SBC excluding itself
I just read my Religious Herald and saw that the Southern Baptist Convention leadership has chosen not to connect with the ecumenical group Christian Churches Together.
I am confused. It is so painful to see the convention excluding itself from every group and program that does not look like, act like or believe like their own. For example, in the same issue, Greg Warner and Kevin Eckstrom write about the top stories of the year. The majority of the stories dealt with the SBC disconnecting from another group of people: the Baptist World Alliance, 2000 Baptist Faith and Message statement and exclusion of certain missionaries; North American Mission Board not endorsing female chaplains; etc. The list goes on.
What I am confused about is the Baptist Faith and Message explains that Jesus is doing the will of God and we are to be followers of Christ-which I fully believe. It also says, “God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society.” Every believer is adopted into the family/body of Christ. The Jesus that I know, never excluded himself from any group of people. He accepted everyone, loved everyone and believed in everyone. So why does the SBC want to exclude itself from every group that is not a thumbprint of their own being?
A member of the SBC once shared with me that I would go to hell because I am a woman minister. The wife of an SBC minister twice told me that I am on the wrong path because of the seminary which I attend and she prayed that I will “see the light.” Why does this happen?
I am just confused because as a community of faith, I thought we were all going toward the same goal and we should all support each other, as one part of the body is no better than the other parts. Christ is the head of this body and I know that Jesus loves all of us and the fact that we all are different parts of his body. I am thankful that he has never excluded himself or others from the work that we are called to do.
Linda Moore, Richmond
What goes around, comes around
In the 1991 Gulf War, we killed 110,000 Muslims (nearly all by air strikes). To them, this was terrorism. These people had families and relatives. They have not forgotten. This war was over oil, in my opinion.
When we attacked Iraq, we really attacked six Muslim nations. Many Muslims are willing to die for their religion (their god).
The only remedy I see for this situation is prayer. My prayer for 2005 is that we can get out of Iraq.
During the 1930s on my grandparents inherited farm, we paid black workers $1 for a 12-hour day and whites $2. My father, a wounded veteran and church deacon, did not think blacks should be educated. We see results of these policies and views in the city of Richmond today.
What goes around, comes around!
S.S. Richardson, Richmond