March 5, 2001

TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM

No politics
___I wish the Baptist Standard would never print one word of any political person, party or meetings.
___God knows we have enough to write about without talking about the scum of the earth. There are many Christian people that are elected, and I am proud of them. However, I vote

E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

for people, not parties, and never, I mean never, discuss politics in church.
___God put us here to preach the word and live a life that is pleasing to him and thereby win people to Jesus.
___ Jack C. Stanfield
___ Bedias

Truth like beauty
___I am writing to express my complete agreement with the "concerned pastor" (Feb.19) regarding "Sheep stealing and cattle rustling" (Feb. 12) I found that editorial very offensive, and your reply only made it more offensive.
___I love people in the media, like you, who are so egotistical that you cannot accept criticism, but can always come up with an analogy to draw out your own biased and bigoted thoughts. You don't apparently even try to see and understand the point of view of others. All you can do is stick to your own opinion and label the others as "sheep stealers, cattle rustlers and liars." It is my hope and prayer that you do not continue in this manner and really gain an understanding of fire. You may not have started it, but you sure have fanned the flames.
___It is not the news you report that is causing so much concern and confusion. The presentation of that news in a totally biased and adversarial manner, as it is being given, will continue to sow the seeds of discontent and division. Truth is like beauty in that both are determined "in the eyes of the beholder."
___I pray that all of us can tone down the rhetoric and return our denomination to peace and normalcy with all of our differences subdued.
___ W.T. Rigsby
___ Frankston

Truth in love
___I read with pain the accusation of the "concerned pastor" charging the editor with being "callous toward the spirit of reconciliation" (Feb. 19).
___As one of the founding members of the Reconciliation Forum, I testify to the editor's fairness in coverage of our meetings. I heard his words of encouragement for reconciliation. I heard the words of those who attacked him in some of the meetings and witnessed his "gentleness" as he responded.
___I know he did all he could do to get people from both sides to honestly discuss the issues. He gave an inordinate amount of space in covering the Forum, because in his heart he also desired reconciliation.
___I too wish I had heard from this "concerned pastor." We could have used the encouragement! The criticism and ridicule from both directions was painful. But I would do it again. Why? Because I was able to reconcile personally with many of my brothers in the ministry.
___Many of us still have our differences and are going in different directions denominationally, but the Spirit of our Lord overshadows our relationships. If the editor had not involved himself in the Reconciliation Forum, many Texans would never have reconciled with each other. I pray for reconciliation and peace. Yet reconciliation will not come through naive wishfulness nor through a denial of reality. God admonishes us to speak the "truth in love."
___ Pete Freeman
___ The Woodlands

No defense
___I don't want any Baptists to defend religious liberty. Leave that for People for the American Way, ACLU, Americans United and others.
___Religious liberty calls for ideals diametrically opposed to Christ to exist. Christ would cleanse the temple again if he saw such collusion. A "sex church" existed for a time in Austin under the guise of religious liberty.
___Please don't confuse our historical origins with a justification for pursuits outside the cause of Christ. Many scholarly folks would disagree with Edwin Gaustad's opinions on the historical origins of our founding fathers (Feb. 19).
___Perhaps a reading of Patrick Henry's defense at the Constitutional Convention would be a good start.
___I am offended that the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission thinks any comments that group Religious Right and secularism together as equally dangerous to religious liberty as justified and that they merit publication in the Standard.
___While from the perspective of religious liberty, Gaustaud may be right; but from a Christian perspective, no way. The inference from both the CLC and the Standard serves to create a larger wedge between Christ-centered peoples--moderates, conservatives and those of us without a label.
___ Richard Gary
___ Austin

Letter explains
___I never have believed much talk about the decline of historic Baptist principles. However, Royal E. Smith's letter (Feb. 26) caused me to change my mind.
___Smith implies "separation of church and state" is an unconstitutional phrase and a foreign concept Baptists do not endorse and never have supported. He cites a letter written by Thomas Jefferson as proof that such ideology is a foreign and "politically correct" concept.
___Unfortunately, he does not mention Jefferson's letter was a reply to Baptists who were pleading for religious liberty. Baptists such as Roger Williams and Isaac Backus fought for such separation based on scriptural convictions. They recognized then, as many Baptists do today, such separation is biblically correct and necessary to preserve the purity of Christ's church.
___The letter may be viewed at http://lcweb.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpost.html
___ Kevin Collison
___ Dallas

Changed minds
___When the Southern Baptists of Texas left the Baptist General Convention of Texas, they announced to the world that the BGCT and its institutions were too far gone. Now they've changed their minds.
___By requesting relationships with BGCT institutions (Feb. 12), the SBT has announced to the world that our institutions are desired as partners and worthy of support.
___I can't think of a more powerful endorsement for the vision and leadership of the BGCT than to have our harshest critics longing after our institutions.
___ Timothy Heavin
___ Canyon Lake

Care for sick
___The one common thread among all religions in America is their deep concern for the sick. And yet the religious community collectively has done very little in support of a universal health care system.
___Today, in the richest nation on Earth and at a time of unprecedented prosperity, 43 million Americans are without any health insurance, inexcusably 10 million of whom are precious, helpless poor children.
___As Jesus Christ spent his entire life ministering to the sick, the Christian community should most assuredly take the lead in this humanitarian effort.
___All Congress needs to do is to place everybody under Medicare. Every American understands and appreciates Medicare, and its extremely low overhead of only about 2 percent makes it the ideal vehicle to accomplish this.
___Religious community, please join in a collective effort to help all Americans have quality and affordable health insurance by letting President Bush, your senators and your representative know of your feelings.
___ Milton A. Braun
___ Dallas

Mixed identity
___The letter that bore the name of T.C. French Jr. of Baton Rouge, La., (Jan. 22) causes me to wonder if there is more than one T.C. French Jr. as well as a multiplicity of L.D. Morgans.
___I knew, served with and loved L.D. Morgan. Due to that relationship, I believe it inconceivable that the sweet-spirited L.D. Morgan could ever have said or done anything that would encourage or inspire one to impugn the witness of a Baptist lady or subject her to fundamentalism's subtle practice of politicized personal destruction.
___Neither can I believe Morgan's guidance contributed in any way to the thought processes of those who violate God's commandments and profane the precepts taught by Christ as he ministered to men and women on Earth, as evidenced in the Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship LifeLine.
___Nor, after four generations of my family members having been blessed by and inspired to seek to become more Christ-like at Baylor University, could that environment have contributed to the trash talk that so frequently overwhelms the publication's content.
___ John F. Baugh
___ Houston


An apartment complex metaphor
___ I found your analogy concerning the arson-like Southern Baptists of Texas and the well-intentioned whistle-blowing Baptist Standard (Feb. 19) most intriguing. May I present another "spin" on your reporting?
___ The angry tenants who left the increasingly dilapidated apartment house have been besieged with phone calls from present tenants who complain about the leaking doctrinal roof, false-speaking building superintendent, changing payment agreements, new ownership guidelines and new method of funding the training of future apartment managers. Those remaining tenants see the new apartment complex that has been erected on such a solid foundation, and they inquire about potential occupancy. Even when they hear that the new apartment director is accused of being a "sheep-stealing, cattle-rustling" deceiver, they believe the testimony to the contrary of happy tenants who have made the move.
___ You see, my fire-extinguishing friend, many tenants don't see arson as the problem. They see deteriorating living conditions and are seeking release from their leases. When bad ownership is cited as the cause of evacuation from the building, the owners point the finger at the new management team who pledges to keep the grounds clean and the new apartment complex free from low maintenance and rodent-like doctrines.
___ One day, the Great Building Inspector will visit both complexes. May he find both apartments living by his divine codebook. Most important, may he find both apartments seeking new tenants.
___Sam Callaway
___ Belton


_Thanks for editorial
__I concur with your statements in your editorial "Like it or not, fire must be reported" (Feb. 19). It was clear and easy to understand, and I'm glad the "concerned pastor" gave you an opportunity to express it as such.
___ Also, Charles Wade's "Together" column about blending the government's duty and the witness of the church correctly anticipates the end result in the message of Jesus being diluted. He is so right on this subject.
___ H.L. Gunlock
___Breckenridge

Read complete Hemphill statements
___After reading the article by Mark Wingfield regarding Ken Hemphill's statements concerning the Baptist Faith & Message (Feb. 26), I decided to read the two articles by Hemphill on Southwestern's website.
___After doing so, my disappointment in Wingfield's treatment of those two articles was further solidified. My encouragement to readers is simply this, read Hemphill's articles from Southwestern's website in complete context of what is said. My understanding of the utilization of effective media is presenting an unbiased account of the facts. The sections which were chosen for this article seemed slanted toward a particular viewpoint.
___ K.W. Priest
___ Fort Worth


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