March 19, 2014 • ISSUE 26
+INERRANCY DEBATE NEVER GOES AWAY, MOHLER SAYS
+GAY MARRIAGE &
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: A MODEST PROPOSAL
Jerry Pierce
Better that Sandy Hook shooter was never born?
T
he father of Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza sums up his thoughts in an interview released this week by saying that he wishes Adam had never been born. If we look at his final act in a vacuum, that view is understandable: 27 murdered, including 20 children, and one more if you count his life, which he took after his killing spree. Judging from interviews, Peter Lanza appears to be a man who wanted to love his son, not some lunatic father who created a monster. If the inevitable was that this warped 20-yearold would massacre children and adults in an unfettered rage, where’s the good in Adam Lanza’s life? It’s a fair question. Perhaps the deeper question is if it was inevitable, then weren’t Adam’s actions only a matter of matter—a design defect or mental illness, perhaps a killing gene, which created a monster who was predestined to emerge, sooner or later, in a killing spree. If that line of thinking about nature and nurture (and it’s not clear from interviews what his father believes) is true, it has scary implications for the realm of bio-ethics. Would genetic markers of mental illness or social disability, even mild autism that could result in anti-social behavior, warrant the same rejection in the form of abortion that Down syndrome babies (more than 90 percent are never born) get now? I think we can do better by asking who Adam Lanza could have been in an intact, loving, nurturing family with a mom and dad under the same roof and living in a community of connected, involved people, be they extended family or neighbors or friends. Peter and Nancy Lanza were normal by all accounts. And therein lies the problem. Normal
won’t do. Especially for the Adam Lanzas of the world. In an interview in the latest New Yorker magazine, Peter Lanza said he is certain Adam, whom he said he had not seen for two years prior to the Newtown, Conn., school shooting in December 2012, would have killed him too given the chance. “You can’t get any more evil. ... How much do I beat up on myself about the fact that he’s my son? A lot,” he told the magazine. Peter and Nancy Lanza were separated in 2001 and divorced—eight long years later—in 2009. Adam was 20 when he shot his mother and then went to Sandy Hook Elementary and did the unthinkable. In the interview Peter Lanza describes Adam in his early development as “just a normal little weird kid” but adds that his later diagnosis with Asperger’s syndrome, a type of highfunctioning autism that was officially dropped from a list of diagnostic categories last year in favor of more generic terms, masked deeper, darker mental problems that were missed by doctors. Adam Lanza, according to the story, rejected and resented the Asperger’s diagnosis he received at age 13. Reportedly, he spent his final two years largely alone, spending long hours despairing of existence in his bedroom, apparently clinically depressed, socially isolated and refusing to see his father despite his mother’s pleas. As with many kids on the autism spectrum, Lanza struggled with anxiety and depression, sensory-integration issues and obsessivecompulsive disorder. He became particularly fixated on mass murders. There’s no evidence Adam Lanza was victimized in any purposeful way except through the pain of divorce. Many couples divorce. Many kids endure (Do they have a choice?) without becoming sinister. There are no born killers, nor a killing gene. Adam Lanza was in no way predestined to murder. But one is left to ask “What if?” What if Adam Lanza had been taught from the cradle that he was fearfully and wonderfully crafted, emotional challenges and all, in God’s image? What if he’d had the benefit of a loving father in the home rather than estranged through the pain of divorce? Kids need both parents, especially kids like him. What if he had heard that there was hope beyond this life, which can seem relentless in its thorns and thistles? A thousand “what ifs” could be posed, especially by those of us who have the power to influence people in our own sphere for God’s glory and purpose. We come bearing the only true, lasting peace. Yes, Adam Lanza should have been born by virtue of the fact that he was conceived. But there was much more in his life that should have been. He chose to kill. He wasn’t predestined by God or biology to do it.
Contents
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American pastor shackled, denied medical care in Iran Pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen, was moved to a private hospital in Iran but was shackled and denied medical care, prompting the American Center for Law and Justice, which is working for his freedom, to say his case took a turn for the worse.
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Inerrancy debate never goes away, Mohler says in new book Inerrancy is never a settled issue, R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says in a new book, “Five Views on Inerrancy,” published by Zondervan. In it, Mohler commends the widely lauded 1978 Chicago statement.
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Green family Bible museum names director A yet-to-be-named Bible museum owned by Hobby Lobby’s Green family moved one step closer to its anticipated 2017 opening in Washington, D.C., with the hiring of two top-level management executives.
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COVER STORY:
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE
Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo is a destination for the city’s international population because of its bustling ESL ministry. For many ESL volunteers, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth can be across the back fence or in a classroom next door.
SBTC joins with area states in children’s ministry event Hundreds of children’s ministry leaders from six states will convene April 4-5 at First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, Okla., for the “Heart of the Child” (HOC) children’s ministry training conference.
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Bonhoeffer biographer: ‘Church is the conscience of the state’ Eric Metaxas, author of the bestselling “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy,” charged a group of Texas Southern Baptists gathered at Sagemont Church in Houston to push back against the incremental redaction of American religious liberties.
TEXAN Digital is e-published twice monthly by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, 4500 State Highway 360, Grapevine, TX 76099-1988. Jim Richards, Executive Director Gary Ledbetter, Editor Jerry Pierce, Managing Editor Sharayah Colter, Staff Writer Russell Lightner, Design & Layout Stephanie Barksdale, Subscriptions Contributing Writers Paul F. South, Kay Adkins, Bonnie Pritchett, RuthAnne Irvin, Matt Damico To contact the TEXAN office, visit texanonline.net/contact or call toll free 877.953.7282 (SBTC)
Briefly //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// PRESBYTERIAN MEGA-CHURCH LEAVES PC (USA) OVER THEOLOGICAL ISSUES The 4,000-member Menlo Park Presbyterian Church has decided to sever ties with Presbyterian Church (USA) over differences in doctrine and evangelistic philosophy. The move will cost the San Francisco Bay-area church, popularized by the preaching of Pastor John Ortberg, $8.89 million, because all church property is owned by the PC (USA)’s local presbytery and not individual churches. Menlo Park’s members, which include former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, approved the severance with the PC (USA) earlier this month, with 93 percent of the church’s members signing off on the move. Menlo Park’s pastor and elders proOnly followers of Jesus Christ can be saved vided a rationale for leaving the denomiOF THE DENOMINATION’S PASTORS nation. In a statement, church leadership % “AGREED” OR “STRONGLY AGREED” contended Menlo Park’s evangelical SAID THEY “DISAGREED” identity—its understanding of who Jesus % OR “STRONGLY DISAGREED” is, the authority of Scripture, and its evanPC (USA) MEMBERS LOST PER YEAR gelistic methods—were “increasingly out of alignment with the PC (USA).” “For years we have referred to ourselves as a ‘Jesus church.’ We believe that God has expressed himself uniquely in his son Jesus, who lived, taught, died TODAY, ONLY 1.8 MILLION MEMBERS and rose again for our sakes. We believe REMAIN IN THE DENOMINATION that … God has revealed the truth about himself in the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, which are our unique and authoritative guides in faith and action,” according to the rationale provided by the church’s leaders. The rationale also said the PC (USA) “increasingly represents a wide range of beliefs on who Jesus is and on his relationship to our salvation.” Those beliefs include denials of the deity of Christ and his role in salvation. In a 2011 denominational survey, only 41 percent of the denomination’s pastors “agreed” or “strongly agreed” with the statement, “Only followers of Jesus Christ can be saved.” Forty-five percent said they “disagreed” or “strongly disagreed.” For those who teach doctrine contrary to what is contained in Scripture, the statement of rationale claimed “disciplinary actions provided for in the Book of Order are rarely if ever invoked against pastors for their theological views.” The PC (USA) lost 61,000 members in 2010, 64,000 in 2011 and 103,000 in 2012. Today, only 1.8 million members remain in the denomination, according to the denomination’s own reports.
2011 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA) SURVEY
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61,000 IN 2010 64,000 IN 2011 103,000 IN 2012
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AMERICAN PASTOR SHACKLED, DENIED MEDICAL CARE IN IRAN Pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen, was moved to a private hospital in Iran but was shackled and denied medical care, prompting the American Center for Law and Justice, which is working for his freedom, to say his case took a turn for the worse. The next day, March 13, ACLJ reported that Abedini, imprisoned for his Christian faith, had been released from the shackles and was allowed to receive visitors again. He had not been treated, though, for severe abdominal ailments resulting from beatings by Iranian prison guards. Abedini’s wife Naghmeh, on Facebook, asked believers worldwide to pray and even “fast from something” until Thursday, March 20, which marks the Iranian New Year, a day when the Islamic republic often grants clemency to prisoners of conscience. ACLJ reported March 12 that Abedini, sentenced to eight years in prison for his involvement in house churches, was moved from the brutal Rajai Shahr Prison to a hospital. He received nourishment and underwent various tests, something ACLJ called a much-needed reprieve. “Today, all that changed,” Jordan Sekulow, ACLJ’s executive director, reported. “This morning Iranian guards lashed out violently against Pastor Saeed and an elderly relative who had been able to visit him in the hospital. Pastor Saeed was pinned down and shackled. His elderly relative was roughly handled and expelled from the hospital.” Abedini was denied surgery and was given only pain medication. He wasn’t even allowed to know the results of the tests he underwent, ACLJ said, and guards claimed they had a court order banning visitors and instructing them to keep him shackled. To sign an international petition for Saeed Abedini’s release, visit beheardproject.org.
GREEN FAMILY BIBLE MUSEUM NAMES DIRECTOR A yet-to-be-named Bible museum owned by Hobby Lobby’s Green family moved one step closer to its anticipated 2017 opening in Washington, D.C., with the hiring of two top-level management executives. The Museum of the Bible, a nonprofit organization that will oversee the museum, hired David Trobisch as director of the museum’s collections and Steve Bickley as vice president of marketing, finance and administration, according to a March 6 news release. The museum, which will focus on the story, history and impact of the Bible, will be located in a reconstructed 400,000-square-foot space that formerly was the Washington Design Center, just three blocks from the U.S. Capitol. Housed in the museum will be a collection of 40,000 ancient biblical texts and artifacts, including one of the world’s largest private collections of Dead Sea Scrolls and the earliest surviving New Testament texts in Jesus’ household language. Steve Green, museum chairman and president of the Hobby Lobby arts and crafts retail chain, lauded Trobisch’s expertise as an independent Bible scholar who consults with the American and German Bible societies. “When we looked in the academic community for ... a scholar to lead our acquisition and research efforts, David Trobisch was mentioned time and again as someone who is a very skilled, distinguished scholar,” Green said. Trobisch will advise on new acquisitions, identify the storylines for the museum’s exhibits and supervise a team of 30 scholars and curators. Bickley had been executive vice president of marketing and business development for Bell Media, Canada’s largest media company. Green is owner of the world’s largest private collection of rare biblical texts and artifacts, and he only began the endeavor in 2009. He believes the Bible is “the most incredible book ever written” and that it has “had the greatest impact on our society of any other book.” He plans for the museum to tell the story of the Bible in a solid, academic way. Until the museum opens, the Green Collection is featured in the worldwide traveling exhibition “Passages” (explorepassages.com). The 14,000-square-foot interactive multimedia exhibition includes rare biblical manuscripts, printed Bibles and historical items including ancient biblical papyri, portions of the Gutenberg Bible and multiple first editions of the English Bible through the King James Version. —Briefly section was compiled from staff reports and Baptist Press
SBC MESSENGER QUALIFICATION CHANGES ON SLATE FOR ANNUAL MEETING The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee will consider a proposal June 9 to update the SBC constitution regarding qualifications for churches to send messengers to the annual meeting. During its Feb. 17-18 meeting in Nashville, the Executive Committee decided to place the item on its June 9 agenda prior to the SBC annual meeting in Baltimore to allow Southern Baptists time to discuss the proposed change and provide feedback. The committee’s deliberations, then, will determine whether the proposed revision will be presented to messengers at the June 10-11 SBC annual meeting. The proposal to amend Article III came as a motion from the floor at last year’s SBC annual meeting—the 16th motion on this article in the past 35 years—to reevaluate the minimum qualifications for seating additional church messengers at the SBC. Article III currently states that churches in friendly cooperation with the convention can send one additional messenger for every 250 members or for each $250 per year “paid to the work of the Convention,” an amount dating back to 1888. Under the new proposal to be considered at the June EC meeting on the Monday before the SBC annual meeting, each cooperating church that contributed to Convention causes during the preceding fiscal year would automatically qualify for two messengers. Additional messengers would be recognized from a cooperating church by one of two options, whichever allows the greater number of messengers: 4One additional messenger for each full percent of the church’s undesignated receipts through any combination of gifts through the Cooperative Program, designated gifts through the Executive Committee for convention causes or to any SBC entity. 4One additional messenger for each $6,000 the church contributes in the preceding year through the same combination of the Cooperative Program, designated gifts through the Executive Committee for convention causes or to any SBC entity. The $6,000 figure was arrived at by adjusting for inflation and other factors since 1888. It is meant to be comparable to the $250 figure adopted 126 years ago. Additional updates to Article III will be discussed; a Q&A with EC Chairman Ernest Easley is available here. MARCH 19, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 3
INERRANCY DEBATE NEVER GOES AWAY, MOHLER SAYS By RuthAnne Irvin & Matt Damico LOUISVILLE, Ky.
Inerrancy is never a settled issue. The debate will never go away, said R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. “It comes part-andparcel with the modern world. Modernity itself presents a set of issues that are going to have to be answered one way or another,” Mohler said. “Thus, we’ll land either in the affirmation of inerrancy or in some other place. I think inerrancy continues to be a defining issue for what evangelical integrity requires.” Mohler, as a contributor to a new book, “Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy,” defines and defends the doctrine of inerrancy as articulated in the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. The Chicago Statement is the preeminent evangelical explanation and affirmation of the doctrine of inerrancy of the Scriptures. Nearly 300 evangelical scholars, including Carl F. H. Henry, J.I. Packer, Francis Schaeffer, R.C. Sproul, James Montgomery Boice and others signed the statement in 1978. In his contribution to Five Views, Mohler asserts inerrancy means “the Bible, as a whole, and in its part, contains nothing but God-breathed truth,” Mohler said in an interview about the book. “When the Bible speaks, God speaks.” Published by Zondervan, the book addresses the question of the “doctrinal rationale ... and Scriptural warrant” of the term “inerrancy” as a way to define the Bible’s truthfulness. The book features five writers, each articulating different views: Mohler, Peter Enns, Michael F. Bird, Kevin J. Vanhoozer and John R. Franke. The assignment for each contributor was to discuss inerrancy—along with corollary topics like the doctrine of inspiration and the nature of truth—in direct reference to the 1978 Chicago Statement 4 TEXANONLINE.NET MARCH 19, 2014
on Biblical Inerrancy. After each chapter, the four other contributors offer a brief response. Enns writes that the CSBI obstructs “critical dialogue” within evangelicalism and, instead, advocates for an “incarnational model of Scripture” that views Scripture as “a collection of a variety of writings that ... reflects the worlds in which those writings were produced.” Bird expresses appreciation of the CSBI but has significant hesitations regarding its so-called “hermeneutical assumptions,” and the lack of global representation among its framers. Bird, then, argues for a more international view of Scripture that affirms its infallibility and is less exclusive than inerrancy. Franke, who thinks inerrancy is an unhelpful way to articulate “the core idea of the authority of Scripture as a witness to the mission of God,” posits a “fallibilist perspective” on inerrancy that is “wed to the plurality of truth.” In his defense of classic inerrancy, Mohler asserts that the Bible is Godbreathed truth. His argument for the total inerrancy of Scripture “flows from three major sources—the Bible itself, the tradition of the church and the function of the Bible within the church.” Mohler argues not only for the validity of inerrancy—particularly as the Chicago Statement articulates it—but that “the affirmation of the Bible’s inerrancy has never been more essential to evangelicalism.” In the interview, Mohler discussed the differences specifically between his and Vanhoozer’s views about inerrancy. Vanhoozer, a research professor of systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, differs from Mohler on the Chicago Statement only in hardto-define ways, Mohler said. “It seems to me that Professor Vanhoozer wants to critique the Chicago Statement for failing to say some
“The question is not whether the preacher has something to say but whether God is going to say something through the preacher and through His Word. And if the preacher has any question whatsoever about the truth status of the Word of God, it will inevitably shift to the preaching.” things that, upon reflection and reading, the Chicago Statement actually said,” Mohler said. “Perhaps they could have been said more clearly. Perhaps they need to be said more loudly. But virtually all the qualifications he demands of the Chicago Statement are actually in the Chicago Statement.” Vanhoozer argues for a “well-versed” or “Augustinian” inerrancy that recognizes that Scripture is “comprised of language and literature” and asks of the text, “What is the author doing in his discourse, and what is the discourse about?” While he has some reservations about the Chicago Statement, Vanhoozer claims that, “while the term ‘inerrant’ or the concept of inerrancy may be new, the underlying judgment is not.” Because the debate about inerrancy will never go away, this discussion “makes all the difference in the world” for pastors and their preaching ministry, Mohler said. A pastor’s conviction about biblical inerrancy will inevitably spill over into the pulpit. “The question is not whether the preacher has something to say but whether God is going to say something through the preacher and through His Word,” Mohler wrote. “And if the preacher has any question whatsoever about the truth status of the Word of God, it will inevitably shift to the preaching.”
FACTOIDS: FIVE FACTS ABOUT DRUG ABUSE In conjunction with Substance Abuse Prevention Sunday (which was March 16 in case you missed it), the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission compiled the following information to assist churches and families to understand the risks of abusing various drugs. Alcohol is the most commonly abused—and most deadly—drug in America. 4In 2012, 71 percent of Americans reported they drank in the past year; 56.3 percent reported that they drank in the past month. An estimated 17 million Americans have an alcohol use disorder—a medical term that includes both alcoholism and harmful drinking that does not reach the level of dependence. Each year in the U.S., nearly 80,000 people die from alcohol-related causes, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in our country.
Binge drinking is common—especially among the elderly and the wealthy. 4Binge drinking is the consumption of alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated in a short period of time. One in six U.S. adults binge drinks about four times a month, consuming about eight drinks per binge. While binge drinking is more common among young adults aged 18–34 years, binge drinkers aged 65 years and older report binge drinking more often—an average of five to six times a month. Binge drinking is also more common among those with household incomes of $75,000 or more than among those with lower incomes. Alcohol abuse is a primary factor in injuries, assaults and deaths among adolescents. 4More adolescents drink alcohol than smoke cigarettes or use marijuana.
By age 15, more than 50 percent of teens have had at least one drink and the effects are frequently detrimental. Researchers estimate that each year 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcoholrelated unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes; 696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking; and 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape. After alcohol, marijuana has the highest rate of dependence or abuse among all drugs. 4In 2012, 4.3 million Americans met clinical criteria for dependence or abuse of marijuana in the past year— more than twice the number for dependence/abuse of prescription pain relievers (2.1 million) and four times the number for dependence/abuse of cocaine (1.1 million). Most drug overdose deaths were caused by prescription drugs. 4Nearly three out of four prescription drug overdoses are caused by prescription painkillers—also called opioid pain relievers. The unprecedented rise in overdose deaths in the U.S. parallels a 300 percent increase since 1999 in the sale of these strong painkillers. These drugs were involved in 14,800 overdose deaths in 2008, more than cocaine and heroin combined.
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THE LANGUAGE OF
LOVE
Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo is a destination for the city’s international population because of its bustling ESL ministry.
By Paul F. South
share the gospel. We feel like that’s our responsibility: To help them learn how to live here and as they learn AMARILLO the language, to be able to share Christ with them.” This year, 304 students are enrolled in 26 morning and evening classes at Paramount, representing 27 countries and 17 languages. Over the years, some 2,500 students representing 72 ethnicities have been students in the ESL effort at the church. Over the course of a year more than 100 church volunteers keep the ESL ministry humming. But for some, like Ann and Nolan Clark of Amarillo’s The story began in 1995 with one Chinese couple and a Paramount Baptist Church, Judea, Samaria and the utBible study in the Clark home. termost parts of the earth can be across the back fence “His wife would not come because she felt that her or in a classroom next door. English wasn’t very good,” Ann Clark said. For almost two decades, the Clarks That sparked an idea. Ann Clark have spearheaded the church’s min“Some other people have began searching for an ESL class in istry efforts aimed at those for whom said that we did not go to nearby Canyon and in Amarillo, but them, so God sent them couldn’t find one to fit the woman’s English is a second language—or ESL in to us to share the gospel. shorthand. It’s international missions, We feel like that’s our re- schedule. Ann Clark then learned of right in the church’s backyard. sponsibility: To help them ESL training through the North Ameri“That’s exactly what we consider it, learn how to live here can Mission Board. She took the course, our mission,” Ann Clark said. “Some and as they learn the then began an ESL class at First Baptist other people have said that we did not language, to be able to of Canyon. Two years later, the Parashare Christ with them.” mount initiative began. go to them, so God sent them to us to
or many, fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission means global travel.
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Paramount and Amarillo mirror the rest of Texas, said Terry Coy, director of missions for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. About 35 percent of Texans, more than one-third of the state’s population, speak a language other than English. Sixteen percent of Texans are foreign born, Coy said. “When immigrants arrive in the United States, one of the first things many of them want to do is learn English,” Coy said. “They know learning English will speed up their ability to get a job, a driver’s license and admission to higher education, and tap into other advancement opportunities. “Churches have a unique opportunity to serve people in a practical way through ESL and to introduce them to the gospel of Jesus Christ in the process,” Coy said. “The result can be new disciples of Jesus and new churches planted.” The Paramount ministry moves beyond teaching English, the Clarks said, helping ESL students with everyday challenges, from help with getting utilities turned on to trips to the doctor’s office to American citizenship. Paramount conducts citizenship classes annually. As part of the teaching, instructors search for Scripture that connects with everyday life, Ann Clark said. “Each teacher within their class shares a Bible verse that relates to what is being taught. Sometimes you really have to look to find a verse that relates to going to the doctor or things at a school or shopping to buy a coat. When you find the right one, then that helps those students know that God is interested in every part of their life. That’s been a blessing to me, to stay in Bible study and find verses that they can connect with for their own life.” She added: “It’s made us more aware of how important Bible study is in our own life. You can’t share something with somebody else that you don’t know and experience yourself. So it’s very important for us to stay in Bible study, not just teaching but learning every day too. That connects with
A volunteer ESL teacher leads a class of immigrants in learning elementary English skills at Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo.
something we do in our classes every week. We have a time when we have refreshments and a short devotional where Christ’s message is presented.” At Paramount, about 20 percent in the ESL classes are married couples. But the lessons taught in those courses impact families, which in turn can reach across the world. Nolan Clark recalled one couple in the class, the parents of a young boy who is now grown and active in the Baptist ministry on his college campus. “The influence on the family carries over when you help them learn about English and learn about Christ,” Nolan Clark said. As for the global reach, Ann Clark remembered a student who was traveling to Iran to visit family with her Bible in tow. “She and her husband became Christians after they came here,” Ann Clark said. “When she went back to visit her family, she took a Bible with her. But she knew she couldn’t take it into the country. So somehow she got it into the airport waiting room and left it there, praying that someone would pick it up and read it.” Conversions to Christianity among those from Muslim or Buddhist backgrounds are deeply rooted, Ann Clark said. “Especially in the Muslim community,” Ann Clark said. “They have to consider the ostracism of their families and sometimes the threat of death. It’s something they take very seriously when they decide to follow Jesus.” The ESL ministry at Paramount has enriched the life of the church, Pastor Gil Lain said. The church recently added an Arabicspeaking pastor whose goal is to reach Amarillo’s Muslim community. “This will go hand-in-glove with our ESL.” “ESL allows us to do mission work with people from other countries in our own city,” Lain said. “Paramount is extremely involved MARCH 19, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 7
in international mission work through our giving, praying and going. There have been years when we sent around 100 people to five or six different countries. “Through ESL, we have well over 100 members touching the lives of over 300 people from 25-30 different countries each semester,” Lain said. “So what ESL does is help us follow Christ’s command to reach people all over the world.” Their work with internationals has reminded the Clarks of the simplicity of the gospel. “One thing that has really impacted me is that we tend as Americans to make the gospel very theoretical and detailed. But when you start working with these internationals and start trying to explain it in simpler terms, we realize that the gospel message is very simply stated by Jesus and it can be comprehended by anybody if you just explain the simple things that Jesus taught,” Nolan Clark said. “That to me has been kind of a change in my life—to go back and look at the very basics of what we believe and why we believe those and make them very simple. It’s really about love and caring and relationships.” That Christ’s love transcends any language barrier is at the heart of the ESL ministry, Nolan Clark said. Cultural and linguistic walls tumble as relationships are built over time. Some of the students are refugees, some have endured persecution. As a result, trust is in short supply. “Go back and think of the first tenet of Campus Crusade for Christ’s Four Spiritual Laws: ‘God loves you,’” Nolan Clark said. “That’s one of the main things we try to teach and demonstrate to our students is that God loves them. Once they realize that God does love them, then they’re ready to move on to understanding how they can have that love and have eternal life.” Relationships matter most in effectively conveying that message, the Clarks said. “We should follow the example that Jesus gave us of meeting the needs of people first,” Ann Clark said. “Sometimes their needs are so great that they can’t hear what you are saying when you tell them that Jesus loves them. We have to show them that we care about them first and develop a trusting relationship with them before we can share the plan of salvation.” And of course, the Clarks said, the greatest reward comes when one of the students comes to faith in Christ and experiences God’s love firsthand. Ann Clark told the story of a young Middle Eastern woman who had moved to Amarillo from another Texas city where she had attended an ESL class at a Baptist church. “The people at the Baptist church in the other town were so nice to me,” she told the Clarks. “They helped me and accepted me and made me feel welcome. I didn’t think I would ever find that kind of people again. You accept me the same way. I think there is something special about people at a Baptist church.” 8 TEXANONLINE.NET MARCH 19, 2014
When it comes to ESL, fear not! By Paul F. South AMARILLO
“Fear not.” The counsel of angels throughout Scripture applies to churches considering an ESL ministry in their congregations. “Don’t be afraid to meet someone from another country and try to communicate with them just because you don’t speak their language,” Ann Clark said. “They’re hurting and they’re lonely and they’re looking for relationships and friendship. We can be that person who can offer to them a relationship, someone they can trust, and build a rapport with them. It takes time. That’s what we do through the English classes. They come to us with their questions and their problems because they can’t trust anybody else, sometimes even people from their own ethnic background.” English is merely a tool in relationship building, Nolan and Ann Clark said. Ann Clark, a teacher and school librarian, and Nolan Clark, a research engineer involved in the wind energy boom in Texas, said one of the biggest misperceptions about the ESL ministry is that instructors need classroom experience. “You don’t have to have an educational background to do this,” Ann Clark said. “In the basic workshop, we teach you how to teach English. It is a little bit different, but we teach the techniques for how to teach English. An educational background might be helpful, but you don’t have to have it.” And instructors don’t need to know a foreign language, Ann Clark said.
“They’re hurting and they’re lonely and they’re looking for relationships and friendship. We can be that person who can offer to them a relationship, someone they can trust, and build a rapport with them. It takes time. That’s what we do through the English classes.” “I know about three words in Spanish and a couple in Chinese. That’s all I know. You don’t teach by translating. In fact, it will take them only six weeks to learn what they could in six months by cutting out the translation step.” The Clarks offered some pointers on how to start an ESL ministry: 4First, meet with appropriate leaders in the church and ask about the possibility of beginning an ESL class. Pray with them and ask them to pray with you for God to show you if this is something he wants you to do. Ask God to show you if there is a need. 4Do a survey of the community and determine if there is a need. Search namb.
In this spring’s ESL classes, 304 students are being served throughout the week by 42 ESL teachers and about 80 other volunteers at Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo. The church’s ministry provides a springboard for sharing the gospel message.
net for “Local Church Literacy Missions Needs Survey” for suggestions on how to do the survey. 4Compile the information on services provided for non-English speaking people. Include a calendar showing days and times services are offered by other organizations. 4After you have confirmed that there is a need, present the information to the organization of your church that will sponsor the English classes (Missions Development council, Woman’s Missionary Union, Brotherhood, or whatever group is considering beginning a literacy missions ministry.) 4Contact the person responsible for church and community ministries in your association, state convention, North American Mission Board (LoveLoud@namb.net) or National Literacy Missions Partnership (ClaudeanBoatman@LiteracyMissionsSBC.net) for information and names of people trained by NAMB/National Literacy Missions Partnership to lead workshops. In the basic workshop, prospective ESL instructors learn: 4How literacy ministries are effective missions ministries, 4How to organize a ministry, 4How to plan and teach lessons, 4How to help the students with pronunciation, 4How to avoid some of the cultural mistakes that are inevitable, 4How to share their faith. For more information on Paramount’s ESL ministry, contact the Clarks at 806-353-1680 or naclark@suddenlink.net. MARCH 19, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 9
SBTC joins with area states in children’s ministry conference April 4-5 in Tulsa By Kay Adkins
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BROKEN ARROW, Okla.
undreds of children’s ministry leaders from six states will convene April 4-5 at First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, Okla., for the “Heart of the Child” (HOC) children’s ministry training conference. The HOC event takes place every other year and is organized by children’s ministry associates from Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma in partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources. Emily Smith, the children’s and women’s ministry associate for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, said: “One thing that is always exciting about this conference is being able to see preschool and children’s leaders come together from several states to be trained and energized in the areas they serve. We are planning for 800-1,000 participants.” Based on 1 Corinthians 16:14, the 2014 conference theme will help participants remember that the driving force in all they do should be love. “The idea behind that is that participants will be encouraged and renewed in their love for God, their love for children and their love for serving,” Smith said. The training covers preschool, children’s, preteen and family ministries and will benefit anyone serving in children’s or family ministries. More than 40 workshop breakout topics will be offered, including “Yes, You Can Teach Babies,” “Teach Faith at Home,” “Children and Salvation,” “Creative Ways to Share the Gospel with Children,” “Special Needs Tool Box” and “Children’s Worship.”
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“One thing that is always exciting about this conference is being able to see preschool and children’s leaders come together from several states to be trained and energized in the areas they serve. We are planning for 800-1,000 participants.”
Pastors are encouraged to attend and may come free of charge if registered by March 31. “We know that behind any preschool or children’s ministry you need the support of the pastor. We want to help them see what is going on in children’s ministry, and to bring their educational staff to also come and be equipped,” Smith said. Keynote speakers include Jeffrey Reed, director of LifeWay Kids; Sue Miller, author, member of the Orange and the reThink groups, and former Willow Creek Community Church children’s ministry leader; and Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, co-founders of National Center for Biblical Parenting. The early registration fee of $49 will be taken through March 31, after which the fee will be $75. For registration, a conference schedule, a complete list of the breakout session topics and lodging information, visit heartofthechild.net. For more information, contact Judy Van Hooser at jvanhooser@sbtexas.com.
Sao Paulo natives find mission field in Houston By Bonnie Pritchett HOUSTON
Seeking to improve their ministry efforts, Paulo and Juliana Santos realized they would have to look beyond their home of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Little did they know they would have to look 5,000 miles away. But as is sometimes the case, taking those first steps of obedience put the couple on a path they never knew was on the map. Raised in Christian homes, Paulo, 35, and Juliana, 31, met in the youth group at Liberdade Baptist Church in Sao Paulo. Even there God was honing their leadership skills and, after marriage, used them in ministry to young married couples. They felt called to build upon that work, scraping and scrounging for godly instruction. But in the greater Sao Paulo metropolis of 19 million people, there was little to be found. Cultural norms only confounded their search. It became apparent they would have to leave Brazil in order to learn how to serve Brazilians. “We realized the paradigm we had in Brazil was confusing,” Paulo Santos said. Paulo and Juliana had tried to emulate and teach the biblical roles of men and women, especially between husbands and wives, but found themselves preaching a strange message among the secularists and even some Christians. Paulo said Brazil’s ego-centric culture places little value on the roles of humble submission or godly
Paulo and Juliana Santos are pictured in this Christmas photo with their young son Daniel.
leadership. Their search for seminary education bore little fruit. But a search of schools across the United States led them in 2010 to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Havard campus in Houston. Paulo said the school’s biblical foundations and unapologetic teaching of the biblical roles of men and women offered what they could not find back home. Founded in 1554 by Jesuits, Sao Paulo—and the nation—has long since broken from that influence, Paulo said. Despite recent increases in evangelical growth in South America, particularly among Pentecostals, and the elation among Roman Catholics over the appointment of the church’s first pope from South America, Paulo said his city has seen little spiritual change. Ranked sixth in the Forbes magazine list of cities with the most billionaires, Sao Paulo reflects
the self-indulgence often associated with trust in wealth. The city is home to the world’s largest gay pride parade, drawing hundreds of thousands each year. It is the city’s second-largest event behind Formula 1 races. The Carnival festival rivals that of Rio de Janeiro. And the drug cartel-controlled favelas, or slums, on the fringes of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro illustrate the stark demarcation between the cities’ affluent and destitute. “In Brazil I started to study Proverbs,” Paulo said. “The wisdom of Solomon was opposite of Brazil.” Within that context the Santos struggled to teach and lead. Yet in hindsight, they believed God had more than one reason for leading them to Houston. Diagnosed with a severe case of endometriosis not long after their arrival in the States, Juliana found herself in the care of a MARCH 19, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 11
highly skilled doctor in the worldrenowned Houston medical center. “If I was in Brazil it would have been bad,” Juliana said. The situation became critical when the scar build-up spread beyond her uterus and began to block a kidney. Four surgeries later Juliana was out of the woods but was told the disease would always plague her and she would never have children. Juliana and Paulo grew somber recounting her life-threatening experience. It had shaken their assurances but not their faith. “All the experiences gave us spiritual growth,” Paulo said. In the midst of Juliana’s health struggles, Paulo attended to his studies and the couple sought the fellowship of Brazilian expatriates. Houston’s international community is one of the largest in the nation and includes about 6,000 Portuguese speakers. At restaurants, businesses and through social media the Santos sought those who shared their language, inviting them to fellowship and Bible study in their home. At the height of their ministry 40 people were regularly engaged. But eventually the task overwhelmed them as Juliana’s health changed yet again—she became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy son, Daniel, in August 2012. She is now expecting their second baby. In addition to expanding their family, God broadened their perception of his mission. Initially both sought advanced degrees in the U.S. (Paulo has a bachelor of fine arts degree and Juliana has a degree in psychology from Brazilian universities) and planned to return to Sao Paulo. But after meeting the unchurched Brazilian population in 12 TEXANONLINE.NET MARCH 19, 2014
Houston, the couple reconsidered where they would minister to their fellow countrymen. They sought the counsel of former missionary Russell Minick, missions consultant for Houston’s First Baptist Church where the Santos are members. Minick has encouraged them to resume their outreach to Portuguese-speaking Houstonians and provided insight on how to improve their efforts. To help make those connections the church will host a Bible study for Brazilians and their families. Paulo said he now believes God’s calling is as a pastor in Texas. He and Juliana have met the Brazilians here and recognize the difficulty in reaching that dynamic group. Most are bilingual. Couples are often bi-cultural. And they all have different views of what it means to be a Christian. Still others have given the matter no consideration at all. “We had people who never opened the Bible consider themselves believers,” Juliana said. “The major challenge was to disciple the
group who were at different levels of growth.” But God is equipping, mapping out a new path for the young family. Paulo’s visa was extended another year and Juliana hopes to take her turn in seminary studying Christian education so she can teach women how to “be a woman before the Lord.” She wants to encourage women as she was encouraged as recipient of the Dress for Service ministry. Women from Northeast Houston Baptist Church mentored her during Paulo’s time in seminary, capping their support with a “Cinderella Day” of shopping. The new clothes and accessories were much appreciated by the cash-strapped seminarians. Juliana said the encouragement she received she passed on to her husband. They, in turn, can encourage and reach Brazilians with the gospel— wherever that may be.
Begin planning now, using resources available online beginning in February, how your church will emphasize the importance of supporting the Cooperative Program. In addition to the resources offered at whatisCP.com, churches can request a convention ministry staff member to preach at their church April 6. TOGETHER – REACHING TEXAS, TOUCHING THE WORLD
Bonhoeffer biographer: ‘Church is the conscience of the state’ Metaxas, at Houston conference, draws parallels between 1930s Germany, U.S. By Bonnie Pritchett HOUSTON
Eric Metaxas, author of the bestselling “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy,” charged a group of Texas Southern Baptists gathered at Sagemont Church in Houston to push back against the incremental redaction of American religious liberties. Drawing parallels between the fate of the church in Nazi Germany and the American church today, Metaxas challenged those gathered for the SBTC’s Empower Conference last month to look to the past in order to preempt a grim American future. Metaxas’ clarion call was laced with irony. He was the narrator for the Veggie Tales cartoon account of Esther, telling the biblical tale of a woman called “for such a time as this.” Her bravery saved her people. Since the publication of the biography of German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer four years ago, Metaxas has been sounding an alarm for a generation of believers to recognize similar threats ignored—to their peril—by the German churches in the 1930s. “There’s something about [the Bonhoeffer] story that, I feel, is prophetically aimed at the Ameri-
Eric Metaxas, host of the “BreakPoint” radio minute and author of a best-selling Dietrich Bonhoeffer biography, addresses the Empower Conference at Sagemont Church in Houston. PHOTO BY RICK LINTHICUM
“The church is the conscience of the state. The church calls the state to account.” can church today,” Metaxas told the audience Feb. 25. “This is the time for the church to be the church.” His address came two days before the 71st anniversary of the burning of the German parliament building that ushered in Adolf Hitler’s murderous reign. Telling the story from the perspective of Bonhoeffer’s experiences, Metaxas reviewed the lessons to be gleaned from German history. As the Nazi Party gained popularity in early 1930s, Bonhoeffer’s attempts to rouse German Lutherans to intervene fell on deaf ears. Without the buffer of “separation of church and state” the German Lutheran church should have had
a major influence on government and society, Metaxas argued. “The church is the conscience of the state. The church calls the state to account,” he said. But by 1933 Hitler was in power and his dictatorship was secured. Then the Nazis made laws. “Do you really want to die on that hill?” was the refrain Bonhoeffer and a few others who dissented heard. Each successive Nazi law had a deleterious effect. The situation in America is eerily similar, he warned. Like a fish is unaware of the water surrounding it, Americans are unappreciative of the religious liberties enjoyed uniquely by this MARCH 19, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 13
nation, Metaxas said. And those liberties are not about protecting Christians only. All Americans will suffer with the loss of “the first freedom,” he said. For example, he warned the audience not to misperceive the federal government’s contraceptive mandate—which includes abortion-causing drugs as well—as a Catholic issue. “This is where people get picked off. Every American should be outraged.” Also, Metaxas said, the religious liberties of all Americans will be subjugated to the whims of homosexual activists if marriage laws are struck down under the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. “Every pastor in America— and I believe this is of the Lord, not Eric Metaxas—who understands this should be preaching from the pulpit in such a way that you are pushing up against having your 501c3 status taken away.” Metaxas added: “I really do believe this, that the Lord brought the Bonhoeffer story to the American church as a warning and to say, ‘You get a second chance. American church, you don’t need to go this way.’ The German church was asleep. And when some of them woke up it was too late. “[God] has given us the inestimable privilege of being his church in this generation in this great, great superlative nation. But I want to charge you now—be the church. Speak out on this now. Encourage others to speak out on this in love and boldness.” 14 TEXANONLINE.NET MARCH 19, 2014
Metaxas: Use wit, intellect as bridges to truth
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utside the church Christians can effectively engage the culture that is increasingly hostile to Christianity. And how a person speaks is just as important as what they say, Metaxas told the TEXAN following his address. “Part of the lingua franca these days is humor, irony, sarcasm, wit—those things are a big part of how we communicate,” he noted. Metaxas, who edited a humor magazine in his college days at Yale, confronts the culture where Christians are most routinely criticized—through intellect, good will and, yes, humor. In the heart of New York City where he lives, Metaxas hosts a semi-regular forum called “Socrates in the City” and rubs elbows with those who are dubbed the “cultural elites.” He interviewed Dick Cavett in the Socrates forum last month, and on the day the TEXAN spoke with him, he had emailed author Tom Wolfe about appearing at an upcoming Socrates event. Wolfe showed up recently to hear a discussion on intelligent design. The Socrates forum is a bridge to speaking about truth to a broad audience. Taking his cue from the ancient Greek philosopher who said, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” Metaxas interviews individuals of renown in their fields of art, science, literature and
“If you’re talking about truth, I don’t have to say Jesus all the time when I’m talking about truth. … All goodness is of God. If a hateful Marxist atheist says, ‘One plus one equals two,’ that is of God. Just because the person who said it doesn’t know it’s from God doesn’t change the fact that it is.” philosophy. At the conclusion the audience is invited to participate in a question and answer. Using a disarming amalgamation of wit and inquiry, Metaxas puts into effect the admonitions of 1 Peter 2:12 before a typically high-brow audience. And though the Socrates in the City dialogues are not overtly evangelistic, truth is still revealed. “If you’re talking about truth, I don’t have to say Jesus all the time when I’m talking about truth. … All goodness is of God. If a hateful Marxist atheist says, ‘One plus one equals two,’ that is of God. Just because the person who said it doesn’t know it’s from God doesn’t change the fact that it is,” Metaxas told the TEXAN. —Bonnie Pritchett and Jerry Pierce
Richard D. Land
Gay marriage & religious freedom: a modest proposal
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he efforts by several states to pass laws protecting the consciences of people with deeply held religious convictions against same-sex marriage have ignited a debate that has generated far more heat than light. Charges of state-sanctioned discrimination harkening back to the dark days of Jim Crow have been leveled at the proponents of such laws. Such comparison to Jim Crow laws are not analogous. As The Christian Post’s Napp Nazworth deftly pointed out, Jim Crow laws were government-mandated discrimination based on race whereas the several state legislatures’ efforts merely sought to protect private citizens from being coerced by government mandate to violate their consciences. So, what stance should early twenty-first century Christians advocate and support? Perhaps we should begin by saying that homosexual activity between consenting adults should not be criminalized. As much as we may understand the desire of our Ugandan Christian brothers and sisters to protect their country from the moral excesses of the West, we should counsel them not to criminalize consensual homosexual activity. As our 16th-century Anabaptist forbearers testified, there should be spiritual penalties (in the church) for spiritual infractions and legal penalties (in the state) for legal infractions that harm others. Separation of church and state means among other things that the church should not use the coercive powers of the state to penalize consensual infractions it considers immoral. It also means that the state must not interfere with an individual church’s discipline of such behavior. Consequently, as a Baptist Christian I would oppose the Uganda laws there and here. However, as a Baptist Christian, I continue to oppose changing God’s definition of marriage to
I continue to oppose changing God’s definition of marriage to include same-sex unions. Such a redefinition goes far beyond consensual behavior between adults in its social implications for society, including its impact on children. Even though it appears that the American public is increasingly coming to a different conclusion, does that mean that there are to be no legal protections for those people of faith whose religious convictions are, and will remain, at odds with the current cultural zeitgeist? include same-sex unions. Such a redefinition goes far beyond consensual behavior between adults in its social implications for society, including its impact on children. Even though it appears that the American public is increasingly coming to a different conclusion, does that mean that there are to be no legal protections for those people of faith whose religious convictions are, and will remain, at odds with the current cultural zeitgeist? Are such people (millions of American citizens who continue to hold the moral and sexual views that have dominated the Christian faith for two millennia), now to be coerced on pain of prison, fine, or going out of business to participate in ceremonies (often religious) that they find unconscionable? Part of the problem in addressing this dilemma is a legal philosophy prominent in American jurisprudence today. This philosophy has been clearly articulated by Chai Feldblum, an Obama appointee to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center. In her article, “Moral Conflict and Liberty: Gay Rights and Religion,” published in the Brooklyn Law Review, 2006 and Georgetown Law Faculty Publications, January 2010, Dr. Feldblum argues that in conflicts between the rights of the LGBT community and people of sincere religious conviction that “society should come down on the side of protecting the liberty of LGBT people.” She believes that in such conflicts it is a “zero-sum” game in which one side must surrender rights to the other. She is in disagreement with the constitutional scholar Michael McConnell who argues that in such cases the goal should be to “extend respect to both sides … much as we treat atheism and faith as worthy of respect” and define such respect as “the civil toleration we extend to fellow citizens and fellow human beings even when we disagree with their views.” (Michael W. McConnell, “The Problem of Singling Out Religion,” 59 DePaul Law Review I, 44, 2000.) I believe McConnell’s “respect” and “civil toleration” are far more noble goals than a “zero-sum” game where religious rights are always constricted. How would such goals be achieved? I would propose no law MARCH 19, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 15
allowing cafes, restaurants, bakeries, or photographers, etc. to refuse to serve the LGBT community if they offer their services to the public. On the other hand, there should be laws protecting them from being coerced to participate in same-sex wedding ceremonies. Surely, fair-minded people can see the difference between serving a couple in a restaurant or making them a cake and being forced to cater a same-sex wedding reception. There is a big difference between taking a couple’s photo and being coerced to attend the rehearsal, the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, and the wedding reception and contribute your artistic talent through photography to that which violates your conscience at the deepest levels. In the first cases you are serving the public. In the latter cases you are being coerced legally and economically into participating in a ceremony that violates your conscience. The difference between serving gays and being forced to participate in a ceremony that tramples conscience is the very point that is most often missed in the heat of this debate. It would be as if a bakery owned by a member of the LGBT community were coerced to cater a membership initiation ceremony at the odious and repugnant Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. It would be as if an orthodox Jewish butcher were required to cater a pork barbecue for the pig farmers of America. It would be as if the owner of an AfricanAmerican restaurant was required to cater at an initiation ceremony for the Sons of Confederate Veterans and was required upon legal penalty to bake a cake with the Confederate “stars and bars” on it, a flag they believe symbolizes the subjugation and enslavement of their ancestors. Surely, we can find a way to follow Dr. McConnell’s path of civil toleration that protects the deeply held convictions of American citizens from being coerced. It is not as if the LGBT community will have 16 TEXANONLINE.NET MARCH 19, 2014
any difficulty finding Americans willing to provide any and all of these wedding services. Why would they want to coerce and trample the religious convictions and liberties of their fellow Americans? Such coercion will not lead to greater affirmation of same-sex marriage, only greater resentment, backlash, and incivility. Surely, we can summon what President Lincoln called in his first inaugural address (March 4, 1861) “the better angels of our nature” to do better than that. May we all resolve to seek greater civility, toleration, and respect. —Richard D. Land, a native Texan, is president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, N.C., and executive editor of The Christian Post, where this column first appeared.