Confused

I am confused. Nothing new here. I have been reading some of the news reports published by the New Baptist Covenant and they are either confusing or humorous. President Carter practically begs those in attendance not to speak critically of others. Now don’t get me wrong, those words are usually appropriate any time two humans get together whether they are Baptist or not. It is what he did not say that confuses me. Note this quote from their web site:
“For the first time in more than 160 years, we are convening a major gathering of Baptists throughout an entire continent, without any threat to our unity caused by differences of our race or politics or geography or the legalistic interpretation of Scripture," said Carter, who co-chaired the gathering with Mercer University President Bill Underwood.

President Carter raises some worthy issues, division caused by race, politics, geography and the legalistic interpretation of Scripture. Now pardon my bias, but some of the division has been caused by a liberal and unbelieving interpretation of Scripture. Speaking of politics and interpretations of Scripture, I believe it was Carter who walked away from the SBC over his disagreements.

I can not help but wonder; as I read the reports intended to promote the idea that the meeting was in unity, who was Campolo preaching to? Did he see some BMW’s in the parking lot when he drove in? What plane did Gore use to get to the meeting? Can you live in a mansion like Gore and fall into the classification Campolo placed those who drive BMW’s. Tony rarely pulls punches because of his audience and so perhaps he wasn’t preaching to those in were not in attendance but those who were in attendance. Yes he was preaching to most all of us in our lack of helping others.

Clinton’s reaching out to Southern Baptists was interesting. Was he sincere or hoping to pick up a few votes for Hillary? We will no know until his works are judged at the judgment seat of Christ as we won’t know even about some of our own until that day. His bias also came out:
Baptists who gained control of the SBC focused on "works" related to issues such as opposition to abortion, the Equal Rights Amendment and gay rights, he noted, while "more progressive Baptists" focused on fighting poverty, protecting the environment and providing housing for poor people, he said.
"I say this in good conscience: We all believe we are doing what we can. But so do they. They read the obligations of Scripture in a different way," he noted.
Calling for humility and respect, Clinton urged, "We should not let our response to the people who disagree with us be dictated by what they say about us or even how they treat people we care for. If there is any chance that this covenant can become an embracing one, that there can be a whole community, then there has to be a chance that we can find love."

You did catch the bias didn’t you? If you are not a Baptist Democrat, you do not care about the poor, protecting the environment of providing housing for poor people. President Carter knows better than this because even Republican Baptists have helped his poster organization, Habitat for Humanity.

“Grisham offered Baptists three suggestions for seeking unity: Restore their good name by respecting diversity, stay out of politics and ‘spend as much time out on the streets in ministry as in the church."

This was the most humorous of all. Grisham blasted anyone who would hold to a literal interpretation of Scripture while calling for respecting diversity. His funniest line in light of the other speakers was stay out of politics. If Gore is successful in his creation campaign it will be political. Marian Edleman is always political. The highlighted speakers come from political backgrounds.

Conclusion: When you are for something you are automatically against its antithesis. Baptists have never wanted to keep themselves out of politics. Leland would strongly object. Without the Baptist of the early colonies, we might not even have Bill of Rights. We just don’t want the government running the church. Baptists are not showing disrespect for diversity when they politically propose a moral agenda that departs from Grisham’s agenda.

We do know what the leaders of this meeting are against, at least from the press reports.
1. The war in Iraq
2. Tax Cuts
3. Literal and legalistic interpretations of Scripture.
4. Private Health Care
5. Poverty
6. Hungry Children
7. An overpopulated earth
8. Materialism
9. Consumerism


After the meeting, many went to a nice restaurant and ate an expensive meal, flew home on airplane emitting carbons, some drove BMW’s, Cadillac’s, Hummers, Lincoln’s, a few from Texas drove pickups, slept in expensive motel rooms just a few blocks from some homeless hungry on the street, and felt good about the call to save the environment and reduce poverty. I am amused and confused.