Texas Baptist Forum

Generations saved
___If all grandparents had my testimony, then maybe we would have less abortions.
___I was born in 1938, out of wedlock. If abortions had been available as today, I probably would not be writing this letter. I would have been one of those numbers we count today. I

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was no different than those babies being aborted today.
___My mother was poor--one of 15 children, no father. How bad can it really be? She had me and gave me up for adoption.
___So, today I have three children and nine grandchildren-- all Christians.
___A granddaughter who is pregnant never thought of giving her baby up or having an abortion. I will support her 100 percent. We have enough love for this baby to make her one day know her mother loved her enough to keep the baby--and we'll tell my story.
___ Margaret Sanchez
___ Houston

False perceptions
___I am responding to the article concerning the actions of the Atlanta Baptist Association and "gay-friendly churches" (Feb. 12). I have learned from your paper that truth and honesty, integrity and fairness are of utmost concern to you and the leadership of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Therefore, I am confident you would be interested in doing whatever is possible to correct the misleading message of the article you printed.
___In the story, you relate the issue is over the association's refusal to expel "two gay-friendly churches" for their "acceptance of gays" and their "welcoming" of gays. I am sure you did not intentionally convey this message, for that would be untruthful and dishonest.
___Perhaps you would want to correct the false perceptions communicated in your article by looking into and reporting the actual reasons for these actions. To be fair and honest, I am sure you would want to let everyone know the issue is not about being "friendly" or "accepting" or even "welcoming." Rather, it is about two churches that are reported to appoint homosexuals as deacons and Sunday School teachers and perform same-sex unions.
___I knew you would want me to call this to your attention because you have used so much ink telling all of us Texas Baptists how we must rise up and help bring an end to all of the misinformation.
___ Mark Mitchell
___ Denison

No separation
___Nowhere, that I know, have Baptists embraced the "politically correct" notion of the "separation of church and state."
___"Separation of church and state" is not in the Constitution nor in the Bill of Rights. It was a remark gleaned from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson and now popularized by the courts. In that regard, the Bill of Rights guarantees the free practice of religion and prohibits the government from establishing a state church. Nothing more, nothing less.
___The politically correct notion, espoused by James Dunn and those of like stripe, is the basic reason that values, morals and ethics have been stripped from our governmental and educational institutions. Bill Clinton is a classic example.
___ Royal E. Smith
___ Southlake

Core issues
___In light of the tone of recent articles and editorials, it seems both sides are equally to blame for tensions between the BGCT and the Southern Baptist Convention. There has been as much caustic rhetoric from the BGCT as from the other side.
___My challenge is this: Instead of spending so much time talking about "freedom," "domination" and the "politico-religious fundamentalists," spend more time talking about the core religious issues.
___The key question the BGCT has avoided lately is this: From a scriptural perspective, why should we interpret the Bible through Jesus, and what are the specific criteria for doing so?
___It is a faulty hermeneutical approach with no criteria to govern it. It reinforces subjectivism, a problem that routinely leads to the erosion of the gospel message. Anything becomes permissible and rational because any passage can be reinterpreted according to a "Jesus love ethic."
___ Mike Terry
___ Dallas

Tool of control
___Neither side is sinless, but enough of the notion that the Baptist war derives from two groups spoiling for a fight. This is how the public press represents it and how some well-meaning Baptists choose to see it.
___If that had been the case, then "moderates" might have fared better in the struggle for the SBC. Moderates did not want to fight and failed to organize until it was too late.
___I know of no moderate who has sought to have any teacher or school leader fired for differences of interpretation, campaigned for changes in traditional confessions or sent confederates into classrooms to make tapes and spy out error, as was done in my classes at Baylor University.
___I speak from experience, having endured years of attack by people who would not know me if they met me and who never made any attempt to ascertain the truth of their charges.
___No, this has not been a war of choice for moderates. In the SBC of my youth, Baptists trusted one another, and differences were respected. This is the spirit that, on the whole, still exists in the BGCT but which has been shattered, perhaps beyond repair, in the SBC.
___And while pleas for reconciliation are understandable, every effort at reconciliation has been turned into a tool of control. One makes no headway toward reconciliation with the mentality that controls the SBC today. One only grieves and turns to those who still value cooperation for the kingdom's sake.
___ C.W. Christian
___ Waco

Heartsick & sad
___My heart is sickened and sad as I have just attended a "quorum" meeting at my church. A resolution to disassociate our church from the BGCT and to align with Southern Baptists of Texas was made, and by the comments from the congregation, the resolution will almost assuredly pass.
___One other lone spokesperson and I were the only ones to question or speak out against the action. The comments supporting the resolution revealed a basic lack of understanding of the issues. Our staff has done a great job at keeping the congregation ignorant of Baptist tradition and the real issues. A hand-picked "committee on cooperation" issued their resolution tonight. The fact that the committee agreed unanimously is suspect, and I doubt the BGCT received fair representation and consideration.
___Now, I'm faced with a dilemma. My friends are there, I play in the band, my kids love going to church and we are very established and connected spiritually.
___Please pray for my family and me during this difficult time. I never imagined having to be forced to compromise my principles or change churches, but each choice brings with it an equal number of consequences.
___ Name withheld

Two camps
___Two camps in our state need prayer for the peace of God in their lives. I recently began taking classes again at the San Antonio extension of Southwestern Seminary. I strongly believe in their mission of providing quality theological education for their students. However, I also know that there are other quality seminaries in Waco and Abilene, full of students (male and female) who desire to do the will of God by carrying out the Great Commission.
___Just what is it we students need prayer for? We need prayer for spiritual unity between ourselves. We should be concerned for one another, not poking each other's eyes out over funding. It is heart-breaking to know that there are those in the state who desire theological training who cannot afford it, and that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Yet here we are as "divided" Baptists squabbling over money.
___It is with a heart of compassion that I urge churches, associations and individuals to support theological education at all three of our Baptist seminaries, and our up-and-coming Hispanic seminary.
___Come on, Texas, we are bigger than this! Do not give in to Satan's lies that we are divided. Anyone who wants to be a sour puss, let 'em go do it on their time, but for the rest of us we have souls to save and disciples to mature.
___ Jon Thompson
___ Dripping Springs

CLC on the left
___For many years now, I have admired the Baptist General Convention of Texas. I had the privilege of serving a church in that great state many years ago. I have followed the actions of the convention in recent months with great anticipation.
___Since I am not a part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship or the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention that I consider to be on the extreme right, I was hoping for a stance by the Texas convention of somewhere in the middle.
___After reading about the conference of the Christian Life Commission recently (Feb. 19), I now believe that the convention is just another part of the CBF. Your convention may not be technically a part of the CBF, but speakers like James Dunn and others whose talks you summarized seem to me to put you in the same field as the CBF.
___ It seems to me that that conference was as radical on the left as the SBC seems to be on the right.
___John Bedford
___Travelers Rest, S.C.

Definition of "submit"
___What a sad tragedy it was for the SBC to approve a statement of faith saying wives are to submit to their husbands. Apparently no one bothered to research the present usage of that word. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary notes "submit" comes originally from Latin and means "to send under." It defines submit as "(1) to yield oneself to the authority or will of another, (2) to permit oneself to be subjected to something, (3) to yield to governance or authority, (4) to subject to a regime, condition or practice."
___ In Ephesians 5:24 and Titus 2:9, the Apostle Paul gave exactly the same instructions to wives and slaves. He did so because both were slaves in that culture. There has to be a better translation for the Greek word than "to submit," regardless of the "gracious" sugar coating some men might give to the word. We need a word or a phrase that will speak to the lives of 21st century wives.
___Is total submission to her husband's authority the Bible's message to the American wife today? Are we still living in a 1st century culture with women and slaves in the same category.? Legal slavery has been gone in America for 135 years, yet in the minds of some American men it still exists at the command of God.
___Dan Keeney
___San Angelo

Try a different approach
___My compelling interest in the ongoing debate between so-called conservatives and so-called moderates is not to stop it but to urge a more civil approach to it.
___ For example, I believe that Scott Shaver's harsh criticism of a young man at Southwestern Seminary (Jan. 29) is out of character for people of God. The editorial (Feb. 12) calling Jim Richards of Southern Baptists of Texas a liar is not edifying in the least. It is demeaning and unnecessary.
___This vitriolic approach to debate is giving me the urge to actively participate with a so-called conservative group and join the battle. I am a member of the largest Baptist church in Louisiana. It is conservative. However, the pastor never criticizes other church groups or pastors. I don't do it in my two Sunday morning teaching sites. I can't say the same for other Baptists in my city.
___I feel that my Texas ancestors are "turning over in their graves" with all this rancor and harshness. Let's try a different approach. We might like it.
___Donald Rankin
___Shreveport, La.

Shaking the dust from our feet...
___About 40 or so years ago, I recall the BGCT and the Southern Baptist Convention working wonderfully well together. With the same goals, it was difficult to separate one from the other. We covered most of Texas and much of the world with the gospel message. The Lord richly blessed our successes, and we grew.
___Then, 21 years ago, a growing fundamentalist faction crowned their infiltration of SBC by establishing the beginning of a dynasty.
___The coup saddled the SBC with a hidden agenda of changes. "Enemies" were purged from the system and replaced with their own breed. Their fingerprints soon appeared all over our Sunday School and Bible lessons, and finally they began altering the basic fabric of the SBC, the Baptist Faith & Message of 1963.
___The new entity forced former friends and partners to choose between who they were and who they claimed to be. The SBC will never be the same.
___These pseudo-conservatives have donned a creedal cloak. Their aim at the ultra-right has connected, as evidenced by Jerry Falwell's embrace.
___Thank the Lord, the BGCT refused to be stopped or redirected. Small wonder the action taken in Corpus Christi wasn't stronger. The Lord's work will continue!
___If the BGCT doesn't do it, who will? The other team chugs along, but their engine runs on a very narrow track. So, shaking the dust from our feet …
___ Paul Sawyer
___Kyle

Only God's promises matter
___For the last few months, the Standard's letters have disturbed me. The splitting away, the divisions and the threats have had an effect on my understanding of Christianity.
___Surely by now, most so-called Christians have realized absolutely nothing that can be said or done can take away or change what God has promised to us. Surely folks have figured out that the only dependable and everlasting word is absolutely the only sure thing that is available to us who love and follow God.
___Electricity, gas warmth, computers, telephones and any other modern conveniences are as undependable as the promise of tomorrow. Whether you are for, against or just indifferent, nothing but God's promises matter at any time.
___The stubborn ones, who will agree only on their way, seem to have neglected to understand that God's way is the only way.
___Dorothy Taylor
___Lockhart

Misplaced faith
___Ross Reding's letter (Jan 29) set me to thinking. In part, he writes of producing a revised edition of the New Testament that would omit Paul's teachings on the role of women in church and home.
___Perhaps he is not as facetious as he thinks, but prophetic in that the SBC leadership is producing a revised edition of the Bible that will cement their interpretations of what Paul was teaching. In the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message, parts of Paul's instructions were omitted that didn't fit their interpretation. The parts about "submit to one another" (Ephesians 5:21) and having the "sign of authority on her head" (1Corinthians 11:10) are left out.
___LifeWay Christian Resources' new "Standard" Bible is already being promoted as being the most accurate translation ever made. The translators are saying their work will not be swayed by "matters of relativism and political correctness," like "the bookselling translation," the New International Version.
___Ross Reding has humbly misplaced his faith in, to quote him, "the confines of the SBC, the greatest protestant denomination ever created."
___Clem White
___St. Petersburg, Fla.





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