Mohler pushes my button again

I would go so far as to say that Mohler and I don't worship the same God either.  I would say that as another way of saying "Your God is too small" to Mr. Al Mohler.  A better way of putting it is this:  I would probably find myself more in agreement on theological matters with a peace-seeking, personally humble, loving  Muslim than I would with the Southern Baptists of the Mohler-ilk.  He not only gives a bad name to Southern Baptists,  but to Christians and to people of all theologically-sensitive walks of life.  I can stomach cultural differences and sensitivities and styles of worship and observance much more easily than I can the instances where the primary values of love and care for humanity seem to be "trumped" by the zeal for orthodoxy and self-righteousness.  Mohler represents the worst incarantion in Pharasaic attitude. 

Just click on the above link for yourself and read EthicsDaily's account and see if you don't find yourself rolling your eyes at the arrogant blindness Mohler seems to spew everytime he opens his mouth to the press.  I often have this compelling feeling to defend the Southern Baptist name that now seems to be getting shoved back,  by ther present leadership,  into a bygone era that Mohler condemns as "apostate" every chance he gets.  I wish the SBC would just make the break a clean one like they're already indicating they want to do by changing the name of "Baptist Book Stores" to "Lifeway Christian Stores" and the Baptist Sunday School Board to "Lifeway Christian resources".  When I drove by SBTS (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) in Louisville last Wednesday, I noticed that the entrance signs along the road said "Southern Seminary",  again,  removing Baptist from the name.  So,  tell me,  who is it that needs to "leave the denomination"?  Who,  by all counts, gives every indication that they are ashamed of the name "Baptist"?  I would be , too,  if I look at the Baptist principles they claim as theirs  and then observe their practices.  Nothing Baptist about them.  They are simply jumping aboard the cultural pop-religion bandwagon,  and drawing the circle tight according to the creedal imperatives theirt present day leaders have declared to eclipse those of the proclamation of Jesus as Lord.  Think I feel strongly?

1:36:57 PM    

Ethics Daily.com on Bush's speech to the SBC

Never thought about this before, but it is rather ironic. 

"Southern Baptists have regularly invited sitting Republican presidents to speak at their annual convention. They did not extend invitations to the last two Democrats, however, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, who, ironically, both worshipped in Southern Baptist churches."

Of course,  those two presidents came from a Southern Baptist background that grew and flourished in its abilities to tolerate and benefit from theological diversity.   A while back,  the smug president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary wrote an article on how Bill Clinton is an example of the "results" of the "former" Southern Baptist climate;  that his moral failings were the result of the "liberal" Baptist upbringings.  I was disgusted then,  and still am,  when I think of that blanket condemnation of generations of loving,  caring Christians who choose not to spew hatred and intolerance.  Even those who agree with many of the more theologically conservative viewpoints have been opposed to the "we have the answers,  and THE right Biblical perspective" attitudes of many present day SBC leaders.  They also abhor the unChristian treatment dished out by Mission Board executives who have been on a campaign of "cleaning house" for more than a decade.  There's a world of difference in being theologically conservative and being so with the extra "requirements" added that there's room only for a very narrowly prescribed set of interpretative approaches to the Bible (one,  which,  conveniently enough,  fits the agenda and the tactics of the present leadership)

10:53:03 AM    

Baptist, other Christian leaders call for prayer as war begins

From Associated Baptist Press:

The morning after U.S. forces initiated bomb and missile attacks on Iraqi targets, Baptists and other Christian leaders in the United States reacted with calls to prayer for a swift end to the war and minimal death and suffering associated with it. Some of the leaders intermingled their appeals for prayer with continued criticism of the war itself, while others expressed support for U.S. actions.

Meanwhile, a not-so-honorable mention:

Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Richard Land, who is one of only a handful of high-ranking U.S. religious officials to express support for the war, re-affirmed his commitment to Bush's plan...

12:39:06 PM    

Some fight left

This section, Baptist,  is to highlight the renewal of "the fight" in me that has renewed in recent weeks.  Read on in We can't just MOVE ON  

10:27:23 AM    

When the Denominational Center Doesn't Hold: The Southern Baptist Experience

Bill Leonard, Dean of  Wake Forest Divinity School,  and a prof of Church History I had at Southern in 1979,  has an article on this site.  A quote:

We can note, first, that the SBC established a powerful center that provided a sense of identity and purpose for its constituency. That center was grounded in southern culture, denominational programs and a theology specific enough to be identifiably Baptist but general enough to permit the presence of various sectarian subgroups. That center is lost, and it will be a long time before it is reconfigured.

9:20:16 AM    

Good Set of Links to Healthy Baptists and Kindred Organizations

12:16:46 AM    

Welcome to Ethics Daily.com!

11:59:18 PM    

Religion & Ethics Newsweekly: Cover Story: The Southern Baptist Convention - June 7, 2002

11:52:23 PM    

The Way We Were: How Southern Baptist Theology has Changed

11:40:53 PM    

Missionary Tug of War articles

10:59:43 PM