August 6, 2001
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM
Be nice
___I feel it is very un-Christlike for readers to vent their bitter feelings against others through your letters column.
___God tells us what to do if we have a quarrel against anyone. God's way is still the rightway.
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
___Let us not sin in failing to pray for our leaders. Our president and his family especially need our faithful interceding for them. They have a great responsibility, and we are responsible to God for our sincere prayers.
___Great things can be wrought by God if we keep on praying.
___ Mrs. Floy Hendrick
___ Shamrock
All gone
___Regarding "Will the real fundamentalists please stand up?" (July 23): I am afraid there won't be any fundamentalists standing up!
___They are just about all gone now--R.G. Lee, Lester Roloff, Jack Hyles, John R. Rice, Bob Jones Sr., just to name some who are gone.
___God bless their dear memory. I wish they were back.
___They stood.
___ Bill D. Williams
___ Mount Pleasant
Not silent
___Day after day, we hear of another Christian leader who has had a sexual fall, another family devastated, more kids absent a father in the home. Some pastors are aware pornography is a huge problem among their members. Some know that this problem is no longer the province of men.
___Even when this problem does not end in a broken home, it still exacts a high price. Most of these people don't fit the stereotype of dirty old men. Many love the Lord and have gotten trapped in something they don't understand. They are miserable--and afraid to share this with anyone.
___Part of the reason for this fear and entrapment is because the church has done what you suggest in "Enough of sex; change the subject" (July 9).
___Our advice has been: "Don't do it. And if you are doing it, stop. Only perverts do that. Move on to more spiritual things."
___So, millions suffer alone in silence. Many, heterosexual and homosexual, want help but are terrified at approaching a church leader. And very few churches offer redemptive programs, support groups or trained staff members to help.
___We are talking about millions of people rendered ineffective to the kingdom--millions of men, women and children who will carry scars all of their lives with ripple effects in their homes, jobs, churches.
___So, I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to keep silent and move on.
___ Bob Stith
___ Southlake
Personal prayer
___I have received the International Mission Board's daily e-mail of missionary birthdays for some time. Recently, I have changed my prayer strategy.
___I went to the IMB site and downloaded the names of missionaries with a birth date the same as mine. I then downloaded further information about them.
___This has personalized my prayers for missionaries. I will pray for the same missionaries every day and become more interested in their missionary work and the country they occupy. As long as these missionaries are on the front lines for God, I will pray for them personally as I daily look at their pictures.
___Others might like to use this same personalized prayer strategy. If there are too many with your birthday, then pick as many as you can daily take to the Lord in prayer.
___ Mike Corzine
___ Farmersville
God's promises
___God bless the missionaries who work with AIDS victims in Africa, bringing them hope in what seems to be a hopeless situation (July 16).
___Please reassure me our missionaries are not teaching the philosophy that was voiced by one of the AIDS patients, Zacchaeus, who said: "God has rules. If you follow them, you don't get AIDS." And if any informed Christian holds that view, how do we explain innocent victims of blood transfusions and diseases transmitted to fetuses?
___God certainly promises us many wonderful things; however, I don't think he promises us freedom from tragedy and sickness. I pray that we will always preach and live the truth.
___ Sondra Spinks
___ Kilgore
Not legalists
___A few of us are not religious legalists. Why? The Apostle Paul writes many times about "religious works," as in Romans 11:6, "If (salvation) is by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace."
___For me, any form of outwardly doing something to gain or to keep Christian salvation becomes a religious work. This is not to disregard doing things at home or missions or at church.
___As a husband, I did many things to show my wife that I loved her. But my works for her did not gain her love or keep her love. Since she loved me, I loved her. Just as God loves me, I choose freely to love him.
___A few Christian works are to attend church, to be baptized, to go and give to missions, to attempt to lead others to know him, and to let Jesus be seen in my (our) life. These works are excellent. But these Christian works do not gain me as a Christian nor keep me a child of God, because I could never do enough to match his mercy and his grace. He alone gives me eternal salvation and keeps me as his child.
___ Gilbert Thornton
___ Longview
Please God
___We would like to comment on Marv Knox's pro-life and pro-health editorial (July 23). It is naive to think legislation can be enacted resulting in laws that "absolutely prohibit" the practices he outlines.
___Such laws would establish procedures to certify conditions under which abortions were performed. Every abortion mill would have a large supply of such certificates to allow the continuous, money-making sale of stem cells. They have circumvented previous and existing laws to do this in other abortion issues.
___People who ignore God's laws have little regard for man's laws, ignoring or twisting to their advantage anything purporting to control their evil deeds. The fox cannot be relied upon to protect the chickens.
___In closing, he said solutions that please everyone are impossible, and he is correct. We aren't called to please everyone, but to please God (Colossians 3:23-25).
___ Vernon & Shirley Gilbert
___ Midland
Just fine
___First, let me say I agree with Nancy Mixon (July 16) about the death penalty and its better alternative, life without parole for the worst offenders.
___I also agree wholeheartedly with Lou Anne Smoot that in God's eyes no one sin is greater than another. We sometimes lash out at sins that are especially disgusting to us and that we certainly aren't guilty of ourselves.
___I cannot understand David Sparks' aversion to practical sermons and "inclusive tolerance" (whatever that means). Can there be a sermon more practical than Jesus' words from the mount? Whom did Jesus berate? Those who made his Father's house a commercial venture, not those who misinterpreted the Scriptures.
___What did Jesus tell us to do that we might live? To love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Which doctrines did he say we must believe in order to be his followers? All he told us to do is to take up our cross and follow him and to spread the good news of forgiveness and redemption.
___To me, that means taking on the attitudes and actions of Jesus himself through the indwelling Holy Spirit and to walk humbly with God. How magnificent is the Christian life, and yet how simple.
___I'm so glad that my salvation does not depend on my understanding of end times. Whatever God has in store for me after this earthly life will be just fine with me.
___ Martha Boggs
___ Abilene
Trashy paper
___I was completely outraged by the letter from Charles Reed, which you chose to print in the Baptist Standard (June 25).
___Everything for which your paper should stand--America, free enterprise, freedom and the First Amendment--were trashed by this letter. It almost looked like an excerpt from the latest socialist newspaper.
___It raised the ugly specter of class warfare, which is something that should be repugnant to you and all Christians.
___My subscription is cancelled!
___ Jim Foerster
___ Llano
Thank you, thank you
___Regarding the editorial "Enough of sex; change the subject" (July 9), thank you, thankyou, thank you. I could not agree more.
___Eva Best
___Richardson
Downsizing our churches?
___Business downsizing is a daily news topic. It seems we are downsizing our churches and Southern Baptist Convention. I don’t mean in the size of our buildings and staff. Our lack of discipling our members has caused much of the problems in our convention.
___We have downsized Vacation Bible School to one week due to the convention’s one-week materials. We have downsized our summer activities at the church when we should provide more Christian activities.
___We have downsized our Sunday evening services by canceling them for any excuse or ceased having Sunday evening services.
___Can we justify before God having all the buildings for such a limited time of worship services? Most churches have a great need for discipled leaders. This is a result of downsizing our leadership development part of Discipleship Training.
___Are we downsizing our Christian effectiveness in our nation and ignoring God’s directions in discipleship? Jesus said, "Go (outreach), baptize (evangelism), teaching them to live my commands (discipleship)."
___ James A. Griffin
___Kilgore
Jesus was a liberal
___ Fifty years ago, when I was growing up in East Texas (near Woden), there was an "ultimate insult." You referred to someone you disliked as having canine ancestry on his mother’s side.
___What does the Bible say? So far as I know, the words "conservative" or "fundamentalist" aren’t there. However, in Isaiah chapter 32, the word "liberal" is mentioned several times, and it is a good word. The opposite of "liberal" is "vile." I didn’t say it; Isaiah said it.
___So, if someone calls you "liberal", smile and say "Thank you." You are in good company. Jesus was/is also liberal.
___Carl L. Hess
___Ozark, Ala.
BGCT newspaper ads helpful
___Hooray for the action of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Integrity Committee in using daily newspapers to reply to the false information, half-truths and distortions about the BGCT and its leaders. I hope this committee places this informational ad in other
___ A lie told often enough and not refuted will be presumed by many to be the truth. A group should never allow its opposition to say what it stands for or against without challenging what is misrepresented.
___The material of Roger Moran is used to distort the positions of the BGCT and its leaders on certain moral issues. The leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention and Southern Baptists of Texas know this derogatory material has been, and is being, used to try to destroy the confidence in and respect of the BGCT while trying to build up their organizations. Silence in this instance is approval of what is said and done by Moran.
___Although Saul did not cast any stones at Stephen, he was just as guilty as those who did by holding their coats. Doesn’t this parallel apply to the silence of the leaders of the SBC and the SBT?
___Anyone who thinks he can be neutral in this conflict is mistaken. Everyone is on one side or the other side. Usually, the decision of that individual is made by which group his church supports. The alignment may be with SBT and/or SBC along with its Nashville control, which tells the individual what he must believe and what his church must support, rather than being supportive of the BGCT, which believes in no creed by the Bible, interpreting the Bible according to Jesus’ criteria and the autonomy of the local church.
___ Hornor Shelton
___ Waco
Woman taken in adultery not condemned to death
___ I fear that Thomas F. Harkins Jr. misunderstood Luke 19:11-27 (July 23). This is the parable of the Ten Minas. "A man of noble birth" was the one talking. This harsh man was to be appointed king. He is the one that was to have his enemies killed.
___I find no suggestion that the death penalty is to be pronounced against anyone under that covenant.
___J. B. Sitton
___Cisco
Fund-raising story doesn't connect with small churches
___ I was appalled, sickened and ashamed when I read the article "Churches tap multiple options for fund-raising" (July 16). Where have we come to when pastors and church members strive to build "monuments" unto themselves?
___ I cannot believe the quote, "It’s not just about raising money; it’s about following God’s will." God forbid.
___ F.A. Taylor Jr.
___ Kempner
Country churches still teaching the gospel
___ The old dirt road that lead to Ephesus Baptist Church still exists in the East Texas woods. Through the years, members have moved, but they have not changed from what they learned there.
___ We were reminded some things never change: Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
___ We have been in the country for about eight years after leaving the Metroplex. I’m glad the country churches as well as the city churches still teach the unchanging gospel.
___ Betty Jo Cook Van
___ Crockett
Keathley missunderstands Clingenpeel
___ Kenneth Keathley’s response to Mike Clingenpeel (online edition, July 23) suggests he "is deliberately misstating (his and Draper’s) position" in "Biblical Authority: The Critical Issue for the Body of Christ." If we compare the article by Clingenpeel to that of Keathley, it appears Keathley either misunderstands or misrepresents Clingenpeel.
___ The reason Clingenpeel can talk about translators and scribes being inspired is because he does not think divine inspiration lies solely in the literal meaning of those first words to be inscribed—that what is "inerrant" is what God intends to accomplish and teach through his word. The meaning and purpose of God’s word therefore transcend the "original autographs" and are not necessarily diminished by occasional errors in transmission. Which is not to demean the importance of good textual criticism! But to open the possibility that my NIV or NASB or whatever is "inerrant" in this broader sense.
___ What especially struck me was Keathley’s claim that he and Draper "argue that a scholarly exploration of the sacred text can be done in such a way that is both intellectually honest and spiritually faithful to the Bible as the final authority in all matters of faith and practice." Well said—because that is exactly what I and other faithful Baptists who eschew the term "inerrancy" have been trying to do all along. But we are the ones who were persecuted and demonized because we did not favor the I-words while we engaged in such exploration. Which was Clingenpeel’s point.
___ Rick Wright
___ Baton Rouge, La.
Send this story to a friend
Get printer-friendly version of this story
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
