I guess this can happen in all groups, but this phenomenon seems paritcular to fundamentalist Christians. There are two tragedies: 1. the acutal events; 2. the system in Baptist life that allows these things to occur. It seems that churches are so caught up in the cult of personality that they will tolerate all kinds of moral failures for a "superstar." It is amazing reading the testimonies from some of the former churches that were duped. I guess there is a fine line between grace and ignorance.
Being in the midst of the pastoral search process, I am amazed how guys like this tend to succeed and prosper. Fake resumes, fake credentials, financial and moral impropriety, but if you're handsome and charismatic, churches will bend over backwards to give you a job. It is interested the comments of former church members. I think this points to the generally cloud of phoniness that permeats many conservative, evangelical churches.
Church should be an authentic place of healing. It is a place where the broken and bruised come to be healed; however, too often church seems to be a place where we pretend to be pious.
As we approcah the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the television is filled with docudramas and stories about the infamous story. I find the point-of-view of these stories a fascinating example of perspective and human nature.
One's interpretation of these events largely depends on one's pre-conceived perception of right and wrong. The Bush-hating Left tends to portray the people of New Orleans as helpless victims betrayed by FEMA and Bush. They virtually ignore the responsibility of the citizens, the city (particularly Mayor Ray Nagin) or the state of Louisiana for their own well being and view it as an exclusively government (federal) responsibility. The Bush-loving Right tends to portray the people of New Orleans and lazy fools who knew the storm was coming but refused to evacuate. They virtually ignore FEMA's poor response and blame everything on the incompetent Nagin and Mary Landreau, who seemed to not realize the hurrican was coming until the levees had broken.
As usual, the truth probably is in the middle. I am interested less by this particular truth than our tendency to emphasize those facts that bolster our case and ignore those that contradict our bias. This happens a great deal in theology. Take women for example. If taken on purely literal-historical value, Scripture offers contradictory notions of the proper role of women in church. Paul admonishes women not only to be silent but also to preach with their heads covered. Hmmm. This is where one has to be comfortable with mystery and context.
This also happens in politics. Take the SBC Takeover - if your conservative - or Resurgence - if you're a fundamentalist. The former views the events as an orchestrated power struggle launched by a few shunned fundamentalists who hoodwinked a denomination and captured a small following who knew who would win the war. The latter views the events as an organic return of the fundamental, orthodox theology to a denomination that had lost its way to liberalism.
Like Katrina, the SBC conflict involves ad hominem attacks and code words. In Katrina, there are racists and bigots, in the SBC there are liberals and fundamentalists.
I guess, after righting this I realize there is no real point other than the observation ...
A post on another site prompted the question - what are essentials and non-essentials of the Baptist faith. This prompts much consternation and church splits. I think the essentials are the easy part - the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed, the seven ecumenical councils.
What about the non-essentials. Maybe it is me or maybe it is that infamous "post modernism" (which, BTW, I am not sure is here yet), but I find myself being less concerned about Baptist distinctives (sorry Dr. Pinson) and more concerned with Christian orthodoxy. For example:
- Most importantly, the Lordship of Christ and the Authority of the Bible are essential: but these are orthodox not just Baptist - Salvation by grace through faith is important, but it is Protestant not just Baptist - Priesthood of the believers is important, but priesthood of the believer gives me pause for concern - I think believers baptism is essential - I think soul compentency is essential (but I am Arminian) - Congregational church government and local church autonomy give me pause for concern - Religious liberty is important - I am more sacramental than most Baptists: I am probably more toward consubstantiation than traditional Baptists, and I take a sacramental view of the ordinances
I probably am a product of the breakdown of denominationalism. From others, however, I would like to hear about what is important to you - do you consider yourself a Baptist or a Christian (not that their mutually exclusive, but what is your reflexive response when someone asks about your church).
Where are Baptists right on and were might we be corrected?
In light of the present events occuring in the Middle East, it amazes me again how much in common have Christian and Islamic fundamentalists. Both believe in a great Tribulation followed by the return of the savior.
For Christians, many fundamentalists believe in dispensationalism - an arguably heretical belief system that postulates the world will continually get worse until the Rapture, which will remove believers from the earth. After the Great Disapperance, the Great Tribulation will rest pestulance upon the earth. Fundamentalists disagree about timing - some believe the Rapture will occur before, during or after the Tribulation. After the Tribulation, the savior - Christ - will return all will follow him, and he will reign with hope, peace, joy and love.
For Muslims, most fundamentalists believe in the return of Muhammad al-Mahdi, the 12th Imam. This heir to Muhammed the Prophet will return (he ascended to heaven in the Ninth Century) as the redeemer of Islam and the world by converting the world to Islam. Before the return of the Savior - Mahdi, Muslim will undergo a Great Tribulation.
The danger in this eschatology lies in the mindset it fosters among its adherents about the present - bring on the Tribulation. Both sides see the destruction and end of the present age a positive development because both wish to hasten the return of the Christ or the Mahdi. Put current events in perspective: fundamentalists Christians and fundamentalist Muslims oppossed but united in hopes for the destruction of Jerusalem.
I am not a big fan of Blogspot, but at least you can accept anonymous posts ... I think. I was sad to get Rene's email today about Dr. Foster. For those of you who do not know, Dr. Foster entered hospice care. She got sick the first week of my seminary and never really reckovered. She was a great person and a fantastic teacher. It is terrible that Truett loses another one. For a school barely 10 years old, we have lost a great deal of faculty: Dr. Treadwell, Dr. Conyers plus several other serious medical conditions. Please keep her and her mother in your prayers.
