January 20, 2003
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
Forever thankful
___My pastor-husband of 25 years passed away the Sunday before Thanksgiving. It has been difficult getting through the holidays, but my three children and I do have much to be thankful for.
___My husband pastored a small country church that has been wonderful to us. I am thankful for benefits provided through the Annuity Board, some by Texas Baptists, that will allow us to have a fresh start as we move out of the parsonage.
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
___I am thankful for a small church that thought big and worked with my husband to provide medical insurance and other benefits for our family. When my husband was called as pastor of Roganville Baptist Church in 1993, we had no idea of the trials that were to come to us in 2002.
___Churches should and can take care of their pastors' financial needs. Our church family has done that, and we will be forever thankful.
___ Julianne Fluker
___ Kirbyville
Sensitive witness
___At the graveside of murdered missionaries Martha Myers and Bill Koehn in Yemen, a Muslim colleague, Abdul Karim, grieved. "Bill is sleeping. Martha was a friend of (our) country," he said.
___A Baptist missionary smiled and responded, "They are with God."
___"Maybe," Karim replied.
___So was stated a major distinction of belief between Christians and Muslims. As we are born again, we have eternal confidence in the grace of God. Muslims await judgment after death and can never be certain of meriting paradise.
___This is a strong talking point if we do so with consideration with Muslims and others.
___The zeal of Islamic fundamentalists to kill Christians is fueled when they hear their faith and the prophet Mohammed castigated by insensitive "Christian" leaders.
___We all must pray to have respect for what is holy to others.
___ C.R. Hurst
___ Tyler
No gospel
___With great interest I read the phrase that you use to describe "peaceful and gentle" Muslims among us (Jan. 6). You say they "selectively" read the Koran, attending to the "peaceful" passages, and ignoring the "violent" ones.
___Isn't it interesting that they have to "selectively" read their holy book? How can their book be divinely inspired, as they claim, if they are not willing to hold dearly the "truths" that are espoused there if it is indeed a "true" religion?
___I say it is interesting because there are many Christians who "selectively" read the Bible, avoiding the tough passages that are in the Old Testament of God's commands to deal with the nations ever so harshly. Or in the New Testament when Jesus says he is the "way, the truth and the life" and that "no man comes to the Father, but through me."
___I believe it speaks volumes of the difference between a people who believe their holy book "entirely" from cover to cover, instead of believing--and reading--it selectively to arrive at a gospel that is less than the truth. Such a gospel is no gospel at all.
___ Jon Thompson
___ Dripping Springs
Thorough airing
___Val Borum points out it's not creeds but their misuse that should be avoided (Dec. 30). Within Roman Catholicism, historic creeds are considered part of authoritative church tradition. Within Protestantism, they are often prescribed statements one recites before joining the church.
___Baptists have consistently said the Bible alone is God-inspired, and other statements of belief are inadequate and inappropriate as standards of faith. Baptists don't presume to write the standard for their brother. To do so is the essence of creedalism.
___But should "confessions" be used as "instruments of accountability?" While a person's qualifications for denominational service must be judged, the problem with requiring every denominational servant to sign the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message is that it then becomes the de facto confessional standard for the entire denomination. For why should anyone remain in the denomination and continue to finance it if they do not qualify for denominational service themselves? But the 2000 BF&M is simply a statement of messengers to the 2000 annual meeting. It is not the standard for an individual Baptist or another year's messenger assembly.
___Jesus said, "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves." The quintessence of Christian belief is that Jesus came forth from the Father, and his works testify to his divinity. The 2000 BF&M is simply too long to be used as a standard for service. The Chris Harbin incident underscores that standards for Baptist service need a thorough airing.
___ Richard Grannemann
___ Benbrook
Nothing better?
___Responding to the interview with Rep. Chet Edwards regarding separation of church and state (Jan. 6), I would ask, "With all that is occurring in this wicked world, and all the opportunities in the realm of Christendom, does this subject deserve this much attention from the Baptist Standard?"
___I would be alarmed as any Chicken Little if I thought there was a chance that lawmakers would establish a religion that all would have to embrace. They cannot even agree on motherhood and apple pie, much less on one religion.
___Such articles talk about separation of church and state and the wall of separation as if our Constitution contains these words. This is an approach that is insidious because it suggests that Christians should never express religious thought in public domains, which the Constitution guarantees our right to do. Shall we sit on our hands while the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and others cooperate with those wanting to remove God from every public place? They seem to be winning. I have heard, "For evil to prevail, it is just necessary for good men to do nothing."
___I want to do something if I can get my dissenting opinions published in the Baptist Standard. I will summarize my argument with a question, "Do Christians have nothing better to talk about than this topic?"
___ Russell Hairston
___ Nacogdoches
Selfish act
___Suicide is a selfish act.
___It leaves so much pain for those left behind. It does not stop. It is ongoing hurt for each day and only takes a single memory to revive.
___Suicide can cause depression.
___If only you could have spoken to the person at the time. If only you could have said goodbye. And the "ifs" never stop.
___It makes close family members harbor feelings of anger and the never-ending, "Why?"
___ Claude Frazier
___ Asheville, N.C.
___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. Letters published reflect a cross-section of letters received.
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