March 10, 2003
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
Tragic termination
___We have learned of another chapter in the International Mission Board's tragic termination of missionaries who will not comply with the board's request to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.
___David and Susie Dixon, missionaries for more than 14 years in Madrid, Spain, have received their call from Avery Willis. After a furlough in Texas this summer, they will be dismissed.
___Last year, we prayerwalked in Madrid, serving alongside the Dixons, who
did much of the preparation for our prayerwalk. God is using them in a mighty way. We were awed at their ability to relate God's grace to all kinds of people. They are among God's finest servants; we strongly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit as we prayerwalked.
___The Dixons carefully presented their reservations regarding the BF&M, the doctrinal beliefs they teach and practice and statements demonstrating their submission and accountability to the IMB. But by refusing to sign the required document, they still are classified as "not being doctrinally accountable to Southern Baptists."
___This tragedy will end only when every missionary has signed or is terminated. Consequently, we will lose some of the finest who ever served God and Southern Baptists as international missionaries.
___The Dixons will continue to give their lives in service to God. We ask Texas Baptists to join us in praying that God will provide a way for them to return to their beloved Spain and continue to live out the call they received from God many years ago.
___
June Castle, Garland
___
Pat Cogburn, Coppell
___
Eleanor Davis, Waco
___
Ann Debnam, Lamesa
___
Gerry Dunkin, Lufkin
___
Sue Giesecke, Garland
___
Mary Humphries, Lindale
___
Celia Moore, Arlington
Religious expression
___The whole notion of what we understand today to be separation of church and state, the notion Baptists cite as a historically Baptist position, is not found in the Constitution.
___The part of the First Amendment in question states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
___People today think any government connection to religion equals establishment of religion, even though that which is objected to has nothing to do with laws promoting a particular state religion.
___The idea that the Constitution says a religious person cannot, for example, put up a religious display on public property (and other similar issues) is simply incorrect. Just because something is religiously offensive to others does not mean that government has established anything by allowing some to be offended by religious expression.
___The amendment also speaks of government not "prohibiting the free exercise thereof." What is prohibition of free exercise if it is not a judge telling a school that they cannot pray before a football game or a Christian that they can't display a manger scene at their government job?
___We Baptists should wholeheartedly reject today's "separation of church and state," instead advocating free expression of religion by individuals in governmental realms who desire to express a particular religion.
___Baptists ought not be afraid of religious ideas offending people; rather, Baptists should welcome the further discourse that would accompany the full freedom for individuals within government to express religion.
___
Daren Butler
___
Waco
Stab-in-the-back message
___It is hard to believe that a man in a position made sacred by honorable godly men of the past would stoop so low as to send a stab-in-the-back message to the leaders of Baptist General Convention of Texas churches.
___Is Morris Chapman under the illusion that God has anointed him to destroy a great mission enterprise like the BGCT? Where did he get the idea that it was his business to dictate the program and ministry of the BGCT?
___His letter (Feb. 17) was un-Christian, unethical and even an embarrassment to some of my Fundamentalist friends. It was a foolish mistake.
___What CEO of a secular corporation would try to cripple his No. 1 customer? His board would ask for his dismissal immediately. If the SBC Executive Committee leaves this man or his kind in office, he will run the SBC into the ditch.
___If the BGCT had no universities, seminaries, children's homes, River Ministry, hospitals and dozens of other ministries the Lord has placed in our hands, we could send more to the SBC (in case we wanted to). But we will not abandon our responsibility to the great mission field in Texas, nor our worldwide causes.
___
Doug DuBose
___
Pampa
Sad situation
___Reading your editorial about the presidents' use of religion (March 3), I can't help but wonder: Were you trying to just get information out or putting down a man who for the first time in years has allowed God to lead him in running this country?
___It is sad that the country shrugs when a president performs the act of adultery and then lies about it, not only in the highest office of the country but in the same room that the fall of prayer in our school system has been discussed. But yet when a man admits God is his leader and there might be someone higher than us with a purpose greater than ours, he gets blasted.
___I expect this from the secular papers, but not from the Standard. Please keep up the good work; I really do like the articles for the most part. I know I won't always agree with everything written or said.
___
Clinton Browning
___
Lockhart
Leave politics out
___I think you owe us more explanation in your editorial about presidential faith (March 3).
___Jimmy Carter was not defeated because of the Religious Right. He was defeated because he was an unsatisfactory president. Baptists are usually considered conservative or part of the right wing by the liberals, even though Carter was a liberal himself.
___Who decided Carter was the nation's greatest former president? I wouldn't vote that way.
___What did Bill Clinton do for minorities and the disadvantaged other than lip service? He never appointed any to the Supreme Court!
___What has George W. Bush done that makes you say he is not sensitive to the poor and powerless?
___Maybe you should leave politics out of the Baptist Standard--separation of church and state, as the Demo's are fond of saying!
___
Robert Rainey
___
Arlington
Less rhetoric
___Like President Bush, I am a Christian. It is wonderful he has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but as president there is a danger his use of religiously loaded language could reap undesirable consequences.
___If Bush's desire is to appear religious in hopes his religiosity will validate his policies in the eyes of our citizenry, his intent will fail. One can sincerely speak the good words of his/her faith and be dead wrong on war and tax issues.
___If Bush seriously studied the words of Jesus, he would find Jesus' bias toward the poor is the opposite of Bush's economic policies, which favor the rich.
___Jesus was the epitome of humility. Our president is arrogantly leading America into war in the volatile Middle East, a war I do not believe the Prince of Peace condones.
___We need to hear less pious rhetoric from President Bush. What is needed is better domestic and foreign policy that truly reflects the will of our Creator, who knows and wants what is best for a troubled world. I hope Bush is praying that God's "will be done on earth as it is in heaven." God can "deliver us from evil" without our going to war.
___
Paul L. Whiteley Sr.
___
Louisville, Ky.
President's neighbor
___Pharisees and scribes in Christ's time were adamantly sure of their divine mission. Hmmmm.
___Saul was sure God wanted him to persecute early Christians. Hmmmm.
___President Bush is sure God wants him to be president and lead our nation to war. Hmmmm.
___I would ask the president, "Who is your neighbor?"
___
Amy Parham
___
Buda
'God's minister'
___I think I see where Carroll Johnson is coming from with objection to a Revised Golden Rule--Do violence unto others before they do it unto you--but I am afraid Johnson has forgotten some pertinent history (Feb. 24).
___Saddam Hussein is not just a threat to do evil, but one who has a steady history of perpetrating evil and violence on his own people and upon other nations. Furthermore, Hussein has supported the efforts of those who have a history of violence upon United States citizens.
___This is not a matter of "do violence unto others just in case." It is a matter of an authoritative power moving to punish and restrain evil.
___Is it so hard to see our president as "God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid: for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil" (Romans 13:4)?
___
Bill Fowler
___
Pleasanton
Puzzling reaction
___According to the March 3 editorial, the letters rebuking the Standard for its use of the George Bush portrait were the tip of an iceberg of disapproval. The authors were concerned about the use of images of Jesus to form a composite portrait of the president.
___Rather than being offended, I found the image compelling as a visual reinforcement of the article's emphasis on Bush's Christian worldview. It puzzles me that the reaction was so strong.
___After all, Baptists don't worship imagery or consider images to hold special power or significance. We don't decorate our church buildings with crucifixes, kneel before statues or effigies of our Lord. So why all the concern over the use of images to form a new image?
___The pictures of Jesus are simply paintings executed by human artists, not one of whom had the slightest idea what Jesus really looked like. In most cases, the artists used models--mere humans--as guides for their depictions of Christ. A study of the individual works of art would reveal that, while some paintings were manifestations of an artist's personal devotion, others were simply the result of a commission to decorate an altar or ceiling. Although art history purists may object to the idea of classic paintings being used in this manner, I don't believe Baptists have any theological reasons to denounce this work.
___The image's impact was provocative, which, I'm sure, was its creator's intention.
___
Debbi Richard
___
Garland
Major affront
___Terrorism prevention expert Saul B. Wilen notes in the San Antonio Business Journal, "The United States has succeeded, unlike other nations, in establishing the concept of separation of church and state and making it work. This is a major affront to the fundamentalist who fears equality for women, dissent, education, freedoms, and rights, and coexisting culture, religious and political diversities."
___Baptists and all other religious groups represented in the United States of America should reflect on this and be thankful.
___
Larry Nolan Stewart
___ San Antonio
God might want to use U.S. to get rid of Saddam
___In response to the article by Al Staggs concerning Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Adolph Hitler and German nationalism and their relevance for our situation today (online, March 3), I would like to suggest that he think a bit more about what the Iraqi people have undergone under Saddam's regime.
___While it is true that Iraq seems to be a very distant threat to us and therefore an attack would make us appear as aggressors, it is also true that merciless and proud dictators do not go away by themselves unless they die. In the meantime, they continue to kill and torture people to stay in power and to "liquidate" the opposition. People in such circumstances need help if they are to experience freedom.
___I pray that God will remove Saddam without war and get all the glory for himself, but it may be that he wants to use us as his instruments to do it.
___ He has been known to use nations as his instruments to accomplish his purpose all through history.
___ Perhaps many of us are bystanders because we are not convinced that either pacifism or activism is a virtue.
___ David King
___ Marshall
Terrorists were doing as they were taught
___In "Four faces of Islam," George Braswell did not go too far into Mohammed's life reporting that Mohammed was a businessman, first and foremost.
___Mohammed was responsible for mixing three facets of life—business, social interaction and politics—into one blend. Extreme fundamentalist Muslims, who were the perpetrators of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, were followers of this blend. They were conducting this blend as they were taught in their schools.
___Strict adherents to religious fundamentals, as they saw themselves, are dangerous in any religion.
___ Richard Rich
___ Pittsburgh, Pa.
___What do you think? Submit letters to marvknox@baptiststandard.com or Box 660267, Dallas 75266-0267.
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