Employees of Shorter University desert the school in droves following new president's imposition of 'lifestyle' regulations:
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2012/05/baptist_univers.html
"The university, in Rome, Ga., now requires faculty to sign a personal lifestyle statement that says they will not engage in illegal drug use or drink alcohol in restaurants, stadiums and other public locations. “I reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality,” the statement reads.
The Georgia Baptist Convention began appointing all trustees of the school’s board in 2005 after a ruling in the state convention’s favor by the Georgia Supreme Court."
Baptist School Loses Third of Faculty
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Jerome, Jun 1, 2012.
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Sounds like the school got rid of the riff raff.
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preachinjesus Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Having known this school and several trustees...this isn't a bad thing.
They have standards and will be able to easily replace the departing faculty. -
asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Drawing the line where Jesus didn't; if that isn't legalism I don't know what is.
Having spent many year in these kinds of churches - I used to preach in the Athens area I know the mindset that would produce this kind of "line-in-the-sand" document ("sand" it is). If they wanted to be consistent they should have added another restriction against over-eating (gluttony) to go with the alcohol drinking one.
How many overweight pastors and Christians there are - their Bible belts on the very last notch - who yet make a big deal about total abstinence from alcohol. We give the impression that Christianity is just a list of do's and don't's rather than Done and follow. -
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What then does the new president mean by casting it as a test of "authentic Christian identity"?
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I will quote it here:
"I will not use alcoholic beverages in the presence of students, and I will
abstain from serving, from using, and from advocating the use of alcoholic
beverages in public (e.g. in locations that are open to use by the general
public, including as some examples restaurants, concert venues,
stadiums, and sports facilities) and in settings in which students are
present or are likely to be present. I will not attend any University
sponsored event in which I have consumed alcohol within the last six
hours. Neither will I promote or encourage the use of alcohol. " -
asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
No, this is legalism. I have seen it for years. It is an enemy of growth in grace. The sad thing is that this school calls their restrictions a "return to biblical roots", when it really isn't.
By this new restriction Jesus would have been forced to resign. -
It's sad that a third of them left, but at least they were honest and did so, leaving the school to find people who aren't as likely to cause them troubles in the future.
It's sad when it's that difficult to find staff members who are more than Sunday Christians. -
Don't drink myself, except water, coffee, unsweetened tea, and juice. Have no particular problem with a person who drinks alcohol in moderation. I will say that a drunk Christian is a poor witness for Jesus Christ. Furthermore, it is a fact that over indulgence in alcohol, or other drugs, can lead to inappropriate behavior, even crime, or quoting the OP:
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asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
More justifiable would be for them to have mandatory weight checks, since this is a more substantial proof of crossing a biblical line (gluttony). I am not advocating that, only saying that they are being selective.
And - seeing that the Bible nowhere prohibits the mere drinking of alcohol - unscriptural. -
Having spent many year in these kinds of churches - I used to preach in the Athens area I know the mindset that would produce this kind of "line-in-the-sand" document ("sand" it is). If they wanted to be consistent they should have added another restriction against over-eating (gluttony) to go with the alcohol drinking one.
How many overweight pastors and Christians there are - their Bible belts on the very last notch - who yet make a big deal about total abstinence from alcohol. We give the impression that Christianity is just a list of do's and don't's rather than Done and follow.
Good for you!
I dropped basically the same to the congregation in a church many years ago and I thought I was gonna get tarred and feathered. Course, I don't drink but the "over-weight" issue really upset the apple cart for sure.
Churches are often their own worst enemies. -
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This covenant was printed in every SBC Baptist Hymnal until the "new" one came out in 1975. This hymnal was used throughout the SBC from 1956 replacing the "Broadman Hymnal" or the "Baptist Hymn Book" used before 1956.
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of our Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort, to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines, to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotion; to religiously educate our children, to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances, to walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements and exemplary in our deportment, to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger, to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another with brotherly love, to remember each other in prayer, to aid each other in sickness and distress, to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech, to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s word. -
asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
I have always been leery of trying to be more thorough than God's Word in what I teach others, or observe myself. Look at at 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Once again, there is nothing in the Bible about abstaining from alcohol entirely. And nothing about abstaining for the reason you gave. There are other similar passages, like not knowingly eating meat clearly offered to idols. But that has to do with concern for the consciences of the ask brother. If there truly was a need for such instruction we would have foundit in Scripture, most likely in one of the Pastoral epistles. But we don't. And those - the whole Bible, in fact - is explicitly described as "complete". They thoroughly prepare Christians for full maturity in Christianity, growing up into the stature of Christ.
I understand about weak Christians. But what is the best way to teach them? That our life is one of rigid and superficial adherence to things that, in themselves, are harmless? There is more harm in a Happy Meal than in a single glass of beer or wine. Yet this goes unaddressed. Maybe because the overuse of alcohol, tragic as it is, is more obvious and spectacular than the overindulgence in eating. I suspect, also, that a lot of sacred cow is served at McDonalds.
We cannot be partial in where we draw the line. Neither should we draw a line, whatever the noble motive, anywhere other than where the Bible draws it. -
asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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asterisktom Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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