June 24, 2002
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
Shameful saying
___Regarding "Key doctrine of Jesus' sinless life fading" (June 10): How shameful that anyone would say that Jesus sinned. Jesus was always sinless.
___When you check your area, you will see that approximately 60 percent of the people are non-churchgoers. They are more interested in watching sports or anything on TV other than religious programs.
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
___They will spend money on diamonds and gold rings and necklaces, gamble at the casinos, buy new cars and expensive shoes and clothing but give nothing or very little to God through any church or charity. Entertainment comes first. They aren't interested in John 3:16 or Romans 6:23.
___While some churches are dwindling, it's probably these sinful people who think Jesus sinned while on Earth.
___ Marilyn Green
___ Dallas
Baptists & Hitler
___As a footnote to Loyd Allen's article on Southern Baptist leaders' reaction to Hitler in the 1930s (May 27), I share my experience with the retired pastor of one of the most prominent German Baptist churches in the 1950s.
___The pastor told me all the good things Hitler had done for the country. To be sure, the war had been unfortunate, but that would not have occurred if other countries had understood what Hitler was trying to accomplish, he said.
___I asked about the Jews.
___He replied that the Jews had brought it on themselves by their greed. And after all, they killed Jesus.
___He bluntly denied accounts of the concentration camps; they weren't as bad as all that. When I brought up the many pictures of the victims, both the dead and the living, he maintained these were propaganda photos staged by the Americans.
___He also said some evangelicals, himself included, had thought Hitler was the harbinger of the Lord's return. Perhaps, he added, that still was the case.
___Altogether, this conversation with an otherwise seemingly benign minister remains as one of the most chilling experiences I have ever had.
___If Southern Baptist leaders were in some sense taken in by Hitler, they were not by themselves.
___ Gene Maston
___ New York City
Still thinking
___Regarding "Southwestern provost will continue as theology dean" (June 10), please note that the provost, the enforcement officer of the seminary, will serve as dean of theology, the school involved with the doctrinal issues of the convention.
___In dispensing with department heads, some freedom of thought is excised at the seminary, but more control is established through the hierarchy of assistant deans and associate deans.
___In the light of this change at the seminary, Texas Baptists ought to take careful notice of the letter from D.R. Phillips--no relation--"Press on" (June 10). Philips states, "... one of the leaders in the takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention stated, 'We knew that only 20 percent of the members of SBC-affiliated churches thought about what was going on in the convention.'"
___I believe only 20 percent of us still think about these changes and what is going on in the convention.
___ Shirley Phillips
___ Fort Worth
True Baptists
___Richard Land's comment about "real Southern Baptists" and a motion referred to the SBC Executive Committee (June 17) have provoked me to finally write this.
___For 27 years, I have worked in churches across Texas that routinely gave 10 percent to 16 percent of their budgets to the Cooperative Program through the Baptist General Convention of Texas. During that time, I have observed several mega-church leaders throwing their weight around whose churches gave barely 3 percent or less to the CP.
___They did support other ministries, both locally and around the world. Their reasons were varied.
___Now we have a second Texas convention that brags it gives 51 percent to the CP. However, many of its members are the same "3 percenters" who are drawing more and more traditional givers to their ranks.
___Fifty-one percent of 3 percent is less than 27 percent of 10 percent (in the BGCT Adopted Budget). I realize that actual dollar amounts are going to look different. But is it not still true that the largest supporter of the SBC, monetarily is the BGCT?
___"True Baptist" has been redefined. Will the "true Baptists" soon refuse to acknowledge or use our gifts? I'm saddened.
___ John McAnelly
___ Hondo
Pastoral authority
___Thanks to Mark Wingfield for the article on pastoral authority (June 10).
___Do you know I have prayed that an article like this would be written? It is so needed that I'd like to see it printed again.
___ Wanda Alexander
___ Dallas
___What do you think? Submit letters to marvknox@baptiststandard.com or Box 660267, Dallas 75266-0267. Letters must be no longer than 250 words.
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