Southern Baptists shun common prayer

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."

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.

Amen to that brother/sister. Christian persicution is at a fever pitch and it will get much worse in the times to come.

All Christians are in for a very trying time, so hold on to your Bibles, pray and keep the faith alive!

For all the folks saying Catholics and Protestants are not considered Christian, REREAD the article.

Mercer says: "I draw the line with those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as their messiah," he said.

I did

"As an evangelical, I believe that the Roman church is a false church and it teaches a false gospel," Mohler told King.

There is only one prayer that God always answers for the unbeliever-- "whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." The other prayers of a non-believer are only answered insofar as they coincide with His sovereign will.
But then... so are ours! But our prayers are worship. " We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle....By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Hebrews 13:10, 15-16.

sola gracia

Hey jude that is a ping!:>)

No Katie, I have not read the religious threads here to get my understanding of my religion. May I suggest to you that if you are interested in a particular faith you learn about them from the source and not a news discussion forum. Get real.

Dear Newbie: Katie was trying to tell you that most anything you have to offer here has been covered here about a thousand times here on previous threads.

Consider yourself flamed and welcomed

The left's problem with Christians, be they Baptist or Catholic or of whatever stripe---is that they are Christian.

The author brazenly exploits Catholic/Baptist differences in the left's crusade to do away with all things Godly and of the West, all things Judeo-Christian. This includes, of course, things like natural rights, just as one example.

These people are equating liturgical differences WITHIN Bible-believers with differences Christians and Jews have with PAGANS, CULTISTS AND BARBARIANS who call their feral lifestyle of rape and plunder, "religion."

I can understand Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons--those people do not even consider themselves to be Christians (they have different scriptures, etc).

I can understand, to a lesser extent, Roman Catholicism. There are a lot of misunderstandings about Catholicism...

But Seventh-Day Adventists? Aren't they just Saturday-going Protestants with a health-nut twist?

You nailed it.

The left wants to portray politically incorrect "doctrinal" beliefs of some as "hate" or "intolerance."

It's Southern Baptists today, for the people like the one who wrote the article I posted; they will just as soon go after Catholics tomorrow.

Their BEEF is not with Baptists or with Catholics. Their beef is that they hate America and Western Civlization, and themselves.

we must now establish a Ministry of Religion and Tolerant Discussion to encourage, ahem, greatly encourage the sharing of faiths in prayer to...some higher Being, or is that some higher Prescence, or perhaps we'll just meditate. We MUST all get along-no disension allowed!

Exactly.

And in typically bizarre leftist double-think, the only beliefs that are acceptable are the beliefs that also accept as equally truthful all other beliefs. Too weird. But that is the postmodern world of the Clintonite left.

Here in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, our synodical constitution (based on the teachings of the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions) requires as a condition of membership for its ministers and congregations: "Renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every description."

In spite of that clear prohibition, we have a district president in our synod who participated in an interfaith prayer service--the one at Yankee Stadium on September 23--with the newly elected synodical president's approval! This same district president three years ago participated in a similar interfaith prayer service; he was admonished by our previous synodical president; and he signed a public apology and assurance that he would not "repeat this error in the future." But now he has!

Needless to say, all this is causing a storm of controversy in our synod right now. I can see by this article, though, that we're not the only ones dealing with this issue.

Actually I just heard a sermon(on the internet) on just this topic.

2 John 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.

When this was written preachers depended on local people providing a place to stay, and support. That is what was meant by taking into your house and welcoming. This verse prohibits Christians from offering support to heretics.

When you hold a joint meeting, prayer or otherwise, you are implying that other group is, at the very least, legitmate (in the eyes of your faith/tradition). That is a form of support

The article mentioned groups cannot considered Christian. Or "christian" groups which could be considered holding heretical believes. As a Pentecostal, I know of several "pentecostal" groups that hold heretical views, that my church won't meet with either.

I had the privilege of living in Memphis in the late 70's and early-to-mid 80's. I was a Baptist before I married, and my children went to a Baptist school when we lived in Memphis. They were not taught to hate anyone for their religious beliefs. Their school competed in sports with Catholic schools, and I never heard any hatred expressed toward Catholics.

Memphis is a wonderful city. I'm sorry you have had bad experiences with Baptists, but I don't think that is typical of Memphis - at least I hope it's not. I know it wasn't true of the Baptists I knew there. Memphis is a beautiful city filled with gracious, warm-hearted people - both Protestant and Catholic.

My best wishes to you. By the way, my wife was raised Catholic. We now enjoy belonging to a Presbyterian PCA church.

"We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. I'm catholic and my mother is seventh-day adventist, Probably the only thing we do have in common is that we believe this also.......??????? are they implying that these religions don't follow Christ?

The idolatry, praying to Mary and labeling her "queen of Heaven", purgatory, and various other unscriptural catholic beliefs doesn't create much common ground.

The great (well, in a way) thing about leftism, and Communists in general, is that thier ideas have no basis in reality, nor do they work, and certainly are not logical. Thus, they are doomed to failure. The unfortunate part is that it often takes a vast loss of liberty and great loss of life before it swings around and falls.

Bottom line bump:

This isn't about who the SBC will pray with, this is about whether all religions are equivalent. No this isn't about prayer at all, it is about forcing Christians to participate in joint religious activities that honor other gods. One cannot expect a Jew or a Christian to participate in a religious service to honor any other than Jehovah.

While diverted into doctrinal differences among those who worship Jehovah, some here overlook that the writer equates ISLAM with religions that worship God, and equates differences Baptists have with other religions with differences the WEST has with ISLAM.

It's typically pretty sly lefty tactics, and those who have been raised on postmodernism don't get it and happily drink the kool-aid (I can't believed I used that lame metaphor about kool-aid, but it FIT.)

"...Christianity is not some sort of progressive philosophy."

Well put.

Further, this obsession with some cosmic "Interdominational Faith" sounds" good in a 'Love to buy the world a Coke and keep in harmony' sorta way, but let's face it -- salvation as Baptists see it isn't something to be negotiated "downward."

The Southern Baptists are free to think of on a few as "Christians. " Just as I am free not to them of them not as Christians but as modern-day gnostics. I am surprised they even pray with mainline Protestants. I guess they mean those who are "born-again "and walk and ttalk daily with a tutory spirit they call alternatively "Jesus", or "the Holy Spirit"

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