Texas Baptist Forum

Posted: 2/15/08

Texas Baptist Forum

Hypocrites everywhere

You do not have to do a survey, but have you noticed how many hypocrites we have at ballgames, malls, movie theaters, driving down the highways, lecturing/teaching in our schools, colleges, universities, seminaries and the Congress? 

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“What do I do? Do I go up to them and say, ‘Can I see your documents before I give you free spaghetti?’ It negates Matthew 25, where Jesus says, ‘What you do for the least of these, you do for me.’” Dave Lewis Pastor in Shawnee, Okla., about a new state law, which makes it a felony to knowingly shelter or transport illegal immigrants (Presbyterian Outlook/RNS) “In spite of their best efforts to steer people to another candidate … they failed. Why? Because the people said: ‘I don’t care who you think I should vote for. I’m going to vote for who I want to vote for.’” Richard Cizik Vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals, speaking about religious right leaders’ political influence (RNS) “Far too often, religious services in the USA are of the adults, by the adults and for the adults. And don’t think young people aren’t noticing.” Stephen Prothero Chair of Boston University’s religion department (USA Today/RNS)

You bet, we have hypocrites in the church—I’m probably one of them. 

But I am thankful I have a church that gives me the opportunity to continue “working out” my salvation.

Jack R. Peters

Tuttle, Okla.

Unfit article

The Baptist Standard never fails to surprise me in printing politically correct secular worldviews.

The report on Foreign Policy magazine’s article by Graham Fuller, a former CIA official, creates a fairy tale world in which Islam wasn’t born (Feb. 4). The imaginary scenario is of how “Islam wouldn’t be a convenient scapegoat, which is easier than exploring the impact of the massive global footprint of the world’s sole super power” (that eee-vil America). With CIA officials like that, who needs Che Guevara?

The article is not fit to be in a serious newspaper, especially one that claims to bring Jesus Christ to an atheistic secular humanist world. Any serious investigation of Islam in the real world knows that Muhammad organized a disarrayed society into an aggressively violent campaign to conquer the world, which has cycled throughout history. Europe, even though being inhabited by sinful humans, endured over 300 years of attacks and encroachments before initiating an offensive that was flawed with human characteristics.

The Christian worldview has no need to fantasize in order to defend Islam and divert the blame of evil mainly on Europe and America. I am very surprised Fuller didn’t manage to put some blame on the Jews too. I am not surprised Fuller lives in leftist British Columbia, nor that he is a propagandist at Simon Fraser University. I am very glad to know that he is no longer in a government agency, especially the CIA.

Darell A. Clem

Humble

Suspect connection

I have been a pastor of a Baptist General Convention of Texas church since 1988. Recently, I was impressed to know the names of the executive director search committee. I was curious as to the convention associations of the members. With limited but accurate research, I discovered that the majority of the members of the committee are affiliated by church or personal association with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Understandably a person or church can affiliate with whomever they wish. I do not know the search committee personally but do find it puzzling that the majority of the members who are looking for a BGCT executive director are connected to the CBF. It is apparent that their CBF affiliation was important in order for them to be on the committee. This is very disheartening to the majority of us in Texas who still understand the need to be in partnership with the fallible Southern Baptist Convention.

Did we forget that the overwhelming majority of BGCT churches are affiliated with the SBC? Have we become so out of touch with our churches in Texas to think that this does not matter anymore? Maybe I am the one who is out of touch with the “new” BGCT?

My sense is that many of us who remained with the BGCT believed that things could be turned around. Unfortunately, the continued actions of our leaders convey a much different outlook.

Joe Worley

Groves

False prophets

The TV preachers who preach a prosperity gospel and who solicit huge amounts of money over the airwaves and then use the money for their own self-gratification are scam artists or false prophets. 

A true prophet is a spokesperson for God. God does not speak through preachers who run a scam. I find it amazing so many people in America fall for the false prophets’ pitches.  

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley is right in his attempt to expose the preachers who hide behind the First Amendment to practice fraud.

Paul Whiteley Sr.

Louisville, Ky.