The Baptist Who Cried Wolf
Buried in Friday’s headlines was the news of T.C. Pinckney asking Southern Baptists to adopt a resolution stating Baptist parents should take their children out of public schools. Pinckney believes public schooling to be “godless.” This got me thinking: If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If a Baptist makes a lot of noise, about nothing at all, does anyone care?
For years, Baptists have been notorious for coming up with bright ideas. They believed their boycott of the Disney Corporation in the nineties would topple the Mouse. And now some believe that withdrawing their children from public education will collapse government-funded education systems. Pinckney hopes so, saying, “I think that would be one of the finest things that can happen for the United States.”
What is most tragic about Mr. Pinckney’s resolution is not the sheer absurdity of it. The tragedy is what will happen if this issue actually makes it to the floor of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting this June in Indianapolis. The Baptists previously have passed typical Christian resolutions decrying same-sex marriage, endorsing a certain translation of Scripture, and promoting the preeminence of the Bible. Occasionally, Baptists have passed a resolution that could have been legendary if not for its extreme tardiness. One example of this is the resolution against anti-Semitism. It was a great resolution that deplored bigotry and took a stand against hate, but it would have been better had it passed in 1940 and not 2003.
Likewise, an 1863 resolution reads that Southern Baptists will “render a hearty support to the Confederate Government in all constitutional measures.” Not until 1995 did the Southern Baptist Convention issue an official apology for its early stance on slavery (which was a key reason for its establishment in 1845). Now Pinckney’s proposal only adds to the list of ultimately impact-less resolutions Baptists have passed on behalf of Christianity. Could a real resolution ever be passed that sends healthy shockwaves across the world instead of pointless ramblings?
Granted, religious resolutions rarely make headlines. But I’d like to see a day when they do. I’d like to see a day when the church is not reactive, but rather proactive in its social approach. I’d like to see a resolution in Indianapolis this year stating Baptists have a plan to effectively end the AIDS epidemic in Africa by spending money on medication instead of recreation centers. I would like to hear that Baptists have a plan to guarantee the future health of the environment by boycotting SUV’s and demanding a reinstatement of the regulations the EPA has relaxed during the Bush administration. I would like to see a resolution mandating that all Baptists everywhere must cook a meal every Tuesday and take it to their next-door neighbor.
Resolutions like these, more so than boycotting education, would truly make headlines and demonstrate the power and presence of God that Baptists believe to be so real. Resolutions like these would challenge non-Baptists and non-Christians to listen seriously to the voices of concerned individuals who truly want to make the world a better place.
But until then, it will be assumed that the Baptists are merely crying wolf. “Apologizing for slavery? Thanks, but most people did that a hundred years ago!” The village laughed at the boy who cried that he was in danger. “‘Godless’ public schools? That’s what they’re supposed to be. The church and state are separated!” And the village laughed again and returned to its work. So when the boy cried of true social injustices, the villagers heard his voice but did not come running. “He’s just shouting again over some silly situation of little importance. Pay him no attention.” The boy pleaded time and again, but no one listened.
My early faith was nurtured in a Southern Baptist church, but I cannot stay there. Statements like Pinckney’s confirm for me that I cannot be at home in a church that misjudges the real problems of the world. But I write this for the youth who find themselves in a Baptist circle. I challenge you to stay there because you are the energy that is needed to change the world. Though your foreparents cried wolf too many times, you must be the difference that needs to happen. The world will not be changed by your cry against evil, but by your tangible work toward good.
For years, Baptists have been notorious for coming up with bright ideas. They believed their boycott of the Disney Corporation in the nineties would topple the Mouse. And now some believe that withdrawing their children from public education will collapse government-funded education systems. Pinckney hopes so, saying, “I think that would be one of the finest things that can happen for the United States.”
What is most tragic about Mr. Pinckney’s resolution is not the sheer absurdity of it. The tragedy is what will happen if this issue actually makes it to the floor of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting this June in Indianapolis. The Baptists previously have passed typical Christian resolutions decrying same-sex marriage, endorsing a certain translation of Scripture, and promoting the preeminence of the Bible. Occasionally, Baptists have passed a resolution that could have been legendary if not for its extreme tardiness. One example of this is the resolution against anti-Semitism. It was a great resolution that deplored bigotry and took a stand against hate, but it would have been better had it passed in 1940 and not 2003.
Likewise, an 1863 resolution reads that Southern Baptists will “render a hearty support to the Confederate Government in all constitutional measures.” Not until 1995 did the Southern Baptist Convention issue an official apology for its early stance on slavery (which was a key reason for its establishment in 1845). Now Pinckney’s proposal only adds to the list of ultimately impact-less resolutions Baptists have passed on behalf of Christianity. Could a real resolution ever be passed that sends healthy shockwaves across the world instead of pointless ramblings?
Granted, religious resolutions rarely make headlines. But I’d like to see a day when they do. I’d like to see a day when the church is not reactive, but rather proactive in its social approach. I’d like to see a resolution in Indianapolis this year stating Baptists have a plan to effectively end the AIDS epidemic in Africa by spending money on medication instead of recreation centers. I would like to hear that Baptists have a plan to guarantee the future health of the environment by boycotting SUV’s and demanding a reinstatement of the regulations the EPA has relaxed during the Bush administration. I would like to see a resolution mandating that all Baptists everywhere must cook a meal every Tuesday and take it to their next-door neighbor.
Resolutions like these, more so than boycotting education, would truly make headlines and demonstrate the power and presence of God that Baptists believe to be so real. Resolutions like these would challenge non-Baptists and non-Christians to listen seriously to the voices of concerned individuals who truly want to make the world a better place.
But until then, it will be assumed that the Baptists are merely crying wolf. “Apologizing for slavery? Thanks, but most people did that a hundred years ago!” The village laughed at the boy who cried that he was in danger. “‘Godless’ public schools? That’s what they’re supposed to be. The church and state are separated!” And the village laughed again and returned to its work. So when the boy cried of true social injustices, the villagers heard his voice but did not come running. “He’s just shouting again over some silly situation of little importance. Pay him no attention.” The boy pleaded time and again, but no one listened.
My early faith was nurtured in a Southern Baptist church, but I cannot stay there. Statements like Pinckney’s confirm for me that I cannot be at home in a church that misjudges the real problems of the world. But I write this for the youth who find themselves in a Baptist circle. I challenge you to stay there because you are the energy that is needed to change the world. Though your foreparents cried wolf too many times, you must be the difference that needs to happen. The world will not be changed by your cry against evil, but by your tangible work toward good.
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