Challenging authority is OK
This letter is in response to the May 31 letter in defense of recent actions by Dr. Joe Aguillard, president of Louisiana College. The letter stated that “it … is cowardly and markedly un-Christian for anyone to publicly admonish a figure of authority whom you are commanded by God to respect.”
Does this mean that Christian abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison should not have held their protests against slaveholders? Does this mean a Christian like Martin Luther King Jr. should not have challenged insidious racists like Alabama Gov. George Wallace? And what of Christians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer who actively fought against Adolf Hitler and Nazism? Were all of these Christians cowards?
Moreover, Christ never commanded his followers to support authorities without question. In fact, he challenged quite a few himself. Instead, as Christians we have a fundamental responsibility for making sure our leaders uphold the values of justice, compassion and intellectual honesty that Christ embodied.
What’s happening at Louisiana College has nothing to do with Christianity. It has been — and continues to be — about power. Nothing will change at Louisiana College until good Christians open their eyes to the fact that fundamentalism is nothing more than a political movement hiding behind the masks of fear mongering and religious demagoguery.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”
Bart Marable
Austin, Texas
CenLamar 
from the Town Talk
Jerold R. McBride, Th.D., Pastor Emeritus of the First Baptist Church, San Angelo, Texas, Graduate of Winnfield, LA High School:
As president for two terms of the 2.6 million member and 6,000 church Baptist General Convention of Texas, I hope I can shed some light on the efforts of those within the Southern Baptist Convention who are behind the resolution of encourage SBC churches to leave public schools.
Fact: Resolutions have no power to make a local SBC church do anything. They have no authority and certainly are not binding on local churches. In fact no vote of any kind taken by the SBC can compel any church to do anything. Unlike many other denominations, every Baptist church in autonomous. Authority flows from the church to the denomination and not visa versa
Fact: The key players behind this resolution do not surprise any informed Baptist. They have been involved in every other action of the SBC that has embarrassed Baptists across the nation. As it has been said, “You don’t need enemies when you have ‘friends’ like this.”
Fact: Even though a resolution may be soundly defeated it still serves the purpose of its proponents by making news which the general public can so easily misinterpret as the position of all Baptists. It is like one member of a family embarrassing the entire family.
Fact: Don’t sweat it! Few, if any churches and members will pay any attention to this resolution. It will accomplish nothing. The history of SBC resolutions attest to this fact.
As far as public schools and private schools or home schooling are concerned, it all depends on the stance a public school takes. This past year my two granddaughters graduated from public schools that continue to acknowledge God and practice public praying. One graduated from high school and the other from junior high. They were both valedictorians and as such spoke freely about their faith during graduation exercises where prayers were offered. They are still public school boards that do not bow down at the feet of the ACLU.
Very interesting and insightful.
Marable hits the nail on the head in his synthesis of the LC situation. Total control is sickening but they are private and can do whatever they wish.
The McBride letter above reminds that I still have problems with public schools that practice religious hegemony. Public Prayer? Acknowledgement of any diety? Hopefully this isn’t school sponsored otherwise I have a major problem with it. Freedom of expression is one thing, but being sanctioned by an authority is another.
Not that I’m casting myself as an Ann Coulter fan, but I did see her on Leno last night talking about how liberalism is a religion hidden under the mask of a political agenda. Interesting how Baptist fundamentalism is a political agenda hidden under the mask of a religion.
Maybe liberals and fundamentalists should get together and trade faces sometime?
PS – Thanks for listing my blog. I’ve now set up my own shop at http://www.holdingoutmyhands.com. Bye Blogger!