In this 2007 file photo, Bert Baker, an amateur artist, had recently finished a 7-foot-tall sculpture of Christ at Red Bank Baptist Church. Credit: Gerry Melendez/The State Newspaper, Columbia, SC
Posted on 05/30/2018 4:56:29 PM PDT by marshmallow
In this 2007 file photo, Bert Baker, an amateur artist, had recently finished a 7-foot-tall sculpture of Christ at Red Bank Baptist Church. Credit: Gerry Melendez/The State Newspaper, Columbia, SC
Charleston, S.C., May 30, 2018 / 04:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Jesus is being evicted from a South Carolina church, and he must be out by the end of the month.
Red Bank Baptist Church in Lexington, about 120 miles northeast of Charleston, has voted to remove a statue of Christ and its accompanying reliefs after 11 years, because they are believed to be too “Catholic in nature”.
The white, hand-carved statue in question shows Christ with his outstretched and stepping out of the wall, while the reliefs depict images from Christ's life, death and resurrection.
Red Bank Baptist Church leaders sent a letter to the artist, Bert Baker Jr., earlier this month, informing him that the congregation had voted to remove the statue because it was being perceived as a Catholic icon and was causing confusion among churchgoers.
“We understand that this is not a Catholic icon, however, people perceive it in these terms. As a result, it is bringing into question the theology and core values of Red Bank Baptist Church," church leaders Jeff Wright and Mike Dennis said in the letter.
Baker, a former member of the church’s congregation himself, was commissioned to make the statue for Red Bank in 2007.
In a response letter, Baker told the church leaders that he wanted the Christ statue to appear to be stepping out in a symbol of the Lord’s commission, and that the other images in the reliefs were based on basic facts about Christ's life which can be found in the Bible.
“Under each arm the reliefs depict scriptural and historical events that we as Christians........
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnewsagency.com ...
My wife’s side is Baptist.
My big beef with them is their eschewing of saints.
I think saints are cool and fun. There’s lots of great stories and history there. They offer many moral lessons.
But no.
Maybe it is the use of the word “fun” that turned them off.
That happens with those people sometimes.
In the photo provided, it looks like the sculptor should be mixing up a big batch of blue meth in Albuquerque, NM.
X
Serious answer - No, I dont pray to Jesus. I speak directly to God the father .... just as Jesus taught.
If you think it is funny, then you must have some scripture to back up a different position. Based on the thread, I would assume that you believe that Christians are taught to pray to Jesus. If my assumption is correct, please provide a scripture reference where Christians are taught to pray to Jesus ... or anyone other than the Father.
I will respond by asking a simple question.
When Jesus was asked by the Apostles how we should pray, what was his teaching?
Was it to pray directly to Jesus?
Pray to Mary?
Pray to themselves (Apostles)?
Pray to Moses, Joshua King David or some other dead person?
Second related question - As a Christian, who’s teachings should we be following?
And of course this is horrible. But Eastern Orthodox reject three-dimensional artwork as well, and that’s just fine. But then of course, they’re not “rednecks.”
A statue of Jesus is a graven image akin to a statue of Ba'al? Who knew?
John 14:14.
Acts 7:59
1 Corinthians 1:2
Furthermore, the original post to which I referred sounds a lot like the Arian heresy, which denied that Jesus is God.
Have a nice day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)
Mr. Rogers,
I can agree that the statue may “lack artistic merit,” however it appears to not to be in the presbytery/sanctuary or nave of the church, but in some other part of the (your?) church.
I saw the statue as a piece of art of our Saviour, not as a ‘graven image’ or an item to worship. I did not and do not worship the image of Jesus that is in the stained glass window at the front of the Disciple of Christ Church of my youth and to which a attend on my vacations home.
The main ‘idiocy’ I saw is that it was considered “too Catholic” as a/the prime reason, not that it was a “graven image.” I have no dispute with, as you said, “Wanting a Baptist church to look like a Baptist church....”
“I resolved while among you to preach nothing but Christ, and Him crucified.” - Paul
Well, actually, since no one knows what Christ looked like, he certainly was not a 6foot2, blue eyed, long blond hair, as all those pictures show him to be. Few Jewish people that I know are look like they came from Scandinavia, Norway, etc. So, I don’t worry about it. The one thing I know is, that the Cross is empty. He is not hanging on it. He was taken down, buried, Rose Again, and currently is sitting at the right hand of the Father. The Catholics still have Him on the Cross. So, that is wrong.
Do you Catholics just like to hate others?
Baptists don't use statues and paintings because they are distractions. The focus is to be on the Word of God, not images of men.
I gather Catholics prefer a different approach. Oh well. But no one is distracted by a small painting. A 7 foot tall statue of "Jesus" - that looks more like the Burger King King - is a huge distraction! If we were going to have 7' tall Jesus statues - did Jesus play in the NBA - we might as well have our pastors wear enormous hats, cover themselves with finery and make the service all about themselves:
Oh golly! Isn't it FUN to attack others? That is why I rarely post on religious threads any more. It always seems to turn into a Hate-Fest, with Satan on the wings, laughing himself senseless!
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - JESUS CHRIST
Baptists are not big on statues and paintings. We tend to prefer simple designs. If a church wants to change its carpet, remove a painting,or statue, or lawn gnome, or plant flowers next to the front door - it's OK. The decision is for the CHURCH to make. Not outsiders. We don't need something like this to remind us Jesus is Lord - and we don't need fries with our Gospel:
We are not ashamed of Jesus. But neither do we need statues or paintings or images of Him. We find Him in the Word. Do what you will, but don't pretend a plain building means an uncaring heart!
PS: You could look a LONG time and not find a thread where I've attacked Catholics for having paintings or statues. My interest is this: Do you want to follow Jesus? Have you repented, and do you depend on God's grace to save you?
"For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after he says:
This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.
Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin." - Hebrews 10
THAT is to be our focus.
Amen, correct. The Catholics still have Him hanging on the Cross.
"Paul... to the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ --their Lord and ours (1 Corinthians 1:1–2).”
According to the apostle Paul, New Testament Christians were everywhere praying to Jesus.
Paul also says that he "prayed to the Lord three times," that Jesus would remove the "thorn in his flesh." We know this was to Jesus, because Paul calls him "kyrios," (Lord) which is what he always calls the Lord Jesus. He usually calls the Father "Father."
This is made perfectly clear when the Lord answers him, "My strength is made perfect in your weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9), and Paul says he will glory in his weakness that the "power of Christ" (the Lord) would be revealed in him. So when he was praying to the "Lord," (v. 8) that was Jesus (v. 9).
We pray to the Holy Spirit as well.
There's just one God.
Besides, "prayer" means not just adoration alone (as many assume) but also the entire communion we have with one another in the Body of Christ. It is the link of love.
The prayer to Jesus in the tagline, comes from 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.
May Jesus bless you.
I suspect - I'm in Arizona, no where close to the church in question - some members objected because it "looked Catholic" and reminded them of some beliefs they no longer hold. When it was brought up at a business meeting - almost all decisions in a baptist church are done in business meetings - the large majority of the members (over 75%) voted to get rid of it. That is their right.
Worth remembering:
Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters. One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.
One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God.
For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. - Romans 14
However, it's not smack-dab certain that it was to "ridicule" Baptists. It might have been, as well, to stimulate a discussion of this cultural dissonance so we would better understand one another.
That's what I'd like to do, anyhow.
Every day I think, we miss so many opportunities to understand each other, when all we wanna do is fight.
Tagline for you, my dear Mrs. Boatbums.
Thanks --- a thousand thanks --- for that!!
Christians don’t need no stinking statues.
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Click on Orthodox Arts Journal and enjoy.
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Look up Baptist or Evangelical Church Statues and enjoy more!
Tagline for you, ZC.
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