March 31, 2003
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM
Brother in Christ
___I am ashamed of so many letters published in the Standard concerning our President Bush.
___How can we stand here and call ourselves Christians and judge the intent of the president's heart? One of our main beliefs is that no one but God knows the heart.
___How many letters have been written to the Standard by people who feel they have taken the place of God, knowing what is in the heart of man?
___The president never stated that he felt called to take us to war, as one of your letter writers stated. And who are we to think the president is only using God for his image, as another writer states?
___We should spend more time praying for the president instead of bashing him. If you were president and a Christian, would you be ashamed to confess Jesus Christ as Lord? And if you did, how would you feel if everyone accused you of using it for your public image?
___Don't forget that even though he is president, he is our brother in Christ. Do you love your brother?
___
Sean Holt
___
Texarkana, Ark.
Still paying
___If I make no mistake, Dwight Eisenhower was the person instrumental in inserting "under God" into our Pledge of Allegiance (March 10).
___Our forefathers knew what they were doing when they drew up the pledge as they did. We are now paying for President Eisenhower's move, and we will go on paying.
___Not everyone in the United States is going to conform to our beliefs. I am a Christian, and I love my Lord and my country, just as countless other Christians do who want us to voice this pledge as it was voiced for years and years.
___Also, Robert Rainey suggests leaving politics out of the Standard (March 10), but he defends President Bush and slings mud at the "Demos" and two past presidents. Obviously, he is on the other side of the aisle politically.
___
Mary Joe Nixon
___
Livingston
Parallel statements
___Two interesting statements may bear upon the current "troubles" in the SBC over the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.
___One is from Mark Noll's "Turning Points" regarding Martin Luther's stand before the Diet of Worms: "The authority of the individual conscience had been proclaimed over against the authority of church councils, in contradiction to the weight of tradition, and in the very face of the emperor himself."
___The second--actually two statements--comes from F.B. Huey's commentary on Ezekiel: "The caution is to remember that belief in the Bible and interpretations of the Bible are not necessarily the same thing" and "There is a difference between believing the Bible and believing someone's interpretation of it."
___Hmmm.
___
Jim Bradshaw
___
Midland
Control or destroy
___At our Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board meeting March 4, I reluctantly voted to approve the cooperative agreement between the BGCT and the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board concerning jointly supported missionaries.
___Many others similarly were reluctant to support any document requiring missionaries to "conform to the Baptist Faith & Message 2000." Some feared NAMB would attempt to smear us in the media.
___Our concerns were well-founded. NAMB President Bob Reccord and Chairman Terry Fox quickly denounced our disclaimer that approval of the cooperative agreement "indicates neither affirmation nor endorsement of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000," claiming we had rejected, rather than approved, the cooperative agreement (March 17).
___Was this disclaimer a surprise to NAMB? No. They were notified Jan. 22 but responded only the day before our meeting in early March. Then they attacked us following our vote.
___We voted, in good faith, to cooperate with NAMB for the sake of the missionaries and the mission field. Unfortunately, we have been reminded of a lesson learned many times since the fundamentalist takeover began in 1979: It is impossible to cooperate with those who seek only to control. What they cannot control, they seek to destroy.
___From Bob Reccord to Jerry Rankin to Morris Chapman and beyond, they cannot control the BGCT, so they will use every means available to destroy us.
___That is why it is imperative that we stay true to Christ as the sole criterion for interpreting Scripture and stay aggressive in attacking the lies of fundamentalism.
___
Bill Jones
___
Plano
Walking with heroes
___Some ask why we stay in a Muslim country during dangerous times.
___Some tell us we cannot travel because of risk. Some say the age of Western career missionaries is over because long-term commitment is counter-cultural, and it is cheaper to "hire" our mission work done.
___I am praying that God will call out people to go counter-culture to know the joy and agony of being transplanted into other cultures to share Jesus with those who never have heard or experienced the gospel. Why?
___Because I have walked with some heroes recently:
___ A husband and wife from Asian country 1 have started a church-planting movement although it is illegal and their lives are constantly under threat.
___ A brother from Asian country 2 lives under a death threat. His brother is a military commander of a well-known terrorist group. He joyfully tells of seeing emerging groups of believers.
___ A brother from Asian country 3 was forced to choose following Christ or legally remaining his daughter's father. Choosing Christ, he was not allowed to take his role as father at her wedding.
___ Another brother in Asian country 4 left a successful pastorate and salary in order to reach an ethnic group that hates his own ethnic group. He serves knowing the secret police have him under surveillance.
___ An American in Asian country 5 was recently threatened at gunpoint. He still witnesses there.
___Jesus said: "Take up your cross," die to self and follow me.
___
S. Kent Parks
___
Unreached people groups Asia
Proud heritage
___It is saddening to hear about those who are ashamed to call themselves Baptists.
___I pray they understand why we are called Baptist. It is a title that was given to us by our persecutors. We opposed infant baptism and thus were given the label. Many Christians who took this stand were martyred for their beliefs.
___We should be ashamed that we have allowed public opinion to dictate what we call ourselves. This title comes from a proud heritage of believers who took a stand for what was right.
___Maybe we should drop the words "Christian" and "born again," because they might make someone think we are too slanted.
___
John Sanders
___
Lubbock
___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. Because of space considerations, letters must be no longer than 250 words. They may be edited to accommodate space. Published letters reflect a cross-section of letters received.
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