LAKELAND -- Despite the trauma of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Southern
Baptists won't be flocking to interfaith services designed to bring the nation
together. Alone among America's major religious groups, the nation's largest
Protestant denomination holds fast to its long-standing policy of not praying
with others.
For the 15.7 million members of the Southern Baptist Convention, this means not
only Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus, but also Christian denominations they
do not consider legitimate, including Roman Catholics, Mormons, Seventh-day
Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses. "We believe that Jesus Christ is the
only way to heaven," said the Rev. Dwayne Mercer, pastor of First Baptist
Church of Oviedo, explaining why he would not participate in interfaith
gatherings, including one scheduled early next year for Central Florida
congregations.
Mercer was elected president of the 1 million-member Florida Baptist Convention
on Tuesday, at the group's annual meeting in Lakeland. He was unopposed.
Mercer, 47, said if he attended events with leaders of other faiths, members of
his congregation might assume he believes "that all these faiths are
legitimate," which he does not.
Even in a time of crisis, praying with Charismatic and Pentecostal Protestants
is as far as most Southern Baptists are prepared to go.
In Jacksonville, the Rev. Ted Corley, pastor of Mayfair Baptist Church,
organized a citywide service after the tragedy, limiting those invited to
Southern Baptists, mainline Protestants and Pentecostals.
"I draw the line with those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as their
messiah," he said.
"I tend to shy away from that. . . . As a pastor, I would not feel
comfortable with someone praying to Allah or Buddha in my presence. That would
go against my position concerning my faith about salvation and Jesus
Christ."
Locally, the Rev. James Fortinberry, executive director of the Greater Orlando
Baptist Association, said he would be willing to participate in an interfaith
panel, but that he also drew the line at common prayer. Refusing to join such
prayer gatherings "might be misunderstood," he said. "That's
just a risk I take."
The Southern Baptists' course might be self-destructive, said Leo Sandon,
distinguished professor of religion and American studies at Florida State
University. By refusing to join in religious gatherings in a time of crisis, he
said, "they're alienating themselves from the broader community."
"I am very sorry and disappointed that we have not had the presence of our
brothers and sisters of the Southern Baptist faith," said the Rev. Fred
Morris, executive director of the Florida Council of Churches, who has been
active in organizing interfaith gatherings in Central Florida. "It has
been deeply rewarding to be sharing in prayers for peace and harmony with
persons of a wide variety of faith traditions, and it is disappointing not
having such an important group as the Southern Baptists sharing in this very
rich experience."
Besides alienating themselves from other faiths, Sandon said, the Southern
Baptists "are driving the wedge deeper between themselves and progressive
members of the denomination."
Already there are hundreds of such dissident, moderate congregations across the
South and Midwest that no longer send delegates to the annual Southern Baptist
Convention or to statewide gatherings such as the one in Lakeland. Many of
these congregations do not agree with the national denomination's position on
interfaith gatherings, Sandon said.
For example, representatives of Sweetwater Baptist Church and College Park
Baptist Church joined members of other religions at an Altamonte Springs hotel
in the weeks after the terrorist attacks. "Interfaith gatherings build an
enormous amount of understanding and respect for different faith
traditions," said the Rev. Ron Crawford of College Park Baptist Church.
"We have so much to learn from one another. To refuse to participate is
nothing more than arrogant and truly unbecoming a Christian."
Attacks offered opportunity
In contrast with other religious denominations, which in the days after
Sept. 11 emphasized understanding, tolerance and respect for the American
Muslim community, Southern Baptist missionaries declared that the attacks offered
an ideal opportunity to evangelize American Muslims.
The Rev. Peter Shadid -- pastor of the Arabic Evangelical Church a ministry of
First Baptist Church of Kissimmee -- said the attacks spurred his conviction
that the Gospel should be shared with Arab-Americans. During a tragedy, he
said, it is human nature to feel closer to God.
"Muslims are more receptive to know about Jesus Christ than at any other
time," he said.
A prominent Southern Baptist leader took another approach, denouncing all of
Islam as a religion.
The Rev. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in
Louisville, Ky., said Islam worships a false god with a false faith. Speaking
at his seminary's chapel on Oct. 17, Mohler said, "I want to say as a
Christian theologian, the biggest problem with Islamic theology is that it
kills the soul."
It is a faith that "lies about God" and "presents a false
gospel," said Mohler, a rising leader in the denomination. He said
"these are difficult things to say. This is not polite."
Mohler, who regularly condemns religious pluralism and its notion that all
faiths are equally legitimate, also said in his chapel talk that Jews and
Muslims do not serve the same God as Christians.
On CNN's Larry King Live last year, Mohler used some of the same
language to describe the Catholic Church.
"As an evangelical, I believe that the Roman church is a false church and
it teaches a false gospel," Mohler told King.
At the same time, the Southern Baptists have no problem making common political
cause with Catholics on issues such as abortion and stem-cell research. They
just won't worship with Catholics.
The Rev. Paige Patterson, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention
and head of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.,
frequently boasts, "I do not have an ecumenical bone in my body."
Patterson was one of the architects of the conservative takeover of the
denomination.