April 16, 2001

TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
No joke
___Are Aggie jokes appropriate? No, and this is why:
___I'm married to a Texas Aggie, and I wish one of the persons who tells Aggie jokes could step into my husband's shoes for six months.
___This abuse is common out in the world, but in church-- where a person should feel sheltered, loved, built up; where he should be encouraged so that he can face the week and

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what will be thrown at him; where he or she should feel better when leaving than when entering--it really hurts for his fine university, and therefore him, to be maligned.
___Perhaps it is easier to "take it" than to watch someone you love suffer unjustly. Make no mistake, when you tear someone down and damage his emotions, you make him feel bad about himself, and that affects what goes on in the home.
___It amazes me that Christians can't seem to recognize the root of evil in these "jokes." It's sin. Let's start calling them by what they are--ugly and mean.
___ Carol Ann Eads
___ Early

Popular, but wrong
___A recent letter to the Standard discussed church/state separation saying: "The framers (of the First Amendment) sought to prohibit the establishment of an official national religion, such as the Church of England." This watered-down expression of intent behind the First Amendment, though historically without basis, grows in popularity.
___For the record, on Aug. 24, 1789, the U.S. House of Representatives sent 17 proposed constitutional amendments to the Senate. The third one read: "Congress shall make no law establishing religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; nor shall the rights of conscience be infringed." A motion to strike the phrase "religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" and to substitute in its place "one religious sect or society in preference to others" was defeated.
___The rationale behind protecting conscience and religious matters is explained by James Madison: "Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other sects?"
___A "no national church" version of the First Amendment was offered in those formative days, but it was rejected in favor of the language that finally became the First Amendment.
___We are in grave danger today of losing church/state separation. This principle, earned to a great degree by the efforts, yes even the suffering, of our Baptist forebears, is a tribute to conscience, an expression of the highest view of religion.
___ W.H. Brian Jr.
___ Amarillo

No dilution
___Discontinuing the Southern Baptist Convention-Roman Catholic dialogue was an inappropriate response on the part of SBC leadership (April 2). Once again, bigotry and extremism have prevailed.
___For more than 30 years, the Southern Baptist-Roman Catholic scholars' dialogue has involved competent and devout men on each side in valuable discussions that have helped both groups understand each other better.
___The series of dialogues has never attempted to dilute Baptist distinctives, lead to "one church" or lessen the Baptist emphasis on evangelism. Can someone explain how you can win someone to whom you never talk?
___The original "Evangelicals and Catholics Together" declaration (1994) had no relationship to the Southern Baptist-Roman Catholic scholars' dialogue. That document was signed by Larry Lewis (then president of the SBC Home Mission Board) and Richard Land (then president of the SBC Christian Life Commission), who did not notify their staff members they were involved with the document.
___Neither that document nor the follow-up document, "The Gift of Salvation" (1997), involved the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops or the Home Mission Board's interfaith witness department.
___Believing the scholars' dialogue accomplished many worthwhile things, I have kept copies of the official history of that movement and the "Agreed Statement of Southern Baptist-Roman Catholic Scholars" (1989). These and other proceedings have been published. I can provide copies of three major articles. Send $1 for postage and copying to 116 Ann St., New Braunfels 78130.
___ Maurice Smith
___ New Braunfels

Good from bad
___Sometimes God brings good from bad.
___For example, when Joseph's brothers came to apologize for their mistreatment of him, did he lash out? Rather, he reassured them that what God had done through what they did was "to save many people alive, as it is this day."
___Again, in Acts, the church primarily confined itself to Jerusalem until Saul (Paul) stirred up intense persecution. But as the Christians were driven out, they shared the gospel along the way.
___Imagine this encounter:
___"Say, why are you moving out there?"
___"Well, I had little choice. I'm with a group that's not too popular in Jerusalem these days."
___"What group would that be?
___"Have a seat for a minute."
___Ready-made evangelism!
___Most notable is Paul and Barnabas. Paul was in the class of "once weak-kneed, always weak-kneed." Barnabas believed in second chances. The argument grew fierce. The ways parted. But with what result? Two missionary teams from one. (Incidentally, we do find Barnabas was right. John Mark became "useful" to Paul "in the ministry.")
___The moral to these stories? God can and does use even our failings and sins to accomplish his ends. See Judges 14:3-4. This was true then; it is still true today.
___While we should never endeavor to divide the brethren, it is yet to be seen how God will use this "new" vehicle of evangelism--the SBC on the one hand pitted against the Baptist General Convention of Texas on the other.
___ Thomas F. Harkins Jr.
___ Fort Worth

Better way
___If change in worship style results in conflict to the degree reported by Hartford researcher David Roozen (March 19), isn't there a better way?
___ Benjamin Harlan
___ Fort Worth

Pray believing
___You hear a lot about praying. Pray! Pray! Pray! Which is good.
___We are doing a lot more praying than usual, but how about our faith? How many believe what we pray for is actually going to come to pass without a shadow of a doubt?
___Let's pray believing. There's power in prayer in a believer's life.
___It's possible our lack of faith is hindering our winning of souls.
___ Annis Jones
___ Olney

Baptist coercion
___Ken Hemphill, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has said, "No one is being coerced into believing this confession of faith, but it is appropriate for those who work for (Southern Baptist) Convention agencies and institutions to be held accountable to the statement of their convention."
___A fair summary is "no one" is being coerced except "the ones" we employ.
___How and why is it "appropriate" to coerce those employed by the convention?
___Requiring denominational servants to bow to a doubtable statement is wrong, regardless of the intention. Every Christian's accountability is to the body of Christ, the church. Have we replaced the believer's service and responsibility to the body of Christ with service and responsibility to a merely human authority?
___Creedal rules are no different than judicial laws. They simply can't do God's redemptive work. A people who live by such cannot be the redemptive "body of Christ" to each other or the world.
___No matter the issue, our words of concern and commitment should bring to the mind of believers numerous faith stories that resonate with and validate our behavior. Our words and actions should be yet another telling of God's redemptive acts among us and of the living Christ at work in us and through us. Only so can we see God's will and participate in it.
___Is it in God's will that we judge one another and use our rules of organization to have power over one another? No.
___Can I get a witness?
___ D.E. Adams
___ Louisville, Ky.

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