Letters

Published April 1, 2004

Letters to the Editor may not reflect the views or opinions of the Witness. Letters may be mailed, faxed or submitted using our online form. Only letters marked clearly for publication, signed with address will be considered for use. Letters are subject to editing. Please limit letters to 250 words.

TEN COMMANDMENTS

Judge’s ‘murky’ thinking

How absurd to hear commandment Judge Roy Moore say that God and religion are being “systematically” removed from the culture in America. What country does the judge live in? Are Christian publishing houses being shut down? Are Christian television networks being shut down? Are you and I being prevented from worshipping God according to the dictates of our conscience?

If we, as Christians, want to stand for the 10 Commandments, how about posting the commandments in our hearts first? And while you’re defending the commandments remember the fourth commandment? “The seventh-day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Most Christians worship on the first day.

And ten years ago when I first became a Christian most Christians were telling me the commandments were done away with at the cross of Christ. And aren’t Baptists historically for separation of church and state?

It seems like our collective thinking is murky and not very well thought out.

Brad Joyce
Tallahassee

WAL-MART

Methods may offend

Pastor Steve Barrett missed the whole point when he said “...but it’s disappointing when an invitation to church can be considered offensive.” (Witness, Mar. 18, “Wal-Mart prohibits pastor from extending church invite.”)

No one said his attempts were offensive. Solicitation inside the store is a prohibited policy for all people and groups. If the store permitted an exception for Barrett, then it would have to permit solicitation by other groups, (religious and non-religious) which would be offensive to the shoppers patronizing the store.

We who are zealous for evangelism can find a way to obey the mandate of the Scriptures without being offensive in our choice of methods.

Winburn C. Davis
Roberta, Ga.

SBC NAME CHANGE

Future of Convention

As I ponder the recommendation by Convention president, Dr. Jack Graham, to change the name of our convention, I feel somewhat nostalgic. After all, I am a fourth-generation Southern Baptist. I am also the daughter of IMB missionaries, who four years ago, left the comforts of the southern US to serve overseas. I am married to an SBC seminary-educated pastor. However, like Dr. Green, I am not defined by my religious heritage or denominational name. I accepted Jesus into my heart as a young girl at a Baptist General Conference church in New England, where my father was pastoring for a few years. And like Dr. Green, my heart belongs to Jesus Christ, “the Head and Lord of His church.” I see this name change as another step towards the future of our Convention, showing the world that as disciples of Christ, we are dedicated to the furthering of the Gospel throughout the world and are not hindered by mere nomenclature.

Lari Beckley
Quincy

Links of Interest

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