Baptists Call for Public School Support

[Rose Siding]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A group of Baptist leaders called on its members Friday to "speak positively about public education" in response to a conservative movement to pull Baptist children out of public schools.

Fifty-six pastors and organizational leaders -- some from the conservative Southern Baptist Convention and others from the more moderate Cooperative Baptist Fellowship -- signed a letter supporting public schools.
...
The letter said it's wrong for church leaders to urge their congregations to abandon public schools in favor of homeschooling or private Christian academies.

"We believe Baptists should recommit themselves to public education, not as a means toward converting school children, but because it's the right thing to do," the letter states.

"We call on Baptists to recommit themselves to the separation of church and state, which will keep public schools free from coercive pressure to promote sectarian faith, such as state-written school prayers and the teaching of neo-creationism (intelligent design)."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-baptists-public-schools,0,5822944.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Am I dreaming?

:wtf:

[Critters2]

14. Separation of Church and State was originally a Baptist idea

Roger Williams insisted on it when founding Rhode Island. The phrase "separation of church and state" is a quote from a letter from Jefferson to the Baptist Assoication of Danbury, CT, in which he assured Baptist pastors that he would protect the "wall of separation".

Some Baptist denominations, notably the American Baptists, The Baptist Union, and the Baptist General Conference still take this very seriously. The Southern Baptists, otoh, have ceased to be true Baptists.

[MissMarple]

23. And, I believe, Baptists didn't support school prayer.

They were pretty picky about who led their children in prayer.

But that was before the craziness set in.

[arcane1]

2. true christians? How comforting to see :)

[BootinUp]

3. So our democracy isn't lost yet? :-) n/t

[patdem]

4. Seperation of church and state does more to protect churches than

the government...we will always have one government..but churches are as diverse as the population. If the state picks ONE winner all others will LOSE!

[Charlie Brown]

5. The Baptists invented the Sep. of Church/State

Early Baptists like John Leland fought long and hard to keep the state from placing one particular denomination on a pedestal. The people behind this letter are true people of faith who are committed to the "right of conscience" of the individual to worship without pressure or coercion from the government.

[cpousnret]

6. damn don`t tell that the

evil-gelicals have seen the light.they are not breaking with theirs leaders are they?

[0007]

7. Wow! Now that's progress in the making

[xchrom]

8. as a result -- i wonder what the gossip is

going on inside the baptist community?

[Critters2]

15. Separation of Church and state is a Baptist idea n/t

[leesa]

9. Sanity? Did the kool-aid supply dry up?

[Bushies gotta go]

10. LOL... there'll always be koolaid

But what may have happened is that Wingnuts have acquired a natural immunity to the ingredients... uh oh, better get back to the lab.

[kestrel91316]

11. I predict an attempt within weeks to remove these Baptist leaders from

their leadership positions, or excommunicate them outright. The visciousness of the Christofascists knows no bounds. I guarantee they are working within the Baptist church to move even farther to the right.

[Zenlitened]

12. Sweet music

:applause:

[rodeodance]

20. Good for them. We must maintain the separation of Church/State.

[Arugula Latte]

13. Is that a pig hovering outside my window?

:wow:

[MissMillie]

16. There is actually a huge difference

Between the Baptist Church of yester-year, and the Southern Baptists who support the neo-cons.

Jimmy Carter, I believe, is a Baptist--not to be confused with the Southern Baptists.

[Maddy McCall]

17. He was a Southern Baptist when he was president.

Only cut his ties, and in a very public way, in 2000.

http://edition.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/20/carter.baptists.ap/

[Charlie Brown]

18. There was a major coup in the SBC in 1979

Prior to this year, the convention had been helmed by a socially moderate leadership who embraced diversity, progress, etc. Since then, anyone who does not tow the conservative party-line in a leadership position or committee has been "purged," by the main body, sometimes in a very hostile manner.

http://www.baptiststandard.com/1999/6_9/pages/houston_1.html

Here's an account by Charles DeWeese of some of the more nefarious actions of the latter-day SBC.

http://www.mercer.edu/baptiststudies/sermon/deweese.htm

[Critters2]

22. Now he's part of the Baptist Cooperative Fellowship

I think that's the name. Progressive former SBCs.

[Blue State Bandit]

19. Bump!

This is the most promising thing I've heard out of the SBC in years. I hope they keep it up. (They must be channeling Jimmy Carter).

[PittPoliSci]

21. well, i'll be damned.

literally.

who slipped them a copy of the constitution to read?