A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE
By David R. Currie,
Coordinator

Are there really differences in fundamentalist Baptists and moderate, or the term I prefer, traditional Baptists? Yes and no!

I have heard traditional Baptists say for years that we all believe the same things.  I believe we do agree on the fundamentals of the faith.  I believe we all agree that Jesus was God in the flesh, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead and is coming again.  That makes us Christian.  We share these beliefs with all Christian denominations.

However, there are things that fundamental and traditional Baptists really disagree on and it is time we face up to that, because they are not reconcilable differences.  They make us two separate denominations still pretending to be one.

Attitude is one huge difference.  I noticed it clearly when the BGCT slander committee asked several BGCT leaders to respond to the charge that we supported homosexuality.  Of course, we all stated that we believed homosexuality was wrong and against the teachings of scripture.  I personally know of no BGCT leader that believes homosexuality is acceptable behavior.

Yet, nearly all of us qualified our statements pointing out that while homosexuality is a sin, it is one of many sins, or that we are all sinners, etc.  Why did we do this?  Because of our understanding of the Gospel.

We all believe homosexuality is a sin but traditional Baptists are not comfortable thinking of themselves as better than other people.  We know that we are all equal sinners saved by grace and we cannot, in good conscience, pretend we are holier that anyone else.

Fundamentalists have no problem with such arrogance. They are not as bad of sinners as many others. They easily condemn those they disagree with.  They are superior to other Christians who disagree with them and certainly better than lost people. Fundamentalism is about superiority.

When you approach life with such arrogance, it is easy to feel you have the right to tell others how to live, what to believe and what to teach.  You are right and others are wrong.

I recently watched a Christian author on late night secular TV show.  He was making enemies for God with every arrogant, egotistical word.  He kept claiming "God says this" and "God says that" and "if you don't think like me, you should." He was a horrible witness for Christ because there was no love, no humility, no grace in anything he said.  Like a Biblical Pharisee he was pleasing himself.  It made me wonder if  God was embarrassed.  I know I was as I watched him.

A true Christian knows he is a sinner and no better than any other sinner on the face of the earth. A true Christian knows he believes some things that are flat wrong and is still trying to learn.  A true Christian knows God is much bigger than he or she will ever comprehend.

A true Christian lives life in faith with humility, not arrogance, and respects the beliefs of other Christians, Jews, Mormons and even non-believers.  True Christians witness to the truth they believe but trust the Holy Spirit to convict others.  They avoid efforts to condemn or guilt-trip people into the Kingdom of God because they know salvation is the work of the Father, not human effort.

There are many differences between fundamentalists and traditional Baptists, especially in Baptist principles, but one huge difference is attitude.  If you ever call a hard-core fundamentalist pastor, you will know exactly what I am talking about.

I get numerous phone calls telling stories about fundamentalist pastors coercing members and splitting churches.  The Truth Can Be Stranger Than Fiction box, located elsewhere in this website, is a written example of what some churches experience.

I am a sinner and no better than a fundamentalist. (I do think I am a better Baptist!)  I just wish fundamentalists felt the same way about me.  We could get along and reconcile if they did, but they do not, and that makes us miles apart.  It boils down to a different understanding of the character of God and how God relates to the world.  It comes down to the heart of the Gospel and how we tell the world about Jesus.

October 1999