The Problem with labels.....
I have had it up to my neck with labels. When will the church start acting in love to each other? In recent weeks I have seen accusations leveled at people that are un-founded. W hides behind a blog and won't identify who he is. He claims that Dr. Frank Page of Taylors First Baptist Church, Taylors, SC is a "liberal." He actually tried to imply that he condones homosexuality. I can't allow this to go on! Please! Plus Dr. Page is being criticized for standing behind one of his former church members Dr. Rusell Dilday! What good pastor wouldn't stand behind a church member when they are unfairly treated?
Last year, Larry Bateman, the administrator at Taylors called me for an interview. Larry was my former boss in Atlanta. He wanted me to become their Adult Pastor. Cassandra and I flew to Greenville and met with the staff and enjoyed a night of worship at their church. I was very impressed with Dr. Page. He has transitioned every church where he has been pastor. He spent a few hours with us and all I can say is he is the real deal.
We decided that God was leading us to pastor a church so I had to back out of further talks with Taylors FBC. I promise you Larry Bateman would not be serving at a "liberal" church. I said I would not talk politics on my blog and I won't. Name calling is a problem in Christian circles. If you don't like someone, you call them a name. In my denonomination if you want to ruin a person's reputation, you call them a "liberal" or an "emergent." This is wrong!
I've read books by so-called "emergents" and have liked some of what they say and think a lot of it is garbage. I voted for George W. Bush but I don't like everything he has done either. We believers need to quit calling people names! If we don't agree with them, then love them anyway because when we get to Heaven we will spend eternity with them!
posted by Kevin Bussey at 6/06/2006 10:08:00 PM
8 Comments:
Good sermon and I agree. I think the vast majority of Southern Baptist do not fit an appropriate label. Yet, we are labeled all the same.
From Jack Graham's book, "A Man of God" (p57)
"It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. The best way to dispel darkness is not by shouting against it, but to drive it away by letting our light shine conspicuously and consistently."
For some reason we find it easier to attack others than to show the love of Christ. I may not always like or agree with other people but God is challenging me to make sure I take the time to understand them and show them love even in the midst of disagreement. I am a work in progress to say the least.
Well said Kevin.
Email your post to Dr. Sutton.
He needs to read it.
I agree, Kevin. I feel like I need to take a shower, all of a sudden. This whole thing is why I have HATED convention politics. I cared about the IMB policies, the CP giving thing really bothered me, and not sticking with the BF&M is wrong. But, all this other stuff is pointless and a waste of time. Lots of people think that anyone to the left of them is liberal and anyone to the right is crazy. You can't reason with people like that. I'm going to Greensboro, and I hope to meet you all there, but I will not engage in all this stuff. It's pointless.
W,
Where did I attack you? All I said is you called Dr. Page a liberal...that is what you said. I also said you won't reveal who you are... Where have I attacked you? I haven't. You have drug a good man's name thru the mud. I have never said anything bad about you, Dr. Floyd or Dr. Sutton. Don't start a smoke screen by claiming I'm attacking anyone. I'm not! I am defending a man's honor!
W,
All I know about you is your are coming from Richard, TX. I assume you are a student @ SWBTS. I pray you have a wonderful ministry. I pray God uses you to disciple many people to Christ. Please reconsider your post on Dr. Page.
W,
Ask Jeremy Roberts about how I defended Floyd. I don't like his CP giving but I think God has done a lot thru him. I like hearing Dr. Floyd and Dr. Graham. I don't know Sutton but I'm sure he is a fine man.
You did say on your blog Page might be a closet liberal. What am I suppose to think? I don't have a side. I'm sick of Christians attacking one another. I have not attacked you. I pray God blesses your ministry and your studies.
W, when you say things like conservative or closet liberal and continue with your blog, you clearly suggest certain conclusions. Not only do we all define broad tag words and stereotypes like conservative or liberal very differently, but we also sound like secular politicians when we throw them around. One could even go so far as to say that throwing around such terms, whether your own meaning is innocent enough or not (in other words, even if you don't mean that Page is someone who doesn't believe Jesus is the Son of God, the propitiation for our sins, raised from the dead), but you had the the knowledge that the hearers will likely interpret your words a certain way (that Page is teaching something less than the Truth), it is tantamount to lying, gossiping, slandering, etc., because you know your words will lead some to a conclusion that is different than what is factual. It truly is sad. What would be relevant is to say, factually, what an individual's self-reported stance is on a given issue (without a conclusory but misleading label) or to state the facts of CP giving, etc.
Regardless, it seems sad that we mirror our society in the selection of leadership within a Christian organization. Don't hide behind some self-righteous position. What does Jesus ask of us? To be in unity. To love. To live for Him. Let's do nothing less.
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