Whatever became of sin? I am talking about the simple sins found in most Baptist circles years ago: card playing, dancing, going to the picture show, cursing, and drinking alcohol. I guess that age is gone. No one seems to worry much about those particular sins anymore — if they ever were sins! The truth is that we all participate in activity like that in Baptist life today.
What sins do Baptists today consider acceptable or wicked? Where do we as free-thinking, priesthood-of-the believer-Baptists draw the red line? Which so-called sins scare us the most and cause us to shudder in repulsion. Is the repulsion we experience a personal feeling or is it something that our peers have impressed upon us? I wonder what really causes our sin phobias? Is it simply because we are human?
Homophobia has been highlighted by a recent action taken by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board executive committee, requesting Ginter Park Baptist Church in Richmond to withdraw its affiliation with the Baptist General Association of Virginia, due to the fact that the church has ordained a person to Christian ministry who has a homosexual orientation. I am surprised that the executive committee has reacted out of such fear. I think that the executive committee needs to fill in some gaps for us at the BGAV meeting in Roanoke concerning their decision.
This fearful reaction will haunt us for a long time to come. Do we only accept perfect churches as Virginia Baptist churches? And if we do, where in this world would we find them? Are we ready to sacrifice the autonomy of the local church upon the altar denominational politics? Thank God, we have another high priest and another altar. We have a high priest who has been tempted in every way, just as we have; and we have an altar upon which we receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.
Ricky Hurst, pastor, Main Street Baptist Church, Emporia, Va.