I enjoyed the Nov. 18 issue of the Herald featuring the recent BGAV meeting in Hampton, Va. I took particular note of the “Another Opinion” pieces on pages 18 and 19. I assume the article on page 18, written by Joseph Giles Jr. pastor of James Square Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, was penned before he saw the article on page 19, written by Brent Walker, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. I also assume that Walker had not seen Giles’ piece taking exception to the resolution from the BGAV’s religious liberty committee when he discussed the five “Myths of separation of church and state.” Their two interpretations of what “separation of church and state” means to Christians and all American citizens could not be more different.
Space does not permit a point and counterpoint comparison of the analyses by Giles and Walker. Rev. Giles acknowledges that “most of my brothers and sisters in the BGAV interpret Scripture different than I do. I readily admit that I am theologically conservative, yet we still work together.” That is a wonderful affirmation of the inclusive “big tent” that BGAV Baptists have striven to erect and maintain.
But Rev. Giles charges that the Baptist Joint Committee for religious Liberty (Walker’s organization) joins organizations like the ACLU to “… attack Christians when they step outside the walls of their churches but encourage other religions in their efforts.” He suggests that the BGAV voting body had not the understanding to make an informed decision; that our founding fathers never guaranteed freedom from religion; that it was not their intention to create a nation free from religion, but free for religion. He does not say so in his article, but I would not be surprised if he were to characterize America as a “Christian Nation,” as many Christians have claimed even though I believe most of our founding fathers were deists.
I wish that Rev. Giles had read Rev. Walker’s compelling dissertation on the subject of separation of church and state before he kindly lectured the BGAV body on the subject. Having served on the BGAV religious liberty committee I know how difficult it is to address the subject without being accused of trying to take God and prayer out of the schools. In the year I chaired the committee some Virginia Baptists were pushing Congress to bring prayer back to public schools. But those folks would have been incensed if Congress had concurred and provided that young Muslims could bring a prayer rug to school and prostrate themselves for prayer to Allah in the classroom.
The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, under Brent Walker and his predecessor, James Dunn, has provided informative leadership to Baptists across the country in understanding and advocating for religious liberty for all persons. It effectively represents Baptists before our legislative bodies in the interest of assuring religious liberty for all Americans.
Daniel A. Polk, Richmond, Va.