Baptist Press Stories for Aug. 17 2012 --------------------------------------- Adoption community fears impact if tax credit expires http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38523 LifeWay awaits study pending Glorieta sale http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38524 Halt to 'demonizing' urged after FRC shooting http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38525 In London, venturing among the unreached http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38526 Students learn to lead in missions http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38527 Jacksonville council rejects sexual orient. bill http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38528 CULTURE DIGEST: City bans church from town square; Tebow responds to Esiason criticism http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38529 FIRST-PERSON: The FRC shooting & the consequences of demonization http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38530 FIRST-PERSON: Kudos to the Honey Badger http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38531 EDITORIAL: La matanza de Wisconsin clama por respuestas http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38532 --------------------------------------- Adoption community fears impact if tax credit expires By Michael Foust Aug. 17 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38523 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- A substantial tax credit that couples or individuals receive when they adopt is set to expire at year's end unless Congress acts, and experts fear that without it fewer families will adopt. At issue is the adoption tax credit -- last year it was a maximum of $13,360 -- that allows low- and middle-income families who otherwise couldn't afford it to adopt. Unlike a tax deduction, which only reduces taxable income, a tax credit actually reduces a person's tax liability. [QUOTE@left@180="I think there would be a lot of families who could not afford adoption."]Under IRS rules, an adoptive family can claim adoption expenses -- court costs and adoption agency fees, among others -- up to the maximum amount allowed under the credit. This means for instance, that if an adoptive family owes $13,000 in federal taxes for a year, and their adoption cost $13,000, then they would owe no taxes for that one year, likely resulting in a large IRS refund. Many adoptions, though, cost much more -- $20,000 and up is common -- and the tax credit simply makes an expensive adoption more affordable. "We are not rich. We are very middle-income, and we have scraped and saved and done everything humanly possible to bring these girls home," Julie Redden of Houston, who along with her husband, Brett, adopted one girl from China and are trying to adopt another one, told Reuters. The tax credit has been a huge boost to the adoptive community but has yet to be renewed by Congress, even though many on both sides of the political aisle -- including President Obama -- want to see it continued and even be made permanent. One fear is the tax credit could be a byproduct of Washington gridlock -- not to mention a congressional desire to cut the budget. The tax credit has been in danger previously, but this year the adoption community is particularly worried. "I would say we are very concerned," Bill J. Blacquiere, president of Bethany Christian Services, a nationwide adoption agency, told Baptist Press. "We are hearing from people on the inside [in D.C.], this may not pass this year." Congress, Blacquiere, said, should not view the adoption tax credit as something that costs the federal government money but instead as something that saves it money. That is because, he said, the adoption process -- in the long run -- prevents children from growing up without a family. "Children without families, who grow up in foster care ... the statistics show that probably 50 percent of those children end up in our adult prison systems," Blacquiere said. CBS News in April quoted a study that showed the average yearly cost of incarcerating one inmate was $31,000. In some states, it was as high as $50,000 to $60,000. "And that's just for one year. When you place children with families, you're preventing incarceration, you're preventing drug use -- which could hurt society by crimes committed or drug rehabilitation. I think investing $13,000 in a child, you are preventing a lot of serious costs to society on a future basis." Bethany lists the average cost of its domestic infant adoption fees at $18,000. But the true cost to the agency is around $26,000, meaning Bethany already is subsidizing adoption costs, Blacquiere said. Adoption agencies, he said, cannot simply lower their fees to make up for the elimination of the tax credit. Eliminating the tax credit, he believes, would result in fewer families adopting. "I think there would be a lot of families who could not afford adoption," he said. "Even now, with the adoption tax credit, there a families who are taking out loans. They are doing second mortgages. You take away the credit, and they probably couldn't even get the loans." A stand-alone bill (H.R. 4373) to make the adoption tax credit permanent was introduced this year by Rep. Bruce Braley, D.-Iowa, and has 18 co-sponsors. Some, though, believe a stand-alone will make little progress in Congress and that the tax credit -- if Congress supports it -- will have to be extended through passage of a larger tax bill. Learn ways to help save the adoption tax credit at http://adoptiontaxcredit.org/ and facebook.com/AdoptionTaxCredit. --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- LifeWay awaits study pending Glorieta sale By Diana Chandler Aug. 17 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38524 CORRECTED STORY, 12:32 p.m. Aug. 18. The 5th paragraph of the story as initially posted incorrectly stated that David Jang had founded The Christian Post online news site. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- LifeWay Christian Resources is awaiting results of a theological study of Olivet University before deciding whether to sell LifeWay Glorieta Conference Center to Olivet, even as media outlets debate whether the California-based university has heretical ties. [QUOTE@left@180="Those concerns are precisely why we engaged the National Association of Evangelicals to conduct a thorough review of their theological views to determine compatibility with ours." -- LifeWay representative Martin King]The potential sale of Glorieta, a 2,100-acre Southern Baptist conference center in New Mexico, is receiving added scrutiny on the heels of media reports of longstanding accusations that Olivet's founder, David Jang, promotes the heresy that he is the "second coming Christ." Marty King, LifeWay's communications director, said LifeWay is well aware of accusations against Jang and Olivet. "Those concerns are precisely why we engaged the National Association of Evangelicals to conduct a thorough review of their theological views to determine compatibility with ours," King said in a statement to the media Aug. 16. "We anticipate completion of the investigation this fall at which time it will be reviewed by our leadership and trustees." At issue is whether Jang teaches beliefs contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also spotlighted is the fact that several Southern Baptist leaders have established relationships with organizations seen as affiliated with Jang, although R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Daniel Akin, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary president, both have resigned as advisers to The Christian Post online news site. Long-standing allegations The Post and Christianity Today have reported on several investigations conducted in Asia to determine whether Jang's church, the Young Disciples of Christ, promotes Jang as the "second coming Christ" and whether Jang has ties to Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church. Christianity Today, in an Aug. 16 article, summarized results of several investigations of Jang's activities: -- In 2008, the Hong Kong-based Independent Enquiry Committee, which included Chinese evangelical theologians, "unanimously expressed serious apprehensions and concerns" about the group and "could not exclude the ... strong probabilities" that Jang's followers "promoted doctrines similar to that of the Unification church, including ... the first coming of Jesus to the earth was a failure and ... their pastor is the 'Second Coming Lord' or 'Second Coming Christ.'" -- Following the Independent Enquiry Committee's findings, the substantial Beijing Haidian Christian Church in China "issued a statement terminating their relationship with the Young Disciples." -- In September 2009, two of Korea's largest Presbyterian denominations, the TongHap and HapShin, "voted to break relations with Jang's organizations." In an article today (Aug. 17) The Christian Post summarized investigations by the Heresy Investigation Committee of the Christian Council of Korea during the past decade. In four different investigations, according to reports in both the Post and Christianity Today, the CCK found Jang innocent of all charges. Jang courting Protestants Christianity Today has accused Jang of building at least an image of credibility by associating with reputable Protestant leaders, including Southern Baptists William Wagner, Olivet's president and chairman of the board of the Christian Post, and Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and Christian Post's executive editor. Wagner has said he is confident the accusations of heresy against Jang are false. "We look at Dr. Jang as a tremendous leader, not as the reincarnate Christ. I've worked with him for about eight years. I'm firmly convinced that they are not lying. I'm firmly convinced that our Christology is solid," Wagner, formerly a longtime SBC missionary in Europe, told Christianity Today. Wagner has said that before he accepted the Olivet presidency, he researched the university's theological beliefs. "I wanted to be certain that I would not be associated with a cult or a university that had a false theology. After my extensive study, I am thoroughly convinced that the purpose of Olivet University was to win the world to Christ, and that they were missional, they were evangelical and they had a very deep love for Jesus," Wagner said. Land was quoted by the Post as saying, "Upon meeting with Christian Post leaders I found them to be earnest, sincere followers of Christ who were interested in using new media to reach a new generation with the Gospel. And during the months of relationship with The Christian Post, I had nothing but positive experiences that confirmed their Christian and evangelistic Great Commission emphasis." Regarding The Christian Post relationship with Southern Baptist leaders, Land said, "It would be odd for The Christian Post to be a significant news organization in North America and not be involved with the largest Protestant denomination in the United States -- the Southern Baptist Convention. That would be an odd strategy indeed." LifeWay told [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=38272]Baptist Press[/URL] in July that, in addition to the theological review, a potential sale of Glorieta to Olivet would entail: -- "Significant protections for individuals and churches that lease land from Glorieta for houses and conference facilities -- "Permission for LifeWay to continue using Glorieta for summer camps -- "Accommodation of use by New Mexico Baptists -- "Preservation of memorials associated with rooms and structures, and, -- "Prohibition of re-selling the facilities in the future without LifeWay's permission." Any sale also would require approval of LifeWay's board of trustees. --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. Baptist Press editor Art Toalston contributed to this article. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Halt to 'demonizing' urged after FRC shooting By Tom Strode Aug. 17 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38525 Read Ed Stetzer's column, "The FRC shooting & the consequences of demonization," [URL=http://bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=38530]here[/URL] WASHINGTON (BP) -- Southern Baptist and other pro-family leaders have called for an end to "demonizing" rhetoric in the wake of what appears to have been an ideologically motivated shooting at the Family Research Council. [QUOTE@left@200="[F]reedom of speech must be used responsibly." -- Richard Land]The calls for a change in the tone of public discourse across America's cultural divide came after a staff member at the Family Research Council (FRC), one of the country's leading pro-family organizations, was injured Wednesday (Aug. 15) by a gunman who announced, "I don't like your politics," before opening fire. Leo Johnson, the staff member, subdued the gunman at FRC's Washington, D.C., headquarters and apparently will recover. The gunman, Floyd Corkins, 28, of Herndon, Va., was charged with "assault with intent to kill while armed and interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition" the day after the shooting, The Washington Post reported. While advocates on both sides expressed concern for Johnson and his colleagues and condemned the violence, defenders of the biblical view of marriage and the family decried the rhetoric some feared may have had an effect on the gunman. "[T]his whole episode is a reminder that freedom of speech must be used responsibly," said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "We need to lift the level of civil discourse where we can disagree without demonizing our opponents." At his blog, LifeWay vice president and evangelical commentator Ed Stetzer wrote that Americans "need to acknowledge that our words matter, and the further we move away from civil discourse, the more we open ourselves up to the potential for people to act out of their anger and bitterness toward each other." "We must be able to disagree without demonizing or labeling as 'haters' those with whom we disagree," Stetzer said. "[I]t is time to stop demonizing people who believe they are living out their faith by believing and teaching its values in regards to morality and marriage," he wrote. Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), said the shooting "is the clearest sign we've seen that labeling pro-marriage groups as 'hateful' must end." "For too long national gay rights groups have intentionally marginalized and ostracized pro-marriage groups and individuals by labeling them as 'hateful' and 'bigoted' -- such harmful and dangerous labels deserve no place" in American society, he said in a written statement. Forty of the country's leading organizations supporting homosexual rights and same-sex marriage responded quickly with a joint statement condemning the violence. In a statement issued Aug. 15, they said, "[R]egardless of what emerges as the reason for this shooting, we utterly reject and condemn such violence." FRC President Tony Perkins thanked the organizations in a Thursday (Aug. 16) news conference outside FRC's headquarters and made a request of them. "I want to express my appreciation to the groups and organizations that we do not agree with on many public policy issues who have also expressed their outrage at what took place here yesterday," he told reporters. "I appreciate them making those statements, but I would ask them to go a step further and to join us in calling for an end to the reckless rhetoric that I believe led to yesterday's incident that took place right behind me." Perkins singled out the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for its rhetoric. The SPLC, which tracks what it describes as "hate groups" and individuals, includes FRC on that list with white supremacist organizations, such as the Ku Klux Klan, and neo-Nazi groups, such as the Aryan Nation. "Let me be clear that Floyd Corkins was responsible for firing the shot yesterday that wounded [Johnson], but Corkins was given a license to shoot an unarmed man by organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center that have been reckless in labeling organizations as hate groups because they disagree with them on public policy," Perkins said. "And I believe the Southern Poverty Law Center should be held accountable for their reckless use of terminology that is leading to the intimidation and what the FBI here has characterized as an act of domestic terrorism," he said. "There's no room for that in a society such as ours that works through differences that we have on issues in public policy through a peaceful means." The SPLC described Perkins' "accusation [as] outrageous." "The SPLC has listed the FRC as a hate group since 2010 because it has knowingly spread false and denigrating propaganda about LGBT people -- not, as some claim, because it opposes same-sex marriage," said Mark Potok, senior fellow of the SPLC. "Perkins and his allies, seeing an opportunity to score points, are using the attack on their offices to pose a false equivalency between the SPLC's criticisms of the FRC and the FRC's criticisms of LGBT people," he said in a written statement. "It should stop the demonization and affirm the dignity of all people." Land said, "One has to travel to an alternative universe where logic is unknown and words have lost any objective meaning to describe the Family Research Council as a 'hate group.' "When groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center outrageously list the Family Research Council as a hate group, there are unfortunately people in our society who may be driven to acts of violence by such inaccurate, mean-spirited and over-heated rhetoric," Land said. Corkins -- who had volunteered at a Washington community center for LGBT people the last six months, according to The Post -- entered FRC's downtown building Aug. 15, met Johnson in the lobby and, according to a witness' account, said "words to the effect of, 'I don't like your politics,'" as reported in an affidavit by a FBI special agent. According to a surveillance video, he pulled a 9mm pistol from his backpack and began shooting at Johnson, who subdued Corkins and separated the pistol from him despite being wounded in the arm. Another security guard called 911, and police and FBI agents responded. Corkins had two more magazines of 9mm ammunition, and his backpack contained a box of 50 additional rounds of ammunition and 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches, according to the affidavit. Chick-fil-A has received an onslaught of criticism in recent weeks from gay groups and their allies since its president, Dan Cathy, defended traditional marriage in a news article by the Biblical Recorder, the North Carolina Baptist newspaper, that Baptist Press republished. Chick-fil-A does not "underwrite this organization," Perkins told reporters Aug. 16 in an effort to clear up what he implied have been misleading reports. The restaurant chain gave FRC a $1,000 donation "a number of years ago," he said. Johnson is FRC's building operation manager and also serves secondarily as a security guard, Perkins said. Johnson, who was not in uniform, does not carry a gun, the FRC president said. Among those endorsing the LGBT anti-violence statement were leaders of the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project; Freedom to Marry; Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD); Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund; Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network; Human Rights Campaign; Log Cabin Republicans; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbians and Gays; Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and Truth Wins Out. Stetzer is vice president of research and ministry development for LifeWay Christian Resources. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- In London, venturing among the unreached By Ava Thomas Aug. 17 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38526 LONDON (BP) -- "Jesus will keep you from going straight to hell!" [QUOTE@right@150="Thank you for talking to me." -- Somali woman to student researcher]The Caribbean lady shouted until her voice went hoarse, parting the multicultural sea exiting a London mall as she stood preaching in the doorway. Young girls with covered heads gawked at her as they passed by. What was that look? Wonder? Fear? Revulsion? It was hard to say. Looking at them, they'd come from everywhere, possibly places where most Americans can't go. I wondered if this moment was the first time they had heard the name of Jesus here in London or in their home countries -- and if so, what they thought of Him now. There was only one way to find out. Ask. Asking is a part of my job as a writer in Europe for the International Mission Board. But this week the questions were being posed as part of an ethnographic research class from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. We were student researchers, there to help the IMB's London team find unreached people groups -- identify where they live, eat, shop and worship. In the morning, our professor prepped us on research procedures and cross-cultural issues; in the afternoons we went out to practice what we had learned. The residents of London's Stratford community where the Olympic Park is located are so diverse you could grab the first 20 people you saw and few, if any, would be of the same ethnicity. As people groups, they're splintered, largely choosing not to live in enclaves for social, financial and political reasons. Add to that the fact that they walk with their heads down, constantly buffeted in their neighborhoods by street preachers and charity solicitors, and a student researcher has got a challenge. "Hi, I'm a student doing research, and I just wanted to ask you three quick ..." "I'm sorry, I have no time," one lady said, even though she was sitting alone in her shop on the street with no customers. It's easy when you read about the IMB's varied initiatives to go straight to the hands-on work, or use the statistics and strategy without thinking about where they came from. But someone had to learn the ropes of ethnographic research and do the legwork of figuring out who's where, who's open to conversations and how to meet their needs strategically. "Hi, how are you?" I asked, sidling up to a woman covered in black so that only her face was showing. She was leaning against a coffeehouse watching the woman preaching nearby. She was well. We struck up a conversation. She was Somali by birth. Highly educated. Working as an interpreter but felt because of her dress and religious background no one treated her with the respect she deserved. Her eyes smiled when she spoke. "Thank you for talking to me. People rarely take me seriously," she said. Somalia, a very closed country, has eight unengaged unreached people groups (UUPGs), some or all of which may have representation in London. That afternoon, she was the fourth Somali woman I talked to at length in the same hour while others turned us away. The Somalis seemed just waiting for someone to talk to them. I think we found something. --30-- Ava Thomas is a writer/editor for the International Mission Board based in Europe. She is also a distance student of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Students learn to lead in missions By Melissa Lilley Aug. 17 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38527 ASHEBORO, N.C. (BP) -- The Holy Spirit's presence so overwhelmed Hannah Davidson that she left the meeting and went to pray. On this night, she knew God was calling her to devote her life to full-time international missions. "I felt God was saying, 'You are a missionary. You have to go. You have to do this,'" said the freshman at North Carolina State University. [QUOTE@right@200="These students can lead the way." -- Michael Sowers, "Next Generation" training leader]Davidson thought she had her life figured out. But that changed when she heard Tom Billings, executive director of Union Baptist Association in Houston, Texas, speak about giving God control. "I had it all planned out," she said. "I wanted to become a teacher, get married and have kids. But Tom said that control is an illusion, and God is the only one in control. That really opened me up. I felt like Tom was talking right to me." Davidson heard from Billings during a July 9-13 retreat at Caraway Conference Center in Asheboro, N.C. She joined four other high school and college students for a week of missions leadership training and hands-on missions. The week marked the culmination of year one for students in the inaugural Next Generation Missional Journey (NGMJ) class. Sponsored by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina's (BSC) Office of Great Commission Partnerships, the training initiative is part of a three-year effort to help raise up passionate missions leaders. In addition to the summer retreat at Caraway, students read assigned texts and attend three one-day training sessions throughout the year. They learn from pastors, missionaries and missions strategists. Michael Sowers, BSC senior consultant for Great Commission Partnerships, started the initiative out of a burden to help train students to be strategic missions leaders. He said he hopes they will have a renewed burden for the lost and a strong biblical missiology that will allow them to help lead their churches to engage people groups that have never heard the Gospel. "These students can lead the way," Sowers said. "If they are willing to do the hard work, others will see that they can do it, too. "Instead of focusing on the masses, we need to model this after Jesus and focus on a few and really pour into their lives and their missiology," Sowers said. "We can enhance what a small group can do by investing in them and coming alongside them as they go and serve where God calls them." As year one of the training is focused on underserved and unreached areas of North Carolina, the students spent two days in training at Caraway and three days serving in North Carolina. They worked alongside BSC Asian, Hispanic and African-American church planting consultants to identify people groups, survey people about needs in their community and share the Gospel throughout Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem. These three cities are included in the Triad metro area, one of the state's top eight metro areas. About 75 percent of North Carolina's population lives in one of the eight metro areas. During the week, students met people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, such as Sikhs and Muslims. They had an opportunity to share their faith, one day in an Asian market, another day in a mosque. "I had never even seen a mosque before," Davidson said. "We were able to witness just by asking different questions." NGMJ students are learning how to develop strategies to reach different ethnic groups with the Gospel and how those strategies will vary depending on people and context. "We usually just have events at our church, or we pass out flyers about one of our events," Davidson said. "Churches often think that's all they have to do to get people to come to church. We don't try to go to them." As students visited neighborhoods and apartment complexes in the Triad, church planters taught them to observe the culture around them and to always be ready when God provides opportunities for spiritual conversations. Students said they learned they don't have to take a trip somewhere to engage in missions -- God is bringing people from nations all over the world to North Carolina. They also learned that if a church isn't willing to change and do whatever it takes to reach the people in their community, the church eventually will die. The students are working on creating a strategy to reach people in one of the Triad communities they visited. At the end of the three years, they will have developed a strategy to reach an unengaged, unreached people group with the Gospel. "We have to get over ourselves and get out of our comfort zones," said NGMJ student Rebecca Nivens. "It's not just a one-time conversation. You have to invest time." Each NGMJ class will spend the first year learning about church planting in North Carolina and their responsibility to help fulfill the Great Commission. In year two of the journey, students focus on North America and spend three weeks in the summer serving in New York City. In their final year they learn about reaching the ends of the earth and serve in Southeast Asia. --30-- Melissa Lilley is research and communications coordinator for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. NGMJ students are eligible to earn 13 credit hours from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.. Spots are still open for the fall. Applications are available at ncbaptist.org/gcp. -- End of story -- Jacksonville council rejects sexual orient. bill By Joni B. Hannigan Aug. 17 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38528 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP) -- The Jacksonville, Fla., city council Wednesday (Aug. 15) narrowly rejected altering its human rights ordinance to add sexual orientation to the list of those protected from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation. The vote followed three months of testimony and debate about whether discrimination exists in Jacksonville against gays and lesbians -- and if so, whether legislation is the appropriate response. Jacksonville, the largest city in Florida and the 11th largest city in the nation, joins Houston, Phoenix and San Antonio as other cities listed in the nation's 11 most populated cities without similar ordinances. A substitute bill purporting to exempt churches and religious institutions was narrowly defeated in a 10-9 vote and the original bill (2012-296) was soundly defeated 17-2. The original bill would have added protections for "gender identity" and "[gender] expression." A standing-room only crowd of more than 600 opponents and supporters flooded city council chambers in City Hall and into an overflow room where some opponents wore blue "Protect First Liberties" stickers and most supporters wore red "Yes! 296" stickers. Erupting in applause following the votes, opponents sobered quickly when some supporters stood up and yelled, "Throw them out!" -- before they stormed out of the auditorium under the watchful eyes of nearly 30 police officers at the back of the room. More than two-thirds of those who had contacted city council opposed the legislation, Councilmen Clay Yarborough told the Witness in a July interview. Overall, council members fielded about 10,000 emails, hundreds of phone calls and visits, and heard hours of testimony before the meeting. Yarborough told the council "no substantial evidence has been provided" that the bill is needed in Jacksonville, and pointed out that even the bill's supporters were divided on the substitute measure which passed muster by two of three council committees and was proposed by the sponsor of the original bill. Councilman Warren Jones in June offered an amendment to the bill that he said would strike "gender and identity and expression," clarify that churches are exempt, and exempt businesses with 15 or fewer employees. In addition, Jones said the bill would send those with complaints to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission. Prior to the Aug. 15 meeting, eight council members had voted for the bill in committee or said they would support it, while three of 19 council members were still said to be undecided. In the end, however, one council member who had previously supported the substitute measure, Councilman Johnny Gaffney, voted against it. With Gaffney's switch, even though previously undecided council members supported it and one opposed it, the bill failed. John Stemberger, president of Florida Family Policy Council, applauded the bill's defeat. "This is an extraordinary victory for the people of Jacksonville who rose up and made it clear they were not going to allow some secret council of elite powerbrokers or activists from outside Jacksonville to force extreme policies upon them," Stemberger said in a statement. "I believe we are seeing the tables start to turn on 'gay rights' issues when Americans see how really extreme these left-wing activists are. These are not just people who have a same sex attraction and want to be left alone to freely define themselves. This is a radical group of political operatives who want to force their aberrant views on human sexuality upon the rest of society by the mandate and penalty of law." Stemberger, who testified before city council at the request of some Jacksonville residents and church leaders, noted "the Chick-fil-A backlash, the recent outing of the new 'pan-gendered' legislator in Texas, the plummeting of J.C. Penney stocks after they started displaying ads with openly gay men on Father's day, Home Depot parading explicit sexual conduct in front of children, and now the major defeat of 296 in Florida's largest and most progressive city" should all send a message that people are aware of a larger movement. "I believe people are waking up to the truth that this is not about discrimination or fairness but about an intolerance and utter disrespect for the rights of others, namely Christians and those who believe in traditional family values," Stemberger said. Joey Vaughn, a local attorney and member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, told to the Florida Baptist Witness after the meeting, "Have people in the homosexual community been treated unfairly? Absolutely." Still, Vaughn said, the "ultimate vote" of the council demonstrated the proposed ordinance was not needed because the bill never was about anti-discrimination or protection, he said. Instead, Vaughn said an "activist group was seeking to force the government-mandated affirmation of a behavior." Vaughn said while "we who are believers need to examine our own hearts" in how we treat others -- including those who are obese, who have physical deformities and who otherwise are made fun of -- "this does not mean the acceptance of a lifestyle" that is not biblically correct. "We are pleased and we give all the praise and glory to God," Vaughn said of the result. "It is time that Christians and the body of Christ stand up. This ordinance had a great deal of support from a minority, special interest group, and the overwhelming majority of the Christian community throughout this county has stayed silent. ... I'm pleased that council voted according to its conscience and that shows the conscience of Jacksonville." For supporters of the measure, Vaughn said, tolerance is a two-way street. "I ask those supporters of this bill to be tolerant. While I disagree with supporters of this ordinance, I would fight to the death for their right to say what they believe," Vaughn asserted. "When they bring militant and threatening type actions to try and change public policy against the fabric of society, [and] the family unit, the church of Jesus Christ better stand tall for what Jesus Christ did in our lives." Yarborough also expressed appreciation following the vote. "Praise Jesus and may He receive all glory and honor through the council's vote," he said. Southern Baptist leaders in Florida who opposed the measure included John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention; Mac Brunson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville; Keith Russell, pastor of Westside Baptist Church in Jacksonville; Rick Wheeler, lead strategist of the Jacksonville Baptist Association; Gary Williams, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Mandarin; Jeff Burnsed, pastor of Coral Ridge Baptist Church in Jacksonville; Ginger Soud, a member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville and former council president; and Herb Reavis, senior pastor of North Jacksonville Baptist Church. Supporters of the bill included former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney, who has served as president of the University of North Florida since 2003, former council President Matt Carlucci, and other business leaders. --30-- Joni B. Hannigan is managing editor of the Florida Baptist Witness ([URL=http://GoFBW.com]www.GoFBW.com [/URL]), where this story first appeared. -- End of story -- CULTURE DIGEST: City bans church from town square; Tebow responds to Esiason criticism By Staff Aug. 17 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38529 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Religious liberty is at issue in small-town Holly Springs, Miss., where a Southern Baptist church plant has gone to court to rent a worship space downtown. The city of Holly Springs made national headlines by passing a zoning ordinance requiring churches to get approval from 60 percent of local property owners and the mayor before locating on the town square. When Opulent Life Church sought a preliminary injunction, the district court ruled for the city, saying the church's religious freedom was not in jeopardy, since it could meet at its current location at the Marshall County Baptist Association. The church turned to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. Just 24 hours before last week's court date, Holly Springs overturned the original ordinance, enacting a new rule banning churches altogether from the town square. J. Kizer Jones, Holly Springs' lawyer, maintains the city is trying to "develop retail and foot traffic, commercial businesses" on the square and is concerned that a church would cause traffic congestion at the site. Telsa DeBerry, Opulent Life's pastor, said the city is trying to make money by preserving the desirable real estate for tax-paying entities. "When the almighty dollar prevails, evil is part of that," DeBerry told the Associated Press. "They're looking at their tax base. A church doesn't bring in taxes." DeBerry said the city ordinance violates the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, a 2000 law requiring that city zoning laws treat churches the same as other businesses and nonprofits. With about 20 members, Opulent Life is nearing capacity at its current site and is seeking a space capable of seating 100. Opulent Life has the support of Liberty Institute, a Texas-based legal group and church advocate representing Opulent Life in court, and the U.S. Justice Department, which filed a brief arguing that Holly Springs is discriminating against the church, since other institutions including museums and social clubs don't have to meet the same location requirements. Hiram Sasser, Liberty Institute's litigation director, told AP the city's hostility is surprising. "You think of the town square as the apex of constitutionally protected activity," Sasser said, "and for a church to be excluded simply because it's a church is mind-boggling." One interesting bit of trivia -- Holly Springs Mayor Andre DeBerry is the pastor's uncle. TEBOW RESPONDS TO ESIASON'S CRITICISM WITH KINDNESS -- Tim Tebow, now the backup quarterback for the New York Jets, took another hit from former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason and responded in a way consistent with his solid faith. "If I was the Jets, you want to know what I would do? I would cut Tim Tebow. I really would," Esiason, a CBS NFL analyst and radio host, said Aug. 6 on WFAN's Boomer and Carton Show. "I'm telling you right now I would, and I'll tell you why I would: It's just not in any way, shape or form benefiting this team." Esiason added that Tebow "has played some of the worst football that any quarterback has ever played in the history of the game." USA Today noted Esiason was 15-27 as the Jets' starter from 1993 to 1995 and never took the team to the playoffs. Yet Tebow responded with kindness. "I've heard nothing but great things about Mr. Esiason. I know he was a great player here, and I just wish him nothing but the best in his announcing, and God bless him," Tebow said after practice that day. Tebow uses criticism as motivation, he said. "And when I get my opportunities, try to make the most of them, just be the person that I am and not let that get me too excited or too down, but just be who I am and go out there and work as hard as I can every day and try and improve and be the best football player/quarterback I can be," the Heisman Trophy winner said. Woody Johnson, the Jets' owner, said he was surprised by the enormity of the coverage Tebow attracts and he disagrees with Esiason. "I think Tim is going to be a valuable part of this team moving forward," Johnson said, according to the New York Daily News. CHRISTIE VETOES SURROGACY BILL -- Both pro-life and pro-choice advocates applauded Gov. Chris Christie's Aug. 8 veto of legislation that would have made New Jersey one of the few states to authorize gestational surrogacy. Gestational surrogacy involves a woman carrying and giving birth for a couple to a child produced by in vitro fertilization. The child is unrelated to the woman in whose womb he develops and may or may not be related to the couple who has contracted with the surrogate. The child could be conceived by the use of donor egg and sperm before being transferred as an embryo to the surrogate's womb. The New Jersey Legislature passed a bill that would have regulated the practice, including custody disputes between the surrogate and the contractual parents. Christie said he was not prepared to approve such surrogacy agreements. "Permitting adults to contract with others regarding a child in such a manner unquestionably raises serious and significant issues," Christie wrote in his veto message to the Senate. "While some will applaud the freedom to explore these new ... arranged births, others will note the profound change in the traditional beginnings of a family that this bill would enact. I am not satisfied that these questions have been sufficiently studied by the Legislature at this time. Validating contracts for the birth of children is a step that cannot be taken without the most serious inquiry, reflection, and consensus." Gregory Quinlan of the pro-life New Jersey Family Policy Council praised the veto of what he described as "the 'rent a womb' bill." "This is not just about creating a family, it's the use of another human being's body -- commercializing someone else's uterus," Quinlan said, according to The Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger. Quinlan said the legislation did not address what would occur if an unborn child is diagnosed with a disability. "Do the parents have the right to abort?" he asked. "We are creating an industry to satisfy rich couples' need for a child," Quinlan said, the newspaper reported. "There are other ways to do this. They could adopt." Kathleen Sloan, a board member of the pro-choice National Organization for Women, commended the veto of a bill she said had "no protections for women who serve as surrogates and no regulation of the fertility industry." In a written statement, Sloan said, "In order to embrace any form of surrogacy, our culture would have to adopt two radical assumptions as morally acceptable: "1. That we should go back to a time when women's role in society is viewed as one where they bear children for men and have no right to the custody of the children they bear; and "2. Mothers provide nothing of particular value." BRITS' LEGAL ABORTIONS RARELY FOR LIFE OF MOTHER -- Less than one half of 1 percent of the six million legal abortions in Britain has been performed because of threats to the life or health of the mother, a new study shows. Of the 6.4 million abortions on English and Welsh women from 1968 to 2011, the Parliament-requested report showed: -- Only 143 (0.006 percent) were done to save the mother's life or to avoid a serious, permanent injury to her physical or mental health. -- Just 23,778 (0.37 percent) were performed because continuing the pregnancy would result in a greater risk to the mother's life than aborting the baby. The Christian Institute, a nondenominational charity in Great Britain, reported the findings. The study came in response to a request by David Alton, an independent, crossbench member of the British Parliament's House of Lords. According to the institute, a post on Alton's blog said: "When the case for allowing legal abortion was first placed before Parliament it was argued that the law needed to be changed to deal with extremely serious situations. "More than 6 million abortions later the figures reveal that in 99.5% of cases where an unborn child's life is ended there is no risk to the health of the mother. "Other figures reveal that 3 teenage girls have had 24 abortions between them and that some women have had more than 8 legal abortions." MARCH FOR LIFE LEADER GRAY DIES -- Nellie Gray, a founder of the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., has died, LifeSiteNews.com reported Aug. 13. Gray, 88, served as president of the organization behind the event beginning in 1974 and acted as emcee of the pre-march rally each year. After the Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide in its Roe v. Wade ruling on Jan. 22, 1973, Gray and other pro-life leaders became concerned the anniversary of the decision would pass without an appropriate memorial, according to the March for Life website. Organizers planned the 1974 event without intending to continue it. The march became an annual event, however, bringing together tens of thousands of pro-life Americans despite their strategic differences. "Pro-lifers have spent a considerable amount of time during the past 39 years debating various strategies and approaches," wrote pro-life legislative expert Michael New at National Review Online. "Yet in a movement where nearly every last decision is subjected to rigorous internal debate, the March for Life remains exceptionally popular. Nearly every pro-life group -- whether they be incrementalist, absolutist, religious, or secular -- supports the March for Life and encourages friends and supporters to attend." Rep. Chris Smith, R.-N.J., the leading pro-life advocate in Congress, said of Gray after her death, "Nellie dedicated the last 38 years of her life to organizing the March for Life and serving as an extraordinary pro-life leader. Even in the worst of weather and poor health, Nellie emceed the March with unstoppable dedication. Due to her leadership, the 1973 fateful Roe v. Wade decision has been marked annually with a somber remembrance that gives voice to the defenseless unborn and the women wounded by abortion." Next January will mark the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade opinion. The March for Life will be held Jan. 25 rather than Jan. 22, because of a conflict with the Jan. 21 public ceremonies of the presidential inauguration. SPAIN EXPECTED TO PROHIBIT ABORTIONS -- Spanish lawmakers intend to reverse a liberal abortion law enacted by the previous Socialist government. The conservative People's Party, which has held the majority in Spain's Parliament since December, plans to introduce a bill in October that would ban abortions, according to Reuters News Service. The Socialist government passed legislation in 2010 that allowed women to have abortions on demand through the first 14 weeks of pregnancy and in cases of severe abnormalities to the unborn child through 22 weeks. If approved, the measure would fulfill a campaign promise by new Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to rescind the law, Reuters reported. --30-- Compiled by Tom Strode, Erin Roach and Diana Chandler of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: The FRC shooting & the consequences of demonization By Ed Stetzer Aug. 17 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38530 Read BP's overview story, "Halt to 'demonizing' urged after FRC shooting," [URL=http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38525]here[/URL] NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- I am thankful that the shooting at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. was not worse than it was, thanks, in part, to the heroic actions of a security guard. We pray for the security guard, and his swift recovery. However, when an incident such as this occurs, we often find ourselves stepping back and trying to connect the dots. We wonder, "What led to this? How can people leap from debate across the chasm of civility to violence?" Regardless of the scenario or your side of the political fence, we need to consider these actions within two frameworks. The first framework is how the harsh rhetoric of our day sometimes overshadows the tragedies that have occurred (one example was the conversation just after the Tucson shooting in January 2011 where conservative commentators were quickly criticized for using perceived violent imagery like "targeting"). Rather than dealing with the motives and background of the attacker, the discourse -- to use a very generous term -- quickly turned accusatory toward people who did not pull the trigger. The second framework I suggest we consider is the silence of many in cases of the suicides of bullied teens and young adults, many of whom are from the LBGT community. A quick news search will reveal a number of gay teens who, after relentless bullying, chose suicide as the best way to deal with their pain. This is tragic, of course, but there is an overwhelming silence from many evangelicals. If careless accusations in the wake of the Arizona shootings are morally wrong, it follows that the careful silence in the wake of bully-related suicides is morally wrong. Both frameworks can be helpful and sobering as we consider issues of words and violence. Of course, we often cannot pinpoint what causes someone to go on a shooting rampage or use brutal language and physical violence against a classmate. But we need to acknowledge that our words matter, and the further we move away from civil discourse, the more we open ourselves up to the potential for people to act out of their anger and bitterness toward each other. We must stop ignoring (or distorting) reality. Here are some facts that seem to be confirmed from the shooting at the Family Research Council: 1. The Family Research Council is a non-profit group in support of traditional marriage and has advocated for initiatives like California's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in that state. 2. The Southern Poverty Law Center has declared the FRC a "hate group." 3. Many people have decided that being in favor of the traditional definition of marriage is a "hateful" thing (just witness the recent Chick-fil-A flare-up). 4. When people are considered "haters" they are easy to dismiss and marginalize, and sometimes disturbed people can turn to violence. 5. We don't know for sure what happened, though reports say an LGBT activist came into the building carrying a bag including Chick-fil-A sandwiches and wound up shooting the security guard. We do know that in almost all of these cases, the shooter does indeed turn out to be a disturbed individual. Yet, if the left calls everyone who disagrees with them on homosexuality "haters" (about half of America, according to surveys), the loss of credibility is substantial. If news writers and pundits are happy to label those who support traditional marriage as "anti-gay," and label organizations that speak consistently for traditional marriage as "hate groups," it seems almost a given that someone eventually will decide to put down the "haters." On the flip side, if those who support a traditional view of marriage remain silent as gay teenagers are bullied into suicide or suffer physical violence and act as if nothing is happening, they should not expect to be taken seriously when they decry violence against one of their own. It goes both ways -- when we demonize others, someone may feel empowered to commit an act of violence. Perhaps the pundits will shout it this time as well. I hope they will shout accurately, should they decide to shout at all. A collective of pro-LGBT groups released a statement saying they "utterly reject and condemn such violence." This is an appropriate response, and one that must remain consistent from both sides of the debate. However, if LGBT groups want to "reject and condemn such violence," part of the key will be in the language we use -- and it is time to stop demonizing people who believe they are living out their faith by believing and teaching its values with regards to morality and marriage. Respectful and civil discussion of the issues is essential. We must be able to disagree without demonizing or labeling as "haters" those with whom we disagree. My hope is that we will all learn this (Christians, conservatives, liberals, atheists, LGBT, and more) before more violence occurs. --30-- Ed Stetzer is president of LifeWay Research. This column first appeared on his blog, Ed Stetzer.com. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). Read other resources about the gay marriage debate: [URL=http://bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=38461]FIRST-PERSON (Daniel Akin): Is it true Jesus never addressed same-sex marriage?[/URL] [URL=http://bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=37494]FIRST-PERSON (Glenn Stanton): Why not legalize gay 'marriage'?[/URL] -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Kudos to the Honey Badger By Kelly Boggs Aug. 17 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38531 ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- Tyrann Mathieu, dubbed the Honey Badger due to his competitive football ferocity despite his slight stature, thrilled college football aficionados -- especially fans of the Louisiana State University Tigers -- with his on-field exploits during the 2011 collegiate season. The Honey Badger's propensity for big, game-changing plays garnered him prestigious accolades. Besides being a consensus All-American last season, he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, a rarity not only for a defensive player but also for a sophomore. Mathieu also was awarded the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the player recognized as the best defensive player in college football. But the celebrated path of the young football star -- he was on the cusp of his junior year at LSU -- took a dramatic detour when, on Aug. 10, he was dismissed from the LSU football, allegedly for violating the school's substance abuse policy. Mathieu's decision in light of his suspension reveals that the Honey Badger really does care about his future. On Friday (Aug. 17) it was revealed that Mathieu had been accepted into a drug rehabilitation program in Houston, and that he will sit out the football season. The family, reports indicated, decided that Mathieu would remain in the rehab facility for the near future rather than return to classes at LSU or enroll at any other college in order to play football. Tyrone Mathieu, Tyrann's father, was reported as saying he and his son agree that until he conquers his demons, he won't be successful at his future endeavors, wherever they unfold. Football, he indicated, will take care of itself down the road. "My wife, Sheila, and the family are taking the time to heal," Tyrone Mathieu said. "We are not concerned right now about football at all. Tyrann totally understands that it will take some time and commitment to be the best student, player and adult he is capable of being." When he announced Mathieu's suspension Aug. 10, LSU head football coach Les Miles told reporters. "I think that he's a quality, quality guy, who had behavior issues. And that's it." I thought Mathieu might transfer to another school, play a season and then enter the NFL draft. That, or even play in the Canadian Football League for a couple of years and then emerge in the NFL. What my cynicism kept me from considering is that Miles' assessment of Mathieu was spot on. His decision reveals that he just might be a quality young man with a behavior issue. An issue that he and his family realize he must overcome. "Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back on himself," said French general and statesman Charles DeGaulle. "He imposes his own stamp of action, takes responsibility for it, makes it his own." Tyrann Mathieu is exhibiting character right now of which many should take note. It would seem that the Honey Badger is doing something many young men in his position do not do very well. He has listened to the wise counsel of his parents. "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes," records the Bible in Proverbs 12:15, "but a wise man is he who listens to counsel." Mathieu was in position to ignore everyone's advice, play football this fall at a small school, and sprint toward a big payday in pro football. Instead, in discussing his situation with his parents he has chosen to take care of first things first – his physiological and physical well being. Mathieu's decision to enter drug rehab also reveals that he is taking the long view of life. The big picture reality is that if he does not overcome substance abuse, his life eventually will be in shambles. As good as Mathieu is on the football field, there is no guarantee that he will make it in the NFL. Injury, personal problems and substance abuse have derailed many a promising pro career. The numbers of those who had professional potential but did not make it vastly outnumber those who enjoy a long career in the NFL. The shelf-life for the average professional football player is relatively short. Players who do not prepare for life after football are in for a rude awakening. Mathieu's decision, made in counsel with his family, reveals that while football is an important aspect of his life, it is not the most important. I hope the Honey Badger does care about his life, because if he does not conquer his drug problem, he is likely to follow the footsteps of other young men who stumbled into ruin and never achieved their potential on or off the football field. His decision to forgo a semester of college and enter drug rehab is very wise. --30-- Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press, director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's office of public affairs, and editor of the Baptist Message [URL=http://baptistmessage.com]www.baptistmessage.com [/URL], newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- EDITORIAL: La matanza de Wisconsin clama por respuestas By Luis R. López Aug. 17 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38532 NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/espanol]http://www.bpnews.net/espanol[/URL] NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- La reciente masacre en un templo Sij en Wisconsin ha sacudido a nuestra nación. El ex militar y ‘neonazi frustrado’ de 40 años, Michael Page, dejó una herida en medio de nuestra comunidad. Aunque hoy está muerto, acribillado a tiros por la policía después de haber matado a seis personas en las afueras de Milwaukee, la matanza está rodeada de misterio y ha dejado algunas preguntas por responder. Sabemos que no habrá juicio que ventilar, jurado que persuadir ni juez que dicte sentencia ya que Wade Michael Page ha pasado a otro mundo. Algunos cuestionan si alguna vez se conocerán todos los pormenores de la matanza. Sin embargo, nuestra nación está dolida. Familias están desconsoladas y muchos se hacen preguntas con razón El dolor a veces nos debe hacer reflexionar. He aquí tres reflexiones que puedo sacar de este triste incidente: Primero, vivimos en un mundo manchado por el pecado. Según las autoridades y testigos, el atacante ingresó al templo sij en el suburbio de Oak Creek abriendo fuego mientras decenas de personas preparaban el servicio del domingo. La policía describió el ataque de esa mañana como un acto local de terrorismo. Ese día, como otros que no quisiéramos recordar, un lugar de adoración, un domingo, un lugar separado y tranquilo no escapó de estos ataques. De muchas maneras, el pecado no solo corrompe nuestra propia vida pero termina afectando la vida de otros, aun de inocentes que no tienen nada que ver con eso. Proverbios 24:9 nos recuerda “El pensamiento del necio es pecado, y abominación a los hombres el escarnecedor.” El ataque se llevó a cabo mientras los feligreses oraban y meditaban en el templo, mientras decenas de mujeres preparaban alimentos en la cocina del santuario para compartirlos después de los servicios religiosos entre los miembros de la comunidad. Mientras las autoridades investigan si el caso es un posible acto de intolerancia racial, la policía ha señalado que el asesino fue un ex dirigente de una banda metalera que pregonaba la supremacía de la raza blanca. Vivimos en un campo misionero, una nación que necesita el verdadero y puro evangelio de Cristo. El pecado hirió una vez más al país entero. Por un lado, no podemos obviar que el racismo y muchos prejuicios aun existen en nuestra sociedad. Por otro, esto nos hace reflexionar en no juzgar a las personas por su color de piel o etnia. Segundo, Dios es justo y conoce del dolor humano. Esta matanza ha enlutado a la comunidad sij de Estados Unidos, pero también ha entristecido a toda la nación. Actos como estos, aunque parezcan que nos estamos acostumbrando más a ellos, hacen un hueco profundo en el corazón humano. ¿Por qué sucede algo así? ¿Cómo alguien pudiera actuar de esta forma? Las preguntas son muchas y las respuestas pocas. Solo Dios puede entenderlo y su juicio todo lo revelará. Salmos 97:2 nos recuerda “Justicia y juicio son el cimiento de su trono”. En medio de la tristeza y el dolor de los familiares y amigos que fueron afectados en esta matanza, no podremos nosotros ni las autoridades satisfacer todas las preguntas que el mundo pueda hacerse. Alguien mirando las imágenes de tv que mostraban a los familiares sin consuelo me preguntó por qué Dios permitía esto. Le respondí que no sabía, pero que mi entendimiento era limitado. Salmos 119:37 nos recuerda “Justo eres tú, oh Jehová, y rectos tus juicios.” Le recordé que Dios es justo y conoce de nuestras luchas, incluyendo el dolor de las familias devastadas. Un día su justicia lo revelará todo. Tercero, no tengas miedo. Aunque la tristeza y el dolor nos embargue por ver hechos como estos. No te dejes atemorizar por el pecado. Las escrituras nos instan a vencer el mal con el bien. Dios es bueno y su misericordia es infinita. Dios tiene en mente una vida con propósito para este mundo. Su amor es inmenso y sus promesas nunca fallan. Pensando en nosotros Jesús dijo “En el mundo tendréis aflicción, pero confiad, yo he vencido al mundo.” Juan 16:33. Estamos llamados a poner nuestra confianza y seguridad en Dios. Con El a nuestro lado, podemos estar seguros, vencer el mal y cualquier temor. No dejemos que tragedias como esta nos desanimen. Por el contrario, ellas son una razón más para compartir las buenas nuevas con otros, dar esperanza y consuelo al afligido. Oremos por nuestro país y proclamemos que en Dios está la seguridad y la sanidad del hombre. “Bienaventurado el hombre que halla la sabiduría, y que obtiene la inteligencia; porque su ganancia es mejor que la ganancia de la plata, y sus frutos más que el oro fino.” Proverbios 3: 13-14. Ese clamor solo en Cristo encuentra respuestas eternas. Porque Él vive, Luis R. López --30-- Luis R. López es el Director de LifeWay Español de LifeWay Church Resources en Nashville, Tenn. http://www.LifeWay.com/espanol -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: bpress@sbc.net