by Hal Eaton » Sat Jul 22, 2006 5:11 pm
One more thought: When 45,000 or so Baptists met at the OK Corral in Dallas, the fundamentalist (no shyness on my part in using the term) won the day (barely). They had an enemy -- the "liberals" -- while the moderates (no shyness on my part in using the term) did not as yet have one.
Has anyone attempted to add up the institutions, churches, associations, scholars, etc., who have abandoned the SBC cauldron for a freer expression of the Baptist faith? What about the near-universal embarrassment felt by normal Baptists when each new dictum arrives from the hallowed halls of SBC enclaves? How about the near-universal disappointment expressed by donors to mission efforts when the leaders themselves act "inappropriately," dishonestly, or inefficiently? What about the secrecy involved in failing to reveal salaries and perks of "leaders?" How about the politicizing of (and by) the convention leadership? What happens when a formerly free press becomes a propaganda machine?
Opinion? Yeah, baby . . .