Posted on 11/17/2001 4:23:44 PM PST by gg188
Southern Baptists shun common prayer
By Mark I. Pinsky
Sentinel Staff Writer
November 14, 2001
LAKELAND -- Despite the trauma of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Southern Baptists won't be flocking to interfaith services designed to bring the nation together. Alone among America's major religious groups, the nation's largest Protestant denomination holds fast to its long-standing policy of not praying with others.
For the 15.7 million members of the Southern Baptist Convention, this means not only Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus, but also Christian denominations they do not consider legitimate, including Roman Catholics, Mormons, Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses. "We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven," said the Rev. Dwayne Mercer, pastor of First Baptist Church of Oviedo, explaining why he would not participate in interfaith gatherings, including one scheduled early next year for Central Florida congregations.
Mercer was elected president of the 1 million-member Florida Baptist Convention on Tuesday, at the group's annual meeting in Lakeland. He was unopposed.
Mercer, 47, said if he attended events with leaders of other faiths, members of his congregation might assume he believes "that all these faiths are legitimate," which he does not.
Even in a time of crisis, praying with Charismatic and Pentecostal Protestants is as far as most Southern Baptists are prepared to go.
In Jacksonville, the Rev. Ted Corley, pastor of Mayfair Baptist Church, organized a citywide service after the tragedy, limiting those invited to Southern Baptists, mainline Protestants and Pentecostals.
"I draw the line with those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as their messiah," he said.
"I tend to shy away from that. . . . As a pastor, I would not feel comfortable with someone praying to Allah or Buddha in my presence. That would go against my position concerning my faith about salvation and Jesus Christ."
Locally, the Rev. James Fortinberry, executive director of the Greater Orlando Baptist Association, said he would be willing to participate in an interfaith panel, but that he also drew the line at common prayer. Refusing to join such prayer gatherings "might be misunderstood," he said. "That's just a risk I take."
The Southern Baptists' course might be self-destructive, said Leo Sandon, distinguished professor of religion and American studies at Florida State University. By refusing to join in religious gatherings in a time of crisis, he said, "they're alienating themselves from the broader community."
"I am very sorry and disappointed that we have not had the presence of our brothers and sisters of the Southern Baptist faith," said the Rev. Fred Morris, executive director of the Florida Council of Churches, who has been active in organizing interfaith gatherings in Central Florida. "It has been deeply rewarding to be sharing in prayers for peace and harmony with persons of a wide variety of faith traditions, and it is disappointing not having such an important group as the Southern Baptists sharing in this very rich experience."
Besides alienating themselves from other faiths, Sandon said, the Southern Baptists "are driving the wedge deeper between themselves and progressive members of the denomination."
Already there are hundreds of such dissident, moderate congregations across the South and Midwest that no longer send delegates to the annual Southern Baptist Convention or to statewide gatherings such as the one in Lakeland. Many of these congregations do not agree with the national denomination's position on interfaith gatherings, Sandon said.
For example, representatives of Sweetwater Baptist Church and College Park Baptist Church joined members of other religions at an Altamonte Springs hotel in the weeks after the terrorist attacks. "Interfaith gatherings build an enormous amount of understanding and respect for different faith traditions," said the Rev. Ron Crawford of College Park Baptist Church. "We have so much to learn from one another. To refuse to participate is nothing more than arrogant and truly unbecoming a Christian."
Attacks offered opportunity
In contrast with other religious denominations, which in the days after Sept. 11 emphasized understanding, tolerance and respect for the American Muslim community, Southern Baptist missionaries declared that the attacks offered an ideal opportunity to evangelize American Muslims.
The Rev. Peter Shadid -- pastor of the Arabic Evangelical Church a ministry of First Baptist Church of Kissimmee -- said the attacks spurred his conviction that the Gospel should be shared with Arab-Americans. During a tragedy, he said, it is human nature to feel closer to God.
"Muslims are more receptive to know about Jesus Christ than at any other time," he said.
A prominent Southern Baptist leader took another approach, denouncing all of Islam as a religion.
The Rev. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., said Islam worships a false god with a false faith. Speaking at his seminary's chapel on Oct. 17, Mohler said, "I want to say as a Christian theologian, the biggest problem with Islamic theology is that it kills the soul."
It is a faith that "lies about God" and "presents a false gospel," said Mohler, a rising leader in the denomination. He said "these are difficult things to say. This is not polite."
Mohler, who regularly condemns religious pluralism and its notion that all faiths are equally legitimate, also said in his chapel talk that Jews and Muslims do not serve the same God as Christians.
On CNN's Larry King Live last year, Mohler used some of the same language to describe the Catholic Church.
"As an evangelical, I believe that the Roman church is a false church and it teaches a false gospel," Mohler told King.
At the same time, the Southern Baptists have no problem making common political cause with Catholics on issues such as abortion and stem-cell research. They just won't worship with Catholics.
The Rev. Paige Patterson, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and head of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., frequently boasts, "I do not have an ecumenical bone in my body."
Patterson was one of the architects of the conservative takeover of the denomination.
Mark Pinsky may be reached at mpinsky@orlandosentinel.com or at 407-420-5589.
Copyright © 2001, Orlando Sentinel
Someone sent this to me as an example of the egregious intolerance of Baptists. What say ye, Freepers? Or, rather, what do you think *I say in response to the person who sent this to me?
The First Amendment means that I don't have to believe your religion, and you are not required by law to believe mine. If necessary, we agree to disagree.
That said, I know people who are Baptist who have prayed with me and others of other Christian denominations with no hesitation.
It's a matter of personal preference and I don't see any reason to criticize it.
I say way to go SBC !
We have too much compromise today..all religious faiths have the right to worship as they please in this country..but there is no law (yet) that forces prayer with groups that are not Christian..and God's word is clear.He does not hear the prayer of those that are not His.
It may not be PC..but it is correct!
Florida and much of the South was first Christianized by Spanish (Catholic) missionaries, many of whom were killed by warring Indian tribes supported by the English. Many Christian Indians were also killed, mostly by non-Christian Indians, again encouraged or even paid by other foreign powers.
So give a little thought to history before you refuse to pray with other Christians.
Yes they are. Try living down south.
Please,please, please do not fall into the trap of getting personally offended by the Southern Baptist Convention's position on this. That is what the diversity police and PC nazis want. They want your emotional reaction (as a Catholic, Morman, Jew etc...) to override your logic.
This is about freedom of association. If you are personally offended by their position on this, just forget about it. Thats not the point here.
I'm sure some Moderates will jump on this article as an excuse to sit out or vote Dem or Independent in this next election, thus empowering more Dems(who will promote more abortions, forces religious groups (including churches) to hire homosexuals, restrict free speech, replace private industry with inefficient govt monopolies lacking service, further empower union featherbedding and thuggery, further entrench and solidify corruption, steal more elections, increase our vulnerability by weaking our defenses, sell secrets to our enemies, etc.). Yes, much better than voting for that icky intolerant pro-life Republican who doesn't agree 101% with everything I believe in.
Divide and conquer, and we never seem to learn.
Here's a little more gas for the fire from a non-Southern Baptist:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/572769/posts
Christian leader condemns Islam
Preacher Franklin Graham calls Islam ‘wicked, violent On the first day of Ramadan, Franklin Graham's comments last month about the Muslim faith are causing problems for the Bush administration.
By Jim Avila
NBC NEWS Nov. 16 — The Bush administration continues to be careful about what it says concerning the religion of Osama bin Laden. However, it turns out that one of Bush’s close friends in the American religious establishment has had some very harsh words for the Muslim faith. There is fallout from such remarks made last month by Franklin Graham.
FRANKLIN GRAHAM is one of America’s most powerful Christian leaders. He delivered the benediction at George W. Bush’s inauguration. His father, Billy, counseled a long list of presidents. But now Franklin is in trouble with political friends for comments made recently, calling the entire Islamic religion “wicked, violent and not of the same God.”
“I don’t believe this is a wonderful, peaceful religion,” said Graham. “When you read the Koran and you read the verses from the Koran, it instructs the killing of the infidel, for those that are non-Muslim.”
Asked by NBC News to clarify his statement, Graham repeated his charge that Islam, as a whole, is an evil.
“It wasn’t Methodists flying into those buildings, it wasn’t Lutherans,” said Graham. “It was an attack on this country by people of the Islamic faith.”
Meanwhile, Ramadan, the holiest season of the Muslim year, has begun. Graham’s comments came as Bush, himself a deeply religious Christian, wished the world’s 1 billion Muslims, “health, prosperity and happiness during Ramadan.”
“Islam never teaches hatred, Islam never teaches terrorism,” says Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America.
The White House also distanced itself from Graham’s remarks Friday, saying the president “views Islam as a religion that preaches peace,” and that the terrorists do not represent what Islam teaches.
None of the other Christian leaders contacted by NBC News, including Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, would comment on Graham’s attacks.
“Obviously, Mr. Graham is tone deaf in this respect,” says Newsweek religion editor Ken Woodward. “He’s certainly not his father’s son in terms of discretion.”
A presidential friend and supporter now finds himself at odds with both the Muslim world and the message from the White House.
All religion, no matter what you believe, started so long ago and in the same place that it doesn't even make sense. You believe what you believe and that is it.
Don't tell me that yours is better than mine or anyone else's. If you do, you are nothing but a hipocrite. Where do you get off telling anyone that?
For those of you that think that your religion is any better than others, just stuff it.......
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