This is an interesting story that I haven’t seen covered much and it seems pretty staggering to me. Clinton and Carter and starting their own Baptist convention because the Southern Baptist Convention is too conservative. What is amazing to me is that politicians are leading the way. Shouldn’t a convention be started by pastors? Isn’t that the norm?

Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton announced in Atlanta on Tuesday the creation of a Baptist organization they said would counter what they say is a negative image of their faith.

The New Baptist Convenant was announced at the Carter Center by representatives of about 40 moderate Baptist groups that have distanced themselves from the conservative Southern Baptist Convention. Carter and Clinton – both Baptists – said the New Baptist Convenant will look for solutions to problems such as poverty and racism. Carter and Clinton said they want to counter concerns that Baptists have been “negative” and “exclusionary” and promised an inclusive organization willing to debate openly all issues.

[…]

Clinton, who said he was just a cheerleader for the group, said Tuesday’s announcement is part of an effort to bring Baptists together to fight poverty and to work on health care and environmental issues and eliminating religious and racial conflict.

“This is very important in the history of modern Christianity and how religion should relate to the larger society,” Clinton said. “This is an attempt to bring people together and say, ‘What would our Christian witness require of us in the 21st century?’ “

Moderate and conservative Baptists have for years clashed on issues such as the inerrancy of the Bible, the virgin birth of Jesus and women pastors.

Moderate Baptists? Isn’t it interesting that you don’t see the word “liberal” in this whole article. The liberals and conservatives are the ones clashing over these issues. Renaming them “moderate” won’t change the fact that they are liberal. I know that it’s much more attractive to be the moderating voice of reason, “We aren’t one of those extremists.” But changing the name doesn’t change what they believe and to conservatives, it is extreme. There can be no middle ground on these issues either Jesus was born of a virgin or he wasn’t, either he is deity or not.
An I love it when the group separating themselves from the main body says something like this:

“There is a deep crisis and division among Christian believers who are separated from one another because of these ancillary issues,” said Carter. “The main thrust of our efforts is to heal those wounds.”

If you really want to heal wounds then why not have a dialogue with those on the other side. You want Israel and Palestine to come together in peace, why can’t you do that in your own denomination.
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