The Christian (and otherwise) internet is all abuzz ollowing the expose' on 20/20 of the dangerous subculture of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches in America. The expose' was to say the least, biased and sensationalized. This sort of one sided reporting is typical of a media system whose purpose is as much about preaching their own irreligious religion as it is about making money. Little in the system could be considered journalism. They do not mean to tell a story, they mean to interpret it.
Still, that there was a story, speaks volumes that ought to be heard, especially among those who consider themselves to be Independent Fundamental Baptists. Some observations of my own:
As with any honest people, Independent Fundamental Baptists ought to police themselves.
The Scripture gives us instruction to do so. Fundamental Baptists are, like any other human being, human beings. We sin. We have some who do so to extremes. We should not shy away from discipline. The fact is, we are sorely lacking in accountability.
However, discipline was the very thing the expose' "exposed" and denounced.
The whole point was that it is abusive of a Baptist church to expect accountability among its membership. The fact is we could never put into place a system of accountability that is true to the Scripture and pleasing to the world.
As to the denigrating title of "subculture" so what?
Baptist people have always been the smallest number of those professing faith, while at the same time being among the most influential people in the planet. The Ana Baptists' writings and indeed very lives were all but wiped out during the dark ages. Still they kept reaching souls. Luther and Calvin were both influenced to some degree by the Baptists of their day. The bedrock of the faith rests not on the large denominational systems of Catholicism or Protestantism, but upon that almost unknown group of believers whose faith was so despised by the world in their day that they were forced to meet in secret places and were often hunted down in the effort to eradicate them.
I am not a fan of much that is found in Fundamentalism. I do not believe much of it is even Baptist (though it might wear the label). Still I am a believer in fundamental doctrines of the faith and I am convicted as a Baptist. This is the sort of thing that makes the faithful, well, faithful.
Marvin McKenzie
In the field
Still, that there was a story, speaks volumes that ought to be heard, especially among those who consider themselves to be Independent Fundamental Baptists. Some observations of my own:
The Scripture gives us instruction to do so. Fundamental Baptists are, like any other human being, human beings. We sin. We have some who do so to extremes. We should not shy away from discipline. The fact is, we are sorely lacking in accountability.
However, discipline was the very thing the expose' "exposed" and denounced.
The whole point was that it is abusive of a Baptist church to expect accountability among its membership. The fact is we could never put into place a system of accountability that is true to the Scripture and pleasing to the world.
As to the denigrating title of "subculture" so what?
Baptist people have always been the smallest number of those professing faith, while at the same time being among the most influential people in the planet. The Ana Baptists' writings and indeed very lives were all but wiped out during the dark ages. Still they kept reaching souls. Luther and Calvin were both influenced to some degree by the Baptists of their day. The bedrock of the faith rests not on the large denominational systems of Catholicism or Protestantism, but upon that almost unknown group of believers whose faith was so despised by the world in their day that they were forced to meet in secret places and were often hunted down in the effort to eradicate them.
I am not a fan of much that is found in Fundamentalism. I do not believe much of it is even Baptist (though it might wear the label). Still I am a believer in fundamental doctrines of the faith and I am convicted as a Baptist. This is the sort of thing that makes the faithful, well, faithful.
Marvin McKenzie
In the field
To my readers:
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