Comments on: The Ninth http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/ theology. church. culture. life. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:58:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: caught in the middle http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/#comment-1813 caught in the middle Thu, 11 May 2006 17:24:23 +0000 http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/#comment-1813 <strong>The Ninth Redivivus</strong> The Ninth Redivivus

]]> By: Jim W http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/#comment-1812 Jim W Thu, 30 Mar 2006 02:04:07 +0000 http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/#comment-1812 False charges - spreading false accusations, what a surprise. How do you think fundamentalists took over the SBC. Anyone who is surprised by the current leadership of the SBC telling untruths about fellow baptists is either too young to remember the 80s or just hasn't been paying attention. Why do you think the baptist conventions in Virginia, Texas and, until recently, North Carolina have distanced themselves from the SBC? The increasing visibility of these leaders in Republican politics only reinforces the true motivation of their actions against fellow baptists. When Richard Land meets publicly with Republican politicians and tells them that Southern Baptists support the recent House legislation making illegal entry into this country a felony offense, he is violating one of the oldest tenants of SBC polity - no SBC leader speaks for Southern Baptists. They can state their own position and they can speak to us, but they don't speak for us. The fact is they glory in their national exposure and are determined to push the convention deeper and deeper into Republican politics and take all the individual credit they can. Former Senator John Danforth from Missouri was right when he recently wrote a column criticizing the increasing partnership between the Republican party and the religious right. He argued that it is dangerous for the party and dangerous for religion. Individuals should be involved in politics - it is their civic duty. But using the convention to support controversial positions of one national party can be devastating if that party ultimately proves to be wrong. It is no accident that more and more new baptist churches are choosing to leave Baptist out of their name. Witness the new church in Georgia started by a recent President of the SBC. Billy Graham was right when he refused to take public stands on controversial political issues. He chose to preach Christ and His transforming power realizing that a transformed citizen is a good citizen regardless of his political affiliation. We should all be as wise as Billy. False charges – spreading false accusations, what a surprise. How do you think fundamentalists took over the SBC. Anyone who is surprised by the current leadership of the SBC telling untruths about fellow baptists is either too young to remember the 80s or just hasn’t been paying attention. Why do you think the baptist conventions in Virginia, Texas and, until recently, North Carolina have distanced themselves from the SBC? The increasing visibility of these leaders in Republican politics only reinforces the true motivation of their actions against fellow baptists. When Richard Land meets publicly with Republican politicians and tells them that Southern Baptists support the recent House legislation making illegal entry into this country a felony offense, he is violating one of the oldest tenants of SBC polity – no SBC leader speaks for Southern Baptists. They can state their own position and they can speak to us, but they don’t speak for us. The fact is they glory in their national exposure and are determined to push the convention deeper and deeper into Republican politics and take all the individual credit they can. Former Senator John Danforth from Missouri was right when he recently wrote a column criticizing the increasing partnership between the Republican party and the religious right. He argued that it is dangerous for the party and dangerous for religion. Individuals should be involved in politics – it is their civic duty. But using the convention to support controversial positions of one national party can be devastating if that party ultimately proves to be wrong. It is no accident that more and more new baptist churches are choosing to leave Baptist out of their name. Witness the new church in Georgia started by a recent President of the SBC. Billy Graham was right when he refused to take public stands on controversial political issues. He chose to preach Christ and His transforming power realizing that a transformed citizen is a good citizen regardless of his political affiliation. We should all be as wise as Billy.

]]> By: Christine http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/#comment-1811 Christine Sun, 26 Mar 2006 20:53:54 +0000 http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/#comment-1811 Thank you for your plea to take a higher road in the midst of theological conversations, blogging, etc. Something I've been pondering came to mind again as I read this and I wonder what you or others have to say... As believers we are not only told not to bear false witness, but also not to gossip or be slanderous, etc. I work with college students for a living and have been asked, "What's the difference between 'venting' and 'gossiping'?" I have seen students, my peers and myself (if I'm honest), take part in venting about their feelings toward another person or situation (typically with a trusted friend or two as the recipient of the conversation). Sometimes this is done "objectively", that is, with the goal of relaying back the situation at hand, but I don't think it always happens this way. In sum, (how) can we effectively vent or relay a particular situation to our friends or spouse or co-workers without gossiping or being slanderous? Any thoughts on all of this? Thank you for your plea to take a higher road in the midst of theological conversations, blogging, etc. Something I’ve been pondering came to mind again as I read this and I wonder what you or others have to say…

As believers we are not only told not to bear false witness, but also not to gossip or be slanderous, etc. I work with college students for a living and have been asked, “What’s the difference between ‘venting’ and ‘gossiping’?” I have seen students, my peers and myself (if I’m honest), take part in venting about their feelings toward another person or situation (typically with a trusted friend or two as the recipient of the conversation). Sometimes this is done “objectively”, that is, with the goal of relaying back the situation at hand, but I don’t think it always happens this way.

In sum, (how) can we effectively vent or relay a particular situation to our friends or spouse or co-workers without gossiping or being slanderous? Any thoughts on all of this?

]]> By: NextReformation » the Ninth commandment.. http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/#comment-1810 NextReformation » the Ninth commandment.. Sun, 26 Mar 2006 16:30:28 +0000 http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/#comment-1810 [...] read more from Joe Thorn..   [...] [...] read more from Joe Thorn..   [...]

]]> By: Chris W http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/#comment-1809 Chris W Sat, 25 Mar 2006 19:16:39 +0000 http://www.joethorn.net/2006/03/22/the-ninth/#comment-1809 Brad, you question the respect of the emergents, but also spout this stuff, speaking of the very elders of the church you think Joe is disrespecting: "The old people can be a nuisance sometimes, but really they are not so bad." "Some of them smell like moth balls and need to lose the purple hair die..." "It does appear to be a waste of time to me every now and then. The older people always seem to want prayer for their brother’s nephew’s cousin’s dog that broke its leg." Despite these weird little comments you made, I see you love your church and its elder members dearly. That's wonderful, but what did you see in Joe's post about making sure our criticism of others never becomes inaccurate or slanderous that made you post such a long response that offered nothing to the topic at hand? Brad, you question the respect of the emergents, but also spout this stuff, speaking of the very elders of the church you think Joe is disrespecting:

“The old people can be a nuisance sometimes, but really they are not so bad.”
“Some of them smell like moth balls and need to lose the purple hair die…”
“It does appear to be a waste of time to me every now and then. The older people always seem to want prayer for their brother’s nephew’s cousin’s dog that broke its leg.”

Despite these weird little comments you made, I see you love your church and its elder members dearly. That’s wonderful, but what did you see in Joe’s post about making sure our criticism of others never becomes inaccurate or slanderous that made you post such a long response that offered nothing to the topic at hand?

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