Expert: Bruce Gourley - 1/27/2007

Question
My question is a simple one. How can the Baptist church claim  to be forgiven in the matter of slavery which was and is the direct cause of many murders and directly related to the racicism and sexism that still persists today, and still carry out the discrimination against people who get divorces; who are of a certain racial orientation. I have first hand knowledge of people who have the call of God on their lives being shunned and disqualified from pasotral positions because of a divorce.

Answer
Tim,

You raise some good questions. My general answer is that Christians (including Baptists) are just as susceptible to being inconsistent in their beliefs (in church life, we call it hypocrisy) as anyone else. Far too often for Christians, it is easier to see the sins of others than the sins within (or exhibited by) oneself.

There is no excuse for such behavior (Baptist or otherwise). It is evidence that sin still taints all of humanity.

And unfortunately, probably most Baptist churches to this day would automatically disqualify a divorced pastor, period.

Bruce Gourley
www.baptistlife.com
www.brucegourley.com