A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE:
BUBBA'S GOT A GOOD IDEA
By David R. Currie,
Coordinator

Bubba Stahl, pastor of First Baptist, Boerne, brought a motion at the BGCT annual meeting in El Paso asking the messengers to pray for the Southern Baptists of Texas convention that met a week later.

I spoke in favor of this motion because I agree with Bubba that we ought to pray for one another.  I said we ought to pray for the leaders of the SBC and CBF as well and do it every day. I am all for civility in our personal and denominational relationships. I am on the Executive Board of the Interfaith Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that urges religious groups to treat each other with respect and counter the Christian Right's divisive political rhetoric. For this, SBC leaders and their devout supporters severely criticize me.

The fundamentalists say that some of my Interfaith board members supposedly have different views from me on homosexuality, abortion and other issues and therefore, I am evil for associating with them. I'm using the word supposedly because these issues have never come up at a board meeting. I do not understand the fundamentalist logic of guilt by association.

The Interfaith Alliance has produced "A Statement of Civility" for political candidates that follows this article. Copy it and sign it if you choose to, or go to their web site, www.civility.net and sign it there. I think it is an excellent statement.

Maybe we should adopt such a statement for Texas Baptists. Of course, Jimmy Carter already tried this approach, which included Paige Patterson's signed agreement. Now Patterson says that Texas Baptists do not believe the Bible, but maybe he doesn't think that is cruel or mean.

I thought it was good when Jerry Falwell had a meeting with Gay Rights' leaders. Having the meeting did not mean that Falwell or the Gay Rights' leaders were going to change their position but it was good for them to talk. At least maybe they began to see each other as people.

Strange Logic

It seems that SBC leaders can have dialogue with all kinds of groups except fellow Baptists. They have met with Catholics, work often with independent groups like Campus Crusade, Focus on the Family and others. They just don't like Baptists (Texas Baptists and CBF Baptists) who disagree with them. I do not understand that logic either.

It is time to bury the rhetoric like "Texas Baptists do not believe the Bible" and treat each other civilly. I think it's time for all sides to tell the truth about their beliefs and let the people decide.

I recently read in Newsweek that Barry Goldwater and John Kennedy were hoping they could travel the country having a series of debates and dialogue where each would share their ideas about being president and their hopes for the country. Of course, with Kennedy's death, this never happened but it was a positive idea.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Daniel Vestal, coordinator of CBF, and Morris Chapman, executive director of the SBC went to every Baptist association in the country over the next five years and explained what they believed and what the SBC was about and what CBF was about and then both simply said, "study and support those with whom you are most comfortable."

They could discuss what has happened the past 20 years and explain the differences between traditional Baptists and fundamentalist Baptists. I think it would be educational and helpful to people in our churches.

False Accusations Preferred

My guesses are 85% of Texas Baptists churches would continue to support the BGCT and that 75% of churches nationwide would find they agree with CBF much more than the SBC. This may be why SBC and SBT leaders have never agreed to a fair and meaningful dialogue. They have preferred false accusations to persuade people from knowing the truth.

This battle needs to end. The way to end it is to educate every church about what has happened the past 20 years and let them decide if they are traditional Baptists or fundamentalists' Baptists. However they decide, so be it. Pray for them and wish them well.

Let's get on with spreading the Good News and leave the Baptist controversy behind us. I think that is what Texas Baptists are going to do. We are going to go our own way and the churches who do like fundamentalism and the SBC should feel free to go that direction without being told they don't believe the Bible just because they interpret it differently from others. We traditional Baptists should be treated with the same respect.

I think we should pray for the SBT and I hope every fundamentalist church in Texas will join them if they really do not want to support the River Ministry, our universities, our church starting programs and all the other wonderful ministries the BGCT is doing.

My vision is that over the next 10 years, all traditional Baptist churches will stop supporting the SBC but I do not say that with anger or malice. I believe the road to peace lies in the fundamentalists getting together on the state and national level and the traditional Baptists joining in our cooperative efforts on the state and national level.

The same division probably will occur within every association as well and in many churches and to be honest, it is inevitable. One can't find middle ground with fundamentalists. Once this started 20 years ago, the dye was cast. The division was and is inevitable. Eventually, every state convention will experience some kind of division as well.

I read in the Baptist Standard where someone asked, "Why can't we be like the Baptist World Alliance . . . We can say, 'I don't agree with you about some things, but let's go our way and win the world to Jesus'" It amazes me after 20 years that anyone does not know the answer to that question, but obviously some do not, so if you need an answer read the response of Patterson, Land and Mohler. There is your answer. These folks do not believe that disagreeing is fine and that ends the discussion. Their attitude is "agree or leave." That is fundamentalism and that will never change which is why so much division will be at so many levels. Fundamentalism has to be this way.

So, let's do the splitting and dividing in a civil matter. Let's pray for one another and move on.

Interfaith Alliance Petition For Greater Civility In American Politics

As a concerned American and person of faith and goodwill, I urge all candidates for public office including candidates for President of the United States, US Senate and House of Representatives, governorships, and state and local offices, to implement and honor the following Framework of Civility.

The Framework of Civility

Talk honestly about your beliefs, motivations, and purpose in running for office. Endeavor to present clear, accurate proposals regarding issues that are based on the facts as you understand them without attempting to mislead voters regarding your public record.

Welcome and seek to optimize opportunities to present in open forum your platform, policies, and issue proposals.

Refrain from using deception, half-truths, falsification, or innuendo in describing your opponents.

Immediately and unilaterally repudiate any such actions conducted to your benefit by other individuals or organizations.

Insure that your campaign organization has in its possession documents supporting factual claims about you or your opponent's record or background.

Seek to heighten the level of discourse presented to voters with the intent of increasing their knowledge of the issues and your positions on those issues throughout all aspects of the campaign.

Reject degrading, disparaging, or demeaning descriptions or visual images of your opponent.

Reject personal attacks, innuendo, or stereotyping in describing or referring to your opponent.

Avoid all references, characterizations, or suggestions intended or likely to demonize or dehumanize those holding opinions different from yours.

Conduct all aspects of your campaign using as guiding principles the betterment of the democratic process in this country and the desire to increase the integrity of the electoral process.

Assume full responsibility for the words and actions of your campaign staff, volunteers, surrogates, and other individuals and organizations working on your behalf or seeking to influence the election in your favor.

Publicly and unequivocally reject words, images, and/or actions that incite hatred or fear against others.

Refrain from using the rhetoric of civility merely for political effect, opting instead to incorporate the meaning and goals of civil discourse into your actions and statements.

December 1999