Comments on Baptists Today Blogs: More see wrong in the right

I didn't notice it in your blog. I was probably l...

2008-03-17T00:39:00.000-04:00

I didn't notice it in your blog. I was probably looking at the names themselves and not paying much attention to the rest of it. I'm sure it's insignificant, but it was just funny to me having gone to SU.

I don't know, jr, but I made the same mistake by c...

2008-03-16T23:23:00.000-04:00

I don't know, jr, but I made the same mistake by calling him "president" in my post, which I have since corrected. The Beeson website lists him as dean.

I was just re-reading the list of signatories at t...

2008-03-16T19:24:00.000-04:00

I was just re-reading the list of signatories at the Baptist Creation Care website. You pointed out Yarnell's name being absent from the current list so I was taking a closer look. I know it's a minor thing, but I wonder how they got that Dr. George is Beeson Divinity School's "president".

If you're waiting for Bob "Hopefully" Terry to sho...

2008-03-15T11:03:00.000-04:00

If you're waiting for Bob "Hopefully" Terry to show some courage on the subject of SBC fundamentalism, settle down with a whole library of good books. Bob has made a long and distinguished career out of straddling every available fence, and none more so than this one. He actively opposed the early moderate efforts to stem the Patterson-Pressler tide. He is a private hand-wringer, but lacks the public courage to speak truth to power. Which is why he's the editor of the Alabama Baptist.

Fox,I'm originally from Alabama and have read nume...

2008-03-14T18:11:00.000-04:00

Fox,

I'm originally from Alabama and have read numerous Bob Terry editorials. I remember being on a discussion thread once where a guy from MO (where Terry came from if memory serves correctly) said he was glad Terry was gone because he said Terry was too liberal (my word...I can't remember if they actually used the "l-word"). What do you think?

Also, Dr. Balmer was just here speaking in a religion lecture at Campbell University. What did you mean by Terry taking a careful look at him?

Did Evans write a piece for the Birmingham News? If so, do you have a link for the article?

Dr. Cartledge,Why do you not use some of your inve...

2008-03-14T13:18:00.000-04:00

Dr. Cartledge,

Why do you not use some of your investigative skills and ask why Malcolm Yarnell asked to have his name removed? Your implication seems to suggest something behind the scenes and then you close with the theory about a divide. I believe you will find it isn't as much of a divide as it was a rush to have a statement in the headlines before all of the language could be agreed on.

Blessings,
Tim

Tony: I want to agree with you and join the choru...

2008-03-14T12:19:00.000-04:00

Tony:

I want to agree with you and join the chorus with you and Bruce Gourley who wrote a similar piece at Bl.com "Religious Right Coming Unglued"; but I'm not sure it is happening.
Until you have some serious discussions by the likes of Bama Baps Bob Terry--good friend of Bush judicial nominee Charles Pickering of the SBC Peace Committee-- Harry Dents daughter, Ginny Brant who also signed the Memphis Declaration; those kind of folks its just more ambience.
Bellwether churches like FBC Montgomery and Dawson here in Alabama, continue to fund Richard Land's ERLC to the hilt; no questions asked.
Until there are dually alligned SBC CBF churches who line item veto Land's ERLC; until folks like Bob Terry have the courage to take careful looks at Randall Balmer and just today Jim Evans outrage at Land's recent "Schmuck" remark; until Land and what the Rove Era he represents is no longer funded by Southern Baptists--again See Garry Wills great chapter in American Christianities; until you get something like that, then while there may be some grounds for hope in Merritt's Creation Care, I think you and Gourley may be putting a little too much stock in it.
Still, I'm with you fellas, as Delmar says in Oh Brother.

I'm still confused as to why a large group of Bapt...

2008-03-14T11:42:00.000-04:00

I'm still confused as to why a large group of Baptists is even talking about global warming, much less making resolutions one way or the other.

Seriously, aren't there a lot more important things that such a religious group should be doing. And let me be clear, I'm not saying that the environment isn't an important issue. I just don't see why a conglomerate of Baptists should be debating the finer points of interpreting scientific data.

I agree that there are definitely chinks in the ar...

2008-03-14T11:02:00.000-04:00

I agree that there are definitely chinks in the armor of the SBC. There are several fronts on which the current leadership is going to have to fight to maintain the status quo. I don't know that the global warming issue is all that big of a deal for the SBC yet, but Calvinism/Arminianism is certainly going to take a toll. Another issue that may be lurking closer than they'd like to think is the role/authority of the pastor in the local church. Also, I'm not convinced that the sole membership issue from 4 or 5 years ago is completely dead yet because it hasn't been tested yet. (Could it be in the case where SWBTS fired a female professor?)

Richard Land's statement reminds me of something else I've thought about. It never ceases to amaze me how so few can claim to really speak on behalf of a group that's as beholden to liberty and freedom as Baptists. In a good year, the Southern Baptist Annual Convention may draw...what, around 10k to 15k messengers? Say there are 14k, a resolution passes by a slim margin, that means that a little over 7k people are passing a statement that purports to speak for roughly 16-18 million.