Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Southern Baptist to Change Stance on Alcoholic Beverages

Franklin Pierson, SBC Today Editor Emeritus  Image: Dr. Fred Luter
Nashville: March 12th

The Southern Baptist Convention has long been a stalwart opponent of alcoholic beverage consumption of any kind.  While this stance has always been accepted among our most faithful members, many new members who have arrived into the Baptist fold from other denominations and creeds have always questioned the Biblical accuracy of such positions.   Francis Adams, curator of the SBC office of Archives and Records provided the following insight, "While the Bible is vague if not neutral on the subject of alcohol consumption, the Baptist Covenant is not".   Today however, it appears that all "bets are off" on the issue.  Convention President Fred Luter, Jr. announced at an Arkansas pastors conference that the SBC is removing any reference to ministerial or lay consumption of alcohol from its recommendations, positions, or statements of doctrine.  Dr. Luter stated, "We have created a stumbling block to the faithful by insisting on a position which basically isn't mentioned in the scriptures.  While drunkenness and gluttony are decried, there is ample evidence that the Apostles and the Lord himself were moderate consumers of wine and strong drink." Dr. Luter later quoted Matthew 11: 18-19 " For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”  This pronouncement should bring about much debate in local associations and churches.   Stay tuned to the Modern Baptist and SBC Today for more info.

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5 comments:

  1. I only have one question: What took them so long?

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  2. Sir, can you cite any sources for these comments? They seem particularly suspect for a number of reasons:
    1. This is the only post on "John Baptiste's" blog.
    2. A Google search of the author's name, "Franklin Pierson" reveals only one solid result--this blog. He seems an enigmatic figure at best.
    3. SBC Today (a web forum for baptist thought and the outlet of which Mr. Pierson is "editor emeritus") has no mention of this incident or Mr. Pierson on their website.
    4. Baptistpress.com (the official SBC news outlet) has no information on the story or Luter's comments.
    5. Luter has no authority on his own to make such changes within the convention.
    6. Fred Luter's published schedule on his church website places him in Mesa, AZ on March 12, not an Arkansas pastors conference.
    7. abpnews.com, a news outlet for baptists generally (but who have often taken a negative stance toward SBC), has nothing about the incident on their page.
    8. Fred Luter and the SBC have yet to make any official comment on these supposed remarks.

    Care to comment?

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  3. Did the rapture just happen? Is it snowing in Miami?

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  4. The claims In this post are totally fictitious. Dr. Luter spoke at no Pastors Conference in Arkansas thiis year, and said no such things.

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  5. And if anyone would know that the claims in this post are totally fictitious, it would be the Master of the Hollywood Squares himself. Can I have Charley Weaver to block, Peter?

    ReplyDelete