between the God revealed in the Bible and the god worshipped by Islam, Judaism and other religions. The message, in essence, was this: Theology matters, and the events of the past few weeks underscore the urgency of sharing the truth of the gospel.
___Second, Mohler's comments should come as no surprise to most Christians. As he pointed out, Jews do not worship the same god as Christians for the same reason that Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus or those of any other faith do not worship the same god as Christians--they have rejected the deity of Christ. Jesus himself said that he who rejects the Son rejects the Father (Luke 10:16).
___His message is available on Southern's website, www.sbts.edu. It's titled "Theology Matters."
___ Lawrence Smith
___ Vice president for communications
___ Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
___ Louisville, Ky.
Best music
___In considering the results of your recent survey on favorite songs of worship (Oct. 29), it is vital to note that 78 percent of the respondents were age 50 and over. In addition, it could only survey those who read the Standard.
___I do not fault the Standard for its methods. However, anyone who would attempt to generalize this list to Baptists as a whole would be dishonest.
___Recently I had the opportunity to serve on a search committee for a minister of music. Our committee was diverse in its representation of the church and reflected a spectrum of musical tastes. We sought and found a minister who was committed to leading believers to worship rather than defending or promoting a particular musical or worship style.
___I recently heard an excellent message in which the pastor pointed out that if two people healed of blindness by Jesus had met they would have had very different experiences to relate: One was healed with a word; another had mud applied to his eyes and was told to wash. Both encountered Jesus. Neither had a superior encounter.
___I hope this survey doesn't spawn the perennial raging debate in the Standard about what music is best or what music can "move a grasshopper."
___The music that leads a person to the throne of grace is the best music for that person. I wish we all could be equally blessed by the music of John Newton, Handel and Chris Tomlin. I believe God is.
___ Kelly Quinn
___ Longview
Across generations
___As a teenager, I appreciated John McNaughton's comment: "Our young people today are facing a similar problem (to that of Pearl Harbor), and they need all the help we can give them. May we put our differences aside and help and counsel them in every way we can" (Nov. 5).
___Sometimes, it can seem that my generation is frowned upon by the older generations. Though my age group has our downsides, just as any generation does, what we need is encouragement and loving guidance, not severe condemnation; we need people to support us, not to push us aside.
___His letter may have been the first like that I'd heard or read. It was neat to hear someone from the time of Pearl Harbor give support. Thank you.
___ Kristen Cole
___ Corsicana
Pro-life options
___Too frequently, some choose to focus on a single issue for the purpose of rhetoric and scheming rather than engaging in a substantive effort. Recently Buckner Baptist Benevolences has been maliciously attacked by those trying to mask their schemes under the cover of the "abortion issue." Texas Baptists have been stalwart advocates of pro-life, with Buckner at the forefront in ministry by offering real pro-life options for women.
___Regrettably, some have attacked Buckner in an effort to advance their cause in denominational politics. Even more regrettably, some follow with a thoughtless knee-jerk reaction based solely on the flash word "abortion." A letter to the editor criticized Buckner President Ken Hall, telling him to "get off his high horse" as he defended Buckner against these malicious attacks (Nov. 5).
___Those resorting to rhetoric and scheming knew they could get this kind of shallow response. Avoid the schemes and rhetoric and look at the truth. The fall publication of Buckner Today describes the substantive effort of ministry to teenage mothers, Healthy Family programs, evangelistic revival teams in Lubbock and ministry to pregnant teens in the Valley. The self-serving attack on Buckner cannot be allowed to overshadow its ministry and its international adoption program.
___Even with these accomplishments, Buckner can accept but one in 10 requests for assistance to families. Buckner needs our support in substantive ways, both financially and by volunteerism. Please do not react to "flash words" but participate in a pro-life manner by supporting Buckner.
___ George McCain
___ Royse City
Two standards
___Regarding the coverage of a campus of Buckner participating in a meeting that included Planned Parenthood (Oct. 8), while I'm certain nothing was done here that created a problem presently, there is, however, the appearance of Buckner officials showing acceptance of an organization which supports abortion as an alternative to life.
___I read the Baptist Press, Baptist Standard and Southern Baptist Texan articles. These reports were fair and were merely reporting that which a number of persons were concerned. It is unfortunate the head of Buckner calls the BP story an act of terrorism. A poor choice of words.
___Do you operate by two standards? I find it interesting that your paper vociferously criticizes BP and the Southern Baptist Texan for a routine and fair article when the Standard can show no fairness about BP or anyone who represents the Southern Baptist Convention. This is what politics can do to good people. Enough is enough!
___ Donald Rankin
___ Shreveport, La.
Friend of sinners
___Immediately after reading yet another tirade against Buckner for their co-sponsorship of an abstinence-based conference in Amarillo, I found this bit of information on an Amarillo news website:
___"Potter County not only has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the state, it now has the highest rate of sexually transmitted infections in the state ... ranking above all other major Texas cities."
___That's a dubious distinction for a county of which Amarillo is a major part, and yet, when a major Christian presence, teaching the biblical message of abstinence before marriage, seeks to educate the young people of that city, it is blasted for its "appearance of evil."
___The appearance is that Christians in Texas and around the nation are angered that Buckner would care enough about at-risk youth to do something about it.
___Meanwhile, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America gets good press for being willing to tour Amarillo and comment that "ignorance is the No. 1 factor contributing to (the high teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection numbers) ... and education is the key." Who appears evil now? Wake up, Christians!
___Our Lord was condemned as a friend of sinners and a drunkard because of his love for the needy. Can we love any less? Especially when we consider the need?
___Kudos to Buckner!
___ Chad Chaddick
___ Borger
___What do you think? Submit letters via e-mail to marvknox@baptiststandard.com or regular mail at Box 660267, Dallas 75266-0267.
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook
