December 3, 2001
COMMENTARY:
Why not?
___By Charles B. Graves Jr.
___Austin
___Men who despise the light of freedom have loosed their unbound hatred on America, again, and this time at a terrible cost of innocent lives.
___They have shaken the economy of the world and ushered in sudden and necessary changes in the way we govern and the way that we live. It hasn’t taken long for them to learn that they have wakened a sleeping giant. America rallies, and I see all about me the spirit of America that I have longed for since the days of World War II, when "we the people" moved with a common purpose and worked together to drive from power the would be masters of all the world.
___Freedom still requires challenge if it is to prevail. Americans and freedom lovers around the world will pay the price to put the so-called terrorists out of business. These evil people are no less a menace than were Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Hirohito. World domination is their goal, and terrorism is but one of their nefarious methods. They have nothing to offer even to their own people. The media polls make it clear that our people are ready to usher in a new "great generation."
___Every day seems to bring forth a few more naysayers, not ready to join in the response that will trump the plans of those who would rule the world. They want to sit at a conference table and find an answer that will only allow the despots to have their way. Under the guise of "individual rights" there are always a few that delay the urgent decisions for defense of our freedoms.
___Be not dismayed; we will always have these people with us, but they are fortunately little more than reminders that we must always be vigilant. Aiding and abetting the enemy is a game that is always played by the dissidents who are unable to control our destiny. Yet for now they have been somewhat successful at removing God from the classroom, the Ten Commandments from public walls. It is well known that a university professor has publicly challenged the goodness of God. Freedom of speech does not guarantee that the speaker can prove himself to be the intellectual giant that he wants to portray. Yes, we believe in freedom of speech, but we are not obligated to believe what we hear, or to honor it. Displaying the enemy’s propaganda and lies on national television seems to be extending our freedoms to those who want to revoke those same freedoms. The hallowed "Bill of Rights" was directed at our own people, including the aliens who cast their lots with us.
___We can be increasingly confident that thoughtful, patient Americans are waking … The troublesome news reports of these days make us long for a safer time, a quieter existence, but that will not be possible for awhile. As we are seeing, response rises most surely to any notable threat to those things we hold dear. No longer are we lulled by the silence, caught napping by the stultifying erosion of our freedoms and valued principles. Now we can be hopeful.
___In my 75 years, I have been a privileged witness to the response of the so-called "Greatest Generation" to the Great Depression, to the rise of maniacal Adolph Hitler and his axis counterparts, to World War II, to the incredibly bloody battles of Europe and the Pacific, and to the patient rebuilding of our vanquished enemies. Now we must focus our hopes on the emerging next "Great Generation," now rising up to fight 21st century battles no less important than those we saw nearly sixty years ago. Our children and grandchildren will rise to the occasion because this is still "God-Blessed America."
___Stimulated as I am by the encouraging developments, I have allowed my thoughts to wander to the ill-concealed Southern Baptist controversies, which seem to fester and spread among our churches, dividing our brotherhood and threatening our avowed purpose as his children. Perhaps it is time for a new "Great Generation" of faithful servants who want only to please God, and if we do not already know what pleases God we are in much worse shape than I have imagined.
___Here are a few simple "why-nots" that might serve as thought starters. These questions needn’t be limited to Southern Baptists but probably could be applied to any Christian denomination. The idea is to "trim our sails" and shed the impediments brought on by hard feelings and pettiness. These impediments can only deflect our attention away from our sacred assignments to propagate the gospel.
___-- WHY NOT consider the place of cultural differences as we study and teach first century Christianity, then apply it to the 21st century?
___The Middle East nations of today are much more, in a cultural sense, like the Holy Lands of the New Testament, than is any part of today’s Western world. We certainly must never water down the truths spoken by Jesus, but we need a better effort at applying them to here and now. Jesus never mentioned TV, which is capable of bringing pornography into the privacy of my home. The same is even more true of the worldwide web at my fingertips, or at the fingertips of an unwatched grandchild. Casinos were not prolific in biblical times and were not popularized by the lifestyles of those days. There are many social problems today that were not specifically existing in New Testament times.
___A lost person needs to relate to a witnessing believer in touch with his times, with his social problems. The antiquity of our holy Scriptures can undermine our efforts if we don’t begin where the needy person is. Let’s open up the scene to the 21st century and hear Jesus speak those same truths in a way that our culture and our generation will clearly understand. More than an exercise, it will open the doors to the hearts of many to the presence of Jesus Christ, who lives today as surely as he did 2,000 years ago.
___ -- WHY NOT approach morality questions with simple and straightforward testimony?
___ Sexual immorality is a major problem, and to hear us, you would think that some sexual sins are more sinful than others. It seems that some sexual sins are forgiveable and others are not. We sometimes seem to condemn sexuality characteristics different from our own, whether or not a person has yielded to a natural (or unnatural) temptation.
___ One of God’s great gifts is sex and it is specifically reserved to one man and one wife. Why equivocate? Sometimes it seems that we are opposed only to homosexuality, at other times to only pre-marital affairs. Both are abominations, but how about the quiet "affairs" indulged in by some of our brethren? Have we bombed these scourges as well? Don’t neglect any of the whole scope of problems of our people who make light of God’s sacred gift of sex.
___ To pursue one aspect of sexual perversion as more sinful than others is unrealistic. And at the same time, we must continue to love the sinner while staunchly disapproving the sin. Does our ministry leave loopholes? The lack of a level playing field is one of the reasons that we have disagreements about qualifications for deacons, for ministers and for others. Above all, we should remember forgiveness as a basic tenet of our Christian faith. Who knows how severely our ranks would be depleted if the Lord expelled every violator of his commandments regarding sex. Or for that matter in regards to the other commandments. We exist as a fellowship today because of his forgiveness.
___ -- WHY NOT compile a lexicon of the terms at the center of present and future Baptist debates?
___ Surely we can all agree to a common definition of terms. Or should we lean to our own understanding? The dictionary definition of "fundamental," for example, is quite straightforward and innocent enough, but we hear people on all sides of the controversy trying to avoid the label. Why? Mental images. What do we mean by "literal" or by "inerrant"? Or for that matter, by "conservative" or "liberal"? Even "moderate."
___ The healing will begin with clear definitions, and these should be the product of all interested institutions and leaders, then given broad distribution throughout the churches. It may be surprising how positions will shift when we all get on the same page. I am not even sure that we all have the same thing in mind when we say "repent." Our key words do not call for replacements but for definitions.
___ What is there to fear? The coming of understanding and cooperation?
___ -- WHY NOT give more consideration to our fellow evangelicals?
___ They are worthy. They, too, are believers! I was raised thinking that Baptists were the whole show. Perhaps that was the result of overzealous public relations. Or was it overzealous fund raising? After many years of traveling in 50 countries, I have been seriously inspired by the many hard-working evangelical Christians in most parts of the world. They truly love the Lord, and most of them are not Baptists. Some have not even heard of Baptists.
___ I have acquired the habit of noting the denominational affiliations of churches abroad, and Baptist is not the predominant entity. I have felt the warmth of congregations that do not even bother to advertise their denominations, just Jesus.
___ I will never forget the young lady in Thailand who wore a button proclaiming, "Jesu liebes kinder." Jesus loves children. She was so proud to be teaching Malaysian schoolchildren about Jesus that I never even thought to ask about denominational ties. She was a joyful and radiant Christian. She was a powerful witness to me as well as to the Malaysian children.
___ I will not forget a tour guide in Indonesia (who has never been to America), who with their prior permission, prayed for a busload of American and British tourists then sang hymns for us. Denomination? Who knows? Who cares?
___ We certainly do not need to merge denominations in order to cooperate, to uphold the true believers of every Christian denomination. Do we fear competition? It is past time that we major on the essentials, for the glory of God. I do not mean to belittle the worldwide missionary efforts of our Southern Baptists, nor of the sacrificial service of our many missionaries from Lottie Moon to this day. I am only trying to say that we need to acknowledge God’s other servants and their faithful work in those same vineyards. These brothers and sisters deserve our love, our respect and our encouragement.
___ There is no shortage of "why nots." I hope that this short list might encourage others to ask constructive questions. I have another dozen or so and believe thoughtful and prayerful answers to your why nots and to mine may provide a path to the active exchange of ideas that will unite us as it strips away misunderstandings and misdirected criticisms that so surely sabotage our most worthy of all missions, TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
___ Sincere communication will get it moving and I think that I might yet live to see another "Great Generation" of proclaimers
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