SBC Voices

Sometimes, by refusing to speak, you can shout pretty loudly. In what seems to be to many a surprise, the Supreme Court has refused to even consider appeals by states that had bans against homosexual marriage against court rulings that declared them unconstitutional. This, in effect, makes homosexual marriage the constitutionally-approved law of the land. I'm not a lawyer, a legal scholar or an expert on the matters such as this. However, it seems to me that this is pretty much the end of the discussion. For years, public opinion has been slowly turning. In his first election campaign … [Read more...] about Get Used to Gay Marriage: The Supreme Court Hath Spoken

Yesterday, Jared Moore submitted a post called, "Do You Desire Revenge or Repentance?' focusing on a phenomenon I have seen often in blogging. As Jared admitted, there is a biblical place for correction and calls to repentance, but I've seen that go way overboard - and often. I've observed "discernment bloggers" go postal on those they believe are in sin, leading me to believe that they want the destruction of the other side more than they want true repentance leading to restoration. I realize that this is a personal observation and opinion, but it is one I've observed and strongly believe to … [Read more...] about C’mon, Man, Name Some Names! Should We Blog Generally or Specifically?

Your reaction to the title might be, "OF COURSE we own the Cooperative Program. What'd you think, that we had sold it to the Methodists?" Or, perhaps, you might react by saying, "The Cooperative Program is not a THING to be owned. We own the entities. We own the assets. Nobody owns the Cooperative Program." But I'm using that word in another sense altogether. When President Obama first entered office, every problem with the economy in every speech that he gave he blamed on the Bush administration. But now, all these years into his presidency, that's a lot more difficult for him to do. … [Read more...] about We Own the CP

NOTE: I publish this as a newsworthy story about a Georgia Baptist College. This is not a springboard for a foodfight about the president of the college or others who work there. The focus is the accreditation of BPC and nothing else. Eyes on the ball, folks.  On June 19. 2014, the Board of Trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) voted to strip Brewton-Parker College of its membership in the organization. Sometime in the last few weeks, BPC went before the Appeals Committee to present new evidence that they were bringing the college into … [Read more...] about Brewton-Parker Gains Rehearing of Accreditation

The Cooperative Program is political. This one fact, more than any other, has hindered its growth. I think our distaste for the political aspects of the CP is wrongful on our part. I'm writing to convince you of that. It is undeniably true that denominational politics can become evil. This is equally true, however, for anything that sinful human beings touch. If you tell me that you don't like corrupt politics, that makes me admire you. If you tell me that you don't like politics at all, I consider you to be a part of the problem rather than a part of the solution. Whether your disavowal of … [Read more...] about Embrace the Politics of the CP

William is the SBC Plodder.  My insightful friend and fellow blogger, Bart Barber, has a short article on SBC Voices entitled, "It's the CP, not the SQ", in which he says, "I write today to disabuse you all of the idea that defending the Cooperative Program means defending the status quo." I've concluded that our venerable denominational funding scheme, The Cooperative Program, has become an inherently status quo system with little chance of accommodating major changes. This article explains why. To discuss this necessarily involves dividing the question of status quo into two parts: (1) … [Read more...] about The CP and the SQ: A Response to Bart Barber (William Thornton)

I write today to disabuse you all of the idea that defending the Cooperative Program means defending the status quo. Yes, it is true that the Cooperative Program has been the premiere funding approach for the Southern Baptist Convention for nearly ninety years. Hegemony over the preponderance of a century certainly qualifies something to claim to be the status quo, at least in terms of its longevity. That being true, I suppose that I must (grudgingly) admit that in some technical sense the Cooperative Program is the status quo of the Southern Baptist Convention. But that's only true in this … [Read more...] about It’s the CP, not the SQ

I’m a Yankee fan. I don’t know if you knew that about me; it is something I tend to hold pretty close to the vest. Oh, there are a few hints out there – the large decals on the back window of my truck, the plethora of paraphernalia around my office, the shirts and shorts and jackets, 8 Yankees ball caps, the cell-phone cover, the life-sized cardboard cutout of Babe Ruth in my office, you know - a few minor things. Other than that, I try to keep my sports allegiances to myself. It's just not something I feel comfortable talking about. Being a Yankee fan is both a joy and a trial. One word … [Read more...] about I Died Just a Little

I have seen the awesome power of guns. I have heard of people innocently cleaning their gun and shockingly a spouse, a child, a brother is killed when an unrealized bullet is shot. In the heat of the argument people are killed and wounded for life. Limbs are lost, lives are ended, and in the matter of seconds everything about a person’s life can be completely changed. Guns have awesome power and can be used for the good too. Guns properly handled can provide safety and security to a home from intruders. Guns can provide meat and nourishment for a family all year. Hunting together can bring … [Read more...] about Keep the safety on guns and marriage