Editorial

Baptists in Florida have been in the media spotlight in recent weeks concerning their involvement in Jewish evangelism.

First Baptist Church in West Palm Beach hosted a conference led by Chosen People Ministries Feb. 8-10 that drew scorn from the local Jewish community. Even before it opened Feb. 5, the Holy Land Experience theme park drew the ire of national Jewish organizations for supposed stealth evangelism tactics. Although owner and Baptist minister Marvin Rosenthal says the purpose of his park is to spread the Bible’s teachings to all peoples, Jewish Defense League’s Irv Rubin told the Associated Press, "His whole raison d’etre is to recruit Jews, to steal our souls."

Southern Baptists, who are no strangers to the charge of political incorrectness and religious insensitivity, recently got help from an unlikely person in an unlikely place. Writing Feb. 21 for Time magazine’s web site, Michael Kinsley, a Jew who is editor of Slate.com and one-time liberal host of CNN’s "Crossfire," expressed bewilderment over the Holy Land Experience controversy.

Kinsley notes the irony that while it’s considered a "friendly gesture" to warn people about a bad movie, "if I think your spiritual beliefs are in error and I attempt to spare you an eternity of hellfire by converting you to a different set of beliefs, that is widely considered a terrible insult."

Calling the "fuss over conversion utterly baffling," Kinsley concludes, "In a way, it is insulting to Jews that fundamentalist Christians don’t try harder to convert us. Oh, sure, they’re friendly enough now. But wait until Judgment Day. Then it will be, ‘Sorry, we seem to have lost your reservation.’ And from this perspective, the Jewish policy of actively discouraging converts to Judaism starts to seem like ‘theological arrogance’ indeed. At the same time, when you object to noncoercive conversion, it starts to look like the opposite of arrogance: theological insecurity. What are you afraid of? The decision will be made by you or by God, and in either case, there is no ground for complaint."

What should Baptists make of the latest flaps in West Palm Beach and Orlando?

Since Southern Baptists accept without compromise Jesus’ own claim, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through me" (John 14:6), we can expect to continue to be objects of scorn and ridicule in the secular media and among some of our neighbors. Of this, we should not be surprised. Take heed of Jesus’ words to His disciples: "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt. 5:11-12).

Besides, for those of us who are concerned about a little bad press, just think about Christians in Muslim nations who live their faith at the risk of their very lives. That is real persecution.

Let’s always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within us. But let’s not think it unusual when we are criticized. Instead, let’s be thankful that the Lord would use us to witness His grace to a watching world in need of a Savior!