SBC Outpost has reported that Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary rented facilities to the Tarrant County Republican Party (insert horrified gasp here).
I just completed an email conversation with the person who first handled these arrangements for SWBTS. This person no longer works at SWBTS, and in fact, no longer works in Southern Baptist denominational life at all. This person is not, to my knowledge, a close friend of the Pattersons and has no personal or professional reason to tell anything other than the truth about what happened.
Here's what I learned, for those actually interested in the truth.
- This SWBTS employee personally made it known to the Tarrant County Democrat Party that the facilities were available for them to rent as well.
- Not only did the seminary not promote the GOP event, but SWBTS also sponsored its own competing election watch party in a separate part of the same facility, advertising it in the newspapers inviting all of the community to attend.
- The idea to rent the facility to the GOP did not originate from the President's office and initially met with some skepticism from upper echelons of seminary administration.
- One condition of the rental attracted the notice of local media: The Tarrant County Republicans had to forego alcohol in order to use SWBTS's facility.
12 comments:
Brother Bart,
Thanks for setting the record straight. However, only those that desire to see truth prevail will believe you.
Blessings,
Tim
Tim,
Why would SBC Outpost want to publish the truth when innuendo, half truths, and insinuation serve their cause of aspersions and defamation of Paige Patterson?
Ron P.
Bart:
Tell Greg Tomlin I said hello.
BSC
Ben,
If you're looking to complete this story, you might talk to Greg yourself.
On the other hand, if you're looking for another story, I hear that the Democrat Party has secured a 20 year lease of the New Baptist Covenant with an option to purchase. :-)
This was a key issue to us, here is Iowa. Every four years, we get personal time with presidential candidates. We had a request from the Huck's people to use our building for a big rally a couple days before the caususes.
I'm a Huck guy, so I was disposed to do it. But we didn't get the request in time and they set it up at a local restaurant.
However, we have since decided not to rent our facilities to politicians for public meetings. It is legal, but only if you let all candidates use the facilities.
I saw this on the Outpost. If what you say is true, that they offered the facility to democrats as well, then there is absolutely no reason for anyone to be bent out of shape about this.
I enjoy reading SBC Outpost, but it has become a one-man (BSC) crusade against Paige Patterson. I counted at one point that 7 of 10 posts were anti-Paige.
I am not a fan of Paige Patterson. I would, frankly, rejoice if he retired today. But there is a subtle line between disagreeing with someone and the kind of muck-raking that Outpost is doing.
As someone who essentially AGREES with their criticisms, I am disturbed at the lack of Christian spirit I see displayed by some (not all) on that site.
On the other hand, just because some of the criticisms are made in an indelicate, tactless, or even unchristian manner, doesn't mean that they don't have validity.
I just wish we could deal with issues. I can say, "I think Dr. P is making a mess of things" without smearing his name liek some have.
Dave,
I'm preparing to vote Huckabee in a few weeks myself.
Someone still reads Outpost?
Bart- I don't normally promote my own blog but even it is more edifying than the Outpost. Come over brother.
Hey Tim, I believe Bart.
So much for thinking we're monolithic about everything, I guess.
Brother Paul,
You believe Brother Bart, but you still let stand the post at SBC Outpost that says different?
This certainly is a strange way to find truth.
Blessings,
Tim
Tim,
SBC Outpost is not SBC Today. We are all equal contributors with an agreement that we do not take it upon ourselves to edit another's post (including deleting it) or moderate one another's comments.
At the same time we are free to disagree with one another, and I've taken the liberty to do so here.
As Bruce Prescott has helpfully demonstrated over at his blog Mainline Protestant Baptists (or something like that), shaky half truths such as this one can be found in the arguments of the Klouda lawsuit.
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