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Baptist Theology: A Critical Look
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| Marty Duren: There is Hope for Southern Baptists! |
| 06.29.05 (6:15 pm) [edit] |
As one of my professors at the Baptist seminary I attended used to say, “Many of my friends and all of my enemies are Southern Baptists.” I’ve recounted here how my family was kicked out of a Southern Baptist church and how difficult it was to teach at a Southern Baptist institution. My orthodoxy was always a matter of discussion among my students. I guess I’ll probably never get over the hurt my family has experienced and the pain caused by those who are judgmental.
My final break with Baptists occurred when my daughter’s Wednesday night teacher, who never had a positive thing to say about any of her students, said in front of my daughter, wife, other parents, and children that she didn’t want to see my child and another child back on Wednesday night if they couldn’t behave. My wife said, “That can be arranged” and we never went back. We found a wonderful Methodist church in our neighborhood where my daughter is loved and cherished. Her Sunday School teachers have repeatedly, without knowing about our prior experience, told us how much she is maturing and how good she is! Praise God!
Well, anyway, now to Marty Duren. I don’t know Marty. I’ve never met him. Never spoken to him. Yet just over a week ago he heard about my struggles with Southern Baptists and out of the blue I get an email from him. He wrote that an email that I had written (apologizing to someone for my having done something really stupid and unchristian) to a friend of his “was a blessing to him.” He then shared that he had also had a difficult experience with Christians in the past. This was such a blessed gift from someone that I don’t even know! What a guy!
Then, he offered to send a book to me that he thought I would find helpful. The book was “Wisdom Hunter” by Randall Arthur. Here’s a guy I don’t even know that wants to send a book to me to help me deal with difficult issues I’ve had to deal with! Well, I got a copy of the book as soon as I could. I read the book in about three days. Pretty good since I’m dyslexic and read very slow. I know this sounds trite, but that book really changed the way I look at life, other people, and myself. I’m now recommending it to everyone.
Marty is one heck of a guy! And he’s a Southern Baptist. He reminds me that most of the people that impacted my life in a positive way were Baptists. They’re not all bad.
Thanks Marty! You’ve given me hope for the future of the denomination that I finally had to leave. God bless you my brother. You’ll never know what a difference you’ve made in my life. I’m no longer just a pissed off ex-Baptist. I’m now more committed than ever to helping those who have been hurt by Christians.
I love you brother!
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| Leonard Pitts Writes about Jeb Bush's Shameful Vendetta against Michael Schiavo |
| 06.28.05 (4:45 am) [edit] |
Leonard Pitts is one of my favorite columnists in this article http://www.baltimoresun.com/n...,1,3626705.story?coll=bal-oped-headl ines&ctrack=1&cset=true he urges Bush to "Pity Michael Schiavo. He's had his motives and character questioned at every step along the way, had to put up with calumnies flung by religious zealots and wild-eyed conspiracy theorists unable to believe that all he wanted to do was keep a promise to his wife.
But in some ways, the transparent emptiness, the self-evident pettiness, the very personal nature of this latest assault, especially coming when it does and from such a lofty office, makes it the lowest blow of all. It's a punch in the groin after the bell has rung.
Is Florida really such a paradise that the governor has time to indulge a vendetta against a single citizen? Did they clean up the Everglades without telling me? Fix the schools without issuing a memo?
Mr. Bush, if he has a shred of decency, should be ashamed of himself. He should apologize to Mr. Schiavo. And he should leave the poor man alone."
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| What Would Jesus Drive? |
| 06.24.05 (10:37 am) [edit] |
Found a couple of interesting sites today. http://www.whatwouldjesusdriv... What would Jesus Drive? Is a group of Evangelical Christians whose "twofold purpose of the WWJDrive educational campaign is to help Christians and others: (1) understand that our transportation choices are moral choices that for Christians fall under the Lordship of Christ; and (2) take appropriate actions to address the problems associated with our transportation choices."
According to their research: Forty-five percent of the rise in global warming pollution from personal vehicles in the 1990s was due to the increase of vehicles in the "light trucks" category (SUVs, vans, and pickups).
Great job folks! My Liberal, Walmart-hating, sandal wearing colleague drives an SUV. Maybe he will get convicted and start living for Jeus.
If not, maybe he can buy some spray-on mud http://www.sprayonmud.com/ind... for his SUV and get some street cred.
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| Westboro Baptist Church's Anti-War Demonstration |
| 06.23.05 (6:24 pm) [edit] |
Baptists need to speak out against this. If we don't everyone will think we are just like "Rev." Phelps.
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=90258" title="http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=90258" target="_blank"http://news.bostonherald.com/...
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| Baptists Condemn "Beauty Contests" |
| 06.23.05 (4:02 am) [edit] |
Thanks to Howie Luvsus http://howieluvzus.blogspot.c... for the heads up on Baptist Resoloutions! I've had a fun couple of days! Here is a Resulotion made by the Southern Baptist Convention of 1926. Man were they ahead of their time or what!?!
Resolution On Beauty Contests
May 1926
WHEREAS, The purity and sanctity of the home depends upon a proper respect for and safeguarding of our girls; and
WHEREAS, "Beauty contests" and so-called "bathing revues" are evil and evil only, and tend to lower true and genuine respect for womanhood, emphasizing and displaying only purely physical charm above spiritual and intellectual attainments,
THEREFORE, We, the Southern Baptist Convention do deplore and condemn all such contests and revues.
Good Job Baptists! In our current society where beauty and sexuality are so emphasized, it is good to be reminded that women should be valued for their character! When we see women (or men--Don't think I see don't see you ladies undressing me with your eyes all the time) as mere sexual objects, we fail to honor them as humans.
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| Roy Moore, Baptist Beliefs, and Howie |
| 06.22.05 (4:58 pm) [edit] |
Howie Luvzus' post about Southern Baptist Resolutions http://howieluvzus.blogspot.c... was shocking and encouraged me to do my own research.
I noticed that the notorious Roy Moore, the 10 commandments judge was welcomed and applauded at a Pastor's Conference at the Southern Baptist Convention this weekhttp://www.sbcannualmeeting.n... I wasn't surprised, but I was disappointed. Here is a Resolution on Church and State passed in 1981 by Southern Baptists:
Resolution On Affirming Religious Liberty And Separation Of Church And State: June 1981
WHEREAS, The United States Constitutional principle of religious liberty has given freedom for expression of the separation of the church and state; and
WHEREAS, This precious principle is under constant attack by those who would serve sectarian purposes; and
WHEREAS, The growth of government poses a constant threat of intrusion upon this indispensible principle; and
WHEREAS, The Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, the Christian Life Commission, and other agencies are deeply committed to the principles of religious liberty and separation of church and state; and
WHEREAS, These agencies have repeatedly given leadership and assistance to Southern Baptists involved in problems regarding religious liberty and the separation of church and state; and
WHEREAS, The need is evident for continued vigilance and determination to preserve religious liberty;
Be it therefore RESOLVED, That we express our gratitude to the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, the Christian Life Commission, and other agencies for their efforts in defending Christian morality and ethics; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm our belief that religion flourishes best without government's interference or tax support; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we caution schools directly or indirectly connected with this Convention to give serious study to the high price which government usually exacts for its favors; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we call on our people to support the institutions which serve our religious objectives; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we voice our earnest protest against tax proposals which would finance educational and other activities of churches or religious gorups; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention, in accordance with and in commitment to the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and to the historic Baptist principle of church and state separation, deplore and reject the arrogation of the right of any group to define and pronounce for all people what is the Christian faith, and to seek through political means to impose this faith upon the American people under a government which is mandated to safeguard and respect the people of all religious and no religion.
Be it finally RESOLVED, That we express our thanks to God for courts which uphold the First Amendment against the enormous pressures of our time.
Guess Southern Baptists no longer oppose those who "seek political means to impose faith" on others. I was so proud to be a Baptist back then. We cared about the religious minorities and wanted to protect them. My how Baptists have changed.
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| Flippin’ Fundamentalists Have Ruined My Baptist Denomination! |
| 06.22.05 (11:57 am) [edit] |
The following has been cut and pasted from the following Blog: http://howieluvzus.blogspot.c...
It's funny, sad, and pretty scathing...
I’ve read a lot lately about how proud Baptists are about the success of the “conservative resurgence.” They talk about the “liberals” that needed to be run out of the convention. I’ve had enough. You knuckleheads that weren’t there before 1979 (the year the take-over started) quit reading books by the conservatives and listen to me for a bit. After all, you wouldn’t trust Michael Moore to give you a fair and balanced view of George W. would you?
In 2005, the Southern Baptist Convention is a buzz over the Resolution on Public Schools. Don’t know if it will pass or not, but Al Mohler suggests that Baptist should prepare an “exit strategy” for removing their kids from the atrocities of public schools. Here’s a brief excerpt of the resolution:
“WHEREAS, Jesus taught that any individual who teaches children contrary to faith in Christ, it would have been better to let them drown with a millstone around their neck (Matthew 18:6); and
WHEREAS, the public school system in America is against Christ in that it seeks to offer a thoroughly secular education; and”—How dare public schools offer a secular education!
Now, let me show you a resolution at the 1979 Southern Baptist Convention:
Resolution On The Crisis In Education: June 1979
WHEREAS, Southern Baptists historically have been strong supporters of public education, and
WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have been deeply committed to the right of all children to achieve their God-given potential, and
WHEREAS, The American public school system is now facing its most serious crisis in history, due to the complex issues of communicating moral values, financing, family breakdown, discipline, the "back to basics movement," racial desegregation, and church-state problems, and
WHEREAS, Many Baptists occupy administrative and teaching positions in the public school system,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That Southern Baptists be urged to pray regularly for those teachers and administrators who work faithfully in the public school system, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That while recognizing the validity of the ministry of church-related private schools, Southern Baptists be urged to become more involved in shaping and supporting public schools, participating responsibly wherever possible in the local school and in the decision-making bodies which determine the course of public education, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we hereby commit ourselves to help achieve quality education for every child in this nation.
Wow! Those damn liberals in 1979 wanted quality education for every child. How horrible! I’m so ashamed! If only they knew that Jesus wants Christians to be self-centered, self-righteous, holier-than-thou isolationists. Jesus wouldn’t want us to be involved in the lives of others, or provide religious instruction for our children in our homes or churches. Surely, Jesus would want us to say to hell with them, I don’t want to be around sinners!
Furthermore, look at this awful liberal resolution proposed the same year:
Resolution On Inflation: June 1979
WHEREAS, A new wave of inflation has gripped the world, stealing from everyone with especially tragic consequences for the poor, and
WHEREAS, Inflation is robbing Bold Mission Thrust in particular and our missionary enterprise in general of greatly needed funds, and
WHEREAS, Among the underlying causes of inflation are human greed and irresponsible spending, and
WHEREAS, The Bible commends responsible stewardship of all human resources,
Therefore be it RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptist churches to give renewed emphasis to Christian stewardship as a powerful anti-inflationary force in the world, and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we plead with both business and labor to lower their demands for unreasonable price and wage increases and that we plead with churches, governments, and charitable organizations to increase their efforts to help the poor who suffer most acutely from inflation, and
Be it finally RESOLVED, That we pledge our personal commitment to shun a life style of conspicuous consumption and to pursue a life style of responsible Christian stewardship and self-sacrifice.
Holy Crap! They cared about the poor! They didn’t want us to be so concerned about buying stuff that we forgot about the needs of others! Bet that Hummer-driving Christian at the Baptist Church in my neighborhood would be appalled at such Godlessness! Didn’t George W. encourage Americans to go shopping after 9/11 so that we could maintain the American way of life? Sounds like the poor liberal bastards in the convention in 1979 couldn’t have been good Christians…I mean Americans…I mean Christians.
Let’s not stop there! The Resolution concerning migrant farm workers stated, “That we commit ourselves as individuals, to enhance these efforts by seeking and providing additional creative ministries that meet the total human needs of migrant farm workers.” PLEASE! Bleeding-heart Liberals! Thank God they are gone!
Oh! A couple more for you young Bible-Thumping…Uh, Believing proud conservative Baptists out there: Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our belief that every human being has a right to freedom from hunger, and…Be it further RESOLVED, That we express to the United States Congress our strong support for an overseas development assistance program which will help those who are hungry and not merely line the coffers of the already privileged elite, and Be it finally RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptists to engage in strong and active Christian citizenship efforts to alleviate hunger.” Glad that liberal crap’s over with so we can “spread freedom”!
OK, OK, OK… One more, because this one KILLS ME! “THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That we call on all Southern Baptists to practice stringent conservation efforts as an important part of Christian stewardship and witness, and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That we pledge our cooperation with both government and industry as they seek to devise major new initiatives in the development of safe, clean, and renewable energy forms.” These wackos sound like Green Party morons don’t they! PRAISE GOD AND PASS THE AMMO! You new guys ought to be so glad that you didn’t have to listen to that ignorant crap that goes against all that Jesus taught!
Since 1979 Baptists have really got it right! Since that time, Baptists have passed 11 resolutions about homosexuality. You’d think they would know you hate them by now! Last year’s resolution says it all: On Twenty-Five Years Of The Conservative Resurgence: June 2004 “WHEREAS, Many faithful men and women made sacrifices to lead the conservative resurgence; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we express our appreciation to those who have courageously led us back to our historic biblical moorings and extend our appreciation to those elected and employed leaders who now effectively maintain a Christ-centered emphasis in life and work within the Southern Baptist Convention.”
Yep, you’re a lot more Biblical now. Condemning homosexuals, withdrawing from schools rather than caring for the children in them that are not related to you, commending George W. on—“RESOLVED, That we commend President George W. Bush for his statements in support of a Federal Marriage Amendment; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we challenge pastors and leaders within the Body of Christ to support and faithfully promote a Federal Marriage Amendment.” Oh, yeah, he forgot about that once he had your vote!
Do I sound bitter? I am. But, I think Jesus got pissed too when those he loved were being abused by self-righteous Pharisees. You brood of vipers! You hypocrites!
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| You've got to read this. It could happen to you! |
| 06.22.05 (8:35 am) [edit] |
Below is THE MOST hilarious story I've read in a while. Beware, it includes nudity, humiliation, shart, and intrigue.
http://badchristian.com/index.php/2005/03/16/airing_my_ dirty_laundry" title="http://badchristian.com/index.php/2005/03/16/airing_my_ dirty_laundry" target="_blank"http://badchristian.com/index...
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| Wow. Didn't know I was a heretic! |
| 06.18.05 (5:36 pm) [edit] |
 | You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.
Emergent/Postmodern | | 82% | Neo orthodox | | 71% | Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan | | 64% | Classical Liberal | | 54% | Reformed Evangelical | | 43% | Modern Liberal | | 39% | Roman Catholic | | 36% | Charismatic/Pentecostal | | 25% | Fundamentalist | | 4% |
What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com |
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| Hilarious! A Change of Pace |
| 06.16.05 (4:31 am) [edit] |
Please go to this website (I promise this isn't a trick to get you to look at porn!) and read about John Hargrave's prank phone call to Kelloggs. It is one of the funniest stories I've read in a while!
http://www.zug.com/gab/index.cgi?func=view_thread&sort =funnymtd&head=1&thread_i d=54816" title="http://www.zug.com/gab/index.cgi?func=view_thread&sort =funnymtd&head=1&thread_i d=54816" target="_blank"http://www.zug.com/gab/index....
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| Damn! Who am I supposed to hate now? Oh, Kraft |
| 06.10.05 (11:31 am) [edit] |
The American Family Association has suspended its boycott of Ford. Guess I shouldn't have bought that Honda. I looked at their website (link not provided because I think they suck) and there was no mention of it. They have alerted all of us good family folks that Kraft Foods is supporting the Gay Games.
Say CHEESE!
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| Would Jesus Buy a Ford? Is Toby Keith Gay? |
| 06.02.05 (11:19 am) [edit] |
And I always thought VW bugs were gay!
From BoycottFord.Com http://boycottford.com/
"If one looks for the company which has done the most to affirm and promote the homosexual lifestyle, he would be hard-pressed to find a company which has done more than Ford Motor Company. While this is hardly known to the general population, it is well known by numerous homosexual organizations. In fact, the Human Rights Campaign (a national homosexual organization whose goal is homosexual marriage) gave Ford a 100% corporate rating.
Ford makes not only Ford, but also Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover."
Wow! Thanks American Family Association for providing me with someone else to condemn!
Glad I drive a Honda!
I can't get the picture of Toby Keith singing "I'm a Ford truck man!" out of my mind!
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A Blog About Baptists and Their Theology
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