Thursday, April 12, 2007
Contorted Metallurgy
Has anyone noticed the strange silence in the Baptist blog world concerning the peace made among the SWBTS trustees? Has anyone compared it with the frenzied blogging that took place when peace among the SWBTS trustees could not be found? The fight gets front page billing—even multiple posts—but the peacemaking earns a collective shrug of the IP addresses.
Are we Baptist bloggers only suited for the beating of plowshares into swords?
UPDATE: Just today, Leslie Puryear has blogged about the situation. See here. Thank you, Bro. Les.
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25 comments:
Brother Bart,
The silence is deafening!
Blessings,
Tim
Bart: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God." No other accolades are really necessary I suppose to others. But God is watching. He knows who His sons are and who has worked for peace and sown mercy and forgiveness. He knows who has only thought, will and spirit for division and strife and spreading as much of same throughout the brethren. And he rewards accordingly.
Thanks so much for calling this to our attention, Bart. I'm out of the loop in things such as these unless someone like you shares the good news with us. selahV
Tim & SelahV,
God bless you both. Thanks for stopping by this fine morning.
On the contrary, many of us rejoiced when SWBTS leadership came to their senses and took the recommendation to remove Dwight McKissic from their board. That was a wise and prudent action.
But I think you must have forgotten that the blog 'frenzy' you mention started when SWBTS administration and leadership first censured one of their own - and then sought to remove the one they censured.
Their acknowledgement that this course of action was unwise and ultimately unobtainable is the reason for peace. "Blessed are the peacemakers" for they understand it is a command to 'live at peace with ALL men' not just those who agree on tertiary doctrines.
Maybe we have finally reached a place where the message is being understood in the SBC that you can't bully people into submission who disagree with you.
Blessings Bart.
Bro. Wade,
The point of the post: What people have blogged.
The point of your comment: What opinions you have held (up to this point) privately.
My OP conjectures not at all as to what anyone's private opinion of the events at SWBTS have been. I am merely pointing out that many, many people who blogged extensively about the initial controversy seem to have little or no public blogging interest in the resolution that has been achieved.
Without publicly speculating as to anyone's individual character, I am suggesting that the difference reveals a collective fault among us all—that we fall victim too often to a warmongering spirit. This is something that we ought to seek to improve.
With this post I am seeking to do my part.
Bro. Wade:
Allow me to add, it probably does little to further peacemaking for someone, after peace has been made, to insist upon a polemic rehashing of the details of the controversy, complete with recriminations.
I will not retort to your lopsided characterization of the events, because I do not wish to be guilty of the same thing.
C'mon…it really isn't that tough. You just say, "Yes, Bart, isn't it nice that people find a way to get along without sacrificing their convictions." And then we can leave it at that.
Pardon me for stating what's obvious. I also looked in vain for some comment on the harmonious outcome of that disagreement or of a pretty mundane board meeting--maybe some comment equivilent in volume to the more threatening posts. I'm thrilled, by the way.
I guessed this reconciliation didn't suit the agenda of SWestern's usual critics. Nothing I've seen here makes me doubt my evaluation. Gary
bart,
i like the way you stay on top of things and bring very good insight into issues. thanks, bro.
i guess some people would rather watch jerry springer than little house on the prairie.
david
I'm sure a post is soon on the way.
Gary,
You know it is bad when a journalist notices it! :-)
Sorry…couldn't resist. We all know that you have been writing and praying for peace in this situation all along, and that the Southern Baptist Texan, true to its reputation, reported every phase of this situation with just the right emphasis.
David,
Jerry Springer…LHOTP. Classic! Just the kind of illustration we would expect from a skilled pulpiteer!
Joe,
Don't hold your breath.
bart,
forgive my internet lingo ignorance, but what does lhotp mean?
david
Little
House
On
The
Prairie
Sorry. It wasn't Internet lingo. It was just me being obtuse.
Bart: Personally I am not jumping up and down nor have I blogged on it because none of this should have happened to begin with. My thinking is that the board just did what it should have done the first time around. I am grateful that they have done this, but the fact that they bullied in the first place just hasn't left my mind. This not be the best approach for me to take, but none the less it's how I feel.
Sorry, it should be This may not be the best approach for me to take, but none the less it's how I feel.
Debbie,
Again, I think it is counterproductive for me to engage in a spin battle of describing the past, resolved conflict. Nevertheless, I will say that we can all probably identify with the feeling. I've never felt that way about the SWBTS Board of Trustees, but you have aptly described the way I have sometimes felt about others within the SBC in the past year.
And those feelings precisely are the sin I am addressing in this post.
I understand and agree with the rehashing. I was simply giving reasons why I'm not jumping up and down. I would disagree however that feeling this way is sin.
Brother Bart,
Mr. Burleson's silence on the SW board meeting and subsequent peacemaking are as dumbfounding as his post concerning Dr. Joel Gregory's book- and the insight that he received- in contrast to his post concerning Roger Moran. I found it quite interesting that Wade made no mention of Dr. Gregory's marital difficulties while trying to make his point concerning his position on the direction of the SBC. I suppose credibility is only in the eyes of the beholder/blogger.
JS Houston
Bart and David
Please refrain from bringing Little House on the Prarie into the discussion. I like that show. Is not sacred with you people. :-)
BTW, good question. I think part of it may be that no one wants to say anything that might jeopardize the reconciliation.
Bart, good post that points up our inconsistencies and preference for a good brawl as opposed to a barrel of hugs & kisses! For some reason this post reminded me of a particular associational history (not SBC) whose movement was defined by its controversies rather than its accomplishments.
If someone could run a survey, we would probably find that blogs that discuss controversial issues are much more popular than blogs that instruct, inspire, and encourage.
JS Houston,
Welcome to PraiseGod Barebones, and thank you for your comment. Thank you also for giving me the opportunity to say that the comments about Bro. Moran were way below the belt. Bro. Moran is not trying to be a pastor, is now demonstrably repentant of his pre-conversion past, and is only guilty of the sin of disagreeing with Bro. Burleson.
R. L. Vaughn,
Certainly, going negative is a winning strategy in politics and blogging (and especially in blogging designed to achieve a political goal).
Bart,
The comment you made earlier about being angry with some in the SBC, that really resonated with me. I have been fighting that battle- the one where I read something, get really angry and ask God how a pastor could possibly justify his actions and words before God...but praise God for His grace and temperance of my emotions. I have not hit the send button more times than I can count. This is primarily the reason why I don't blog about these issues. Well, of course, there is also the fact that I don't want any unbelieving family members to see what is going on, lest my evangelistic efforts be hindered for years to come.
I just simply can't see why people get a pass on some things. Yet ruminating on this type of thing easily drags me into sin, and I become as guilty. I think saying the correct things in the correct ways comes across louder anyhow. I truly appreciated that sentiment.
Colin
Colin,
I have been guilty more than once. Thank you that you will admit it.
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