June 17, 2002
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
Old-time religion
___My mother was superintendent of the primary department in Sunday School. We learned and sang many songs and choruses about Jesus. In church service, that training continued as the church, choir and special music sang about Jesus.
___We live in a very trying and testing time for Christians. For many, Jesus is no longer the Savior or greatest prophet. To some, he did not die on a cross nor did his blood wash away our sins. Some do not believe he was resurrected from the dead.
___Christians, we had better wake up and come back to the old-time religion and teach our children to sing these songs and stop bickering over little things the devil loves to see us do. Else we are going to face consequences we will regret. Every chorus we sing should have the word "Jesus" and teach us to love and put him first in all we do.
___May 2 Chronicles 7:14 come to pass for Christians.
___ Anna Davidson
___
Huntsville
What God wants
___At one time I was quite annoyed with all the articles about the power struggle within the convention. One article after another would focus upon either the moderates or the fundamentalists. Now I have become fed up with our "leadership" and really have begun to wonder what the objectives are for continued divisive articles.
___The topic of the day now seems to be dividing us over how we worship. One article talks about the "worship wars." The next is a comic strip about the hymnal. When will it stop?
___Our local newspaper has a field day when the convention meets and every article written is about how good the Baptists are at fighting and arguing. Is this the witness we are meant to give?
___I have completely lost all respect and confidence in our leadership and am going to turn my attentions to what God wants to do in my local church in spite of what the Standard prints.
___ Mark Goldman
___
Temple
True God
___To those persons continuously touting predestination, I ask: "Is there anything too hard for God?"
___Is it not far more interesting to watch a bout between the champion and a worthy opponent than between the champion and a toddler?
___Let's give God a little credit. If God actually can only conquer those he has programmed to be conquered, wherein lies the conquest? The accomplishment? The exhibition of might and power?
___"But God knows the future. Doesn't that prove predestination?"
___No. God knows what will happen not because it is "fixed" to happen that way, but because he is so clever as to be able to see to it that it will turn out that way "against all odds."
___Let's not worship the puppeteer. Let's worship the true God--the champion.
___ Thomas F. Harkins Jr.
___
Fort Worth
Falling for deception
___Regarding Loyd Allen's suggestion that some Southern Baptist leaders of 1934 were taken in by Germany's Adolf Hitler (May 27), so were others taken in by Hitler's friendly gestures and lies.
___At the 1936 Olympics also at Berlin, Hitler gave a friendly wave to black U.S. athlete Jesse Owens. At the same time, he was increasing persecution of the Jews through his National Socialist (Nazi) Party. In 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was fooled into believing that allowing Hitler to take over the German-speaking portion of Czechoslovakia would give "peace in our times."
___In 1939, fascist dictator Hitler of Germany and communist dictator Joseph Stalin of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics signed a non-aggression treaty, allowing them to share in an invasion of Poland, which set off World War II. New British Prime Minister Winston Churchill would stand up to Hitler's terrible victories. Hitler would double-cross Stalin in 1941 by invading Russia.
___In 1940-41, the House Un-American Activities Committee, led by a Texan, chief investigator Robert Stripling, published 592 pages of evidence against Nazi front organizations in the United States which Hitler had instigated--this before we got into World War II. Hitler's masterful deceptions would end only in defeat of the terrible empire he had created and by his suicide in 1945.
___To suggest that we Baptists take no stand on political affairs would seem too much like those who so blindly allowed Hitler to deceive them in the 1920s, '30s and '40s.
___ Marshall Surratt
___
Dallas
No big deal
___Let me get this straight. You spent almost one entire page in two sections describing in vivid detail how and why one of our missionaries resigned from the International Mission Board because he did not want to sign the Baptist Faith & Message statement (June 3).
___Then, in the same paper, there is an article telling us that out of 5,000 missionaries to date, only 10 had resigned because they did not want to sign the statement.
___What's the big deal? Talk about swallowing a mouse and coughing up a camel!
___The statement from Morris Chapman made simple sense. I believe you are making much ado about nothing. Like our executive says, "Let's be about souls and stop this bickering."
___ Harold O'Chester
___
Austin
Rest of Us, II
___In response to D.R. Phillips' letter (June 10), I would say that he does not answer the qustions Jim Bolton addresses regarding Baptist General Convention of Texas leadership (May 27).
___Phillips simply attacks the Southern Baptist Convention leadership.
___I agree the SBC leadership on occasion has misled people, but does this justify the actions of the BGCT leadership as outlined in Bolton's letter? As stated in his letter, BGCT leaders have encouraged insurrection in our institutions.
___After the Houston Baptist University debacle, Charles Wade had the gall to write an article on how this "compromise" showed that Texas Baptists could resolve disagreements. The fact is the HBU action was a complete takeover by an "elitist" group.
___As stated in Bolton's letter, "BGCT leaders have failed to hold in trust assets placed in their care." Wade refuses to use the term inerrant, yet freely gives away assets that the "rest of us" have committed to the BGCT. Is there something wrong with this picture?
___The bottom line is that neither the SBC nor BGCT leadership is guiltless, but the SBC has not taken our institutions away from the "rest of us." SBC institutions are still accountable to SBC messengers. On the other hand, Baylor/Truett is run by a group of "elitists" who don't want to be accountable to anybody. Now it is time for the "rest of us" to discerningly decide who to trust.
___ Mac Galloway
___
Houston
Wonderful work
___I was at the softball complex in Chandler one Tuesday evening, waiting on my daughter's game.
___I saw a little girl with a white shirt. Some of the teachers at Brownsboro had allowed their kids to wear white shirts and to sign each other's shirts with permanent markers. This particular shirt had a Scripture reference on it that caught my attention.
___I saw the Scripture reference and, above it, my daughter's name: "Hannah Johnson ... 1 John 1:9."
___My 10-year-old is witnessing for our God at school. God has done a wonderful work in my children, and he has allowed me the joy of raising them.
___ Scott Johnson
___
Chandler
___What do you think? Submit letters for Texas Baptist Forum via e-mail to marvknox@baptiststandard.com or regular mail at Box 660267, Dallas 75266-0267. Letters must be no longer than 250 words. They may be edited to accommodate space.
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