As a Christian of 20 years and a Baptist preacher, I was disturbed to read an article in the Oct. 11 edition of the Alabama Baptist entitled “America still a Christian nation, says Neuhaus.”
My initial shock with the article was due to the fact that a Roman Catholic priest, Richard John Neuhaus, was described in a Baptist publication as a “defender of the Orthodox tradition.”
Although not in keeping with contemporary society’s philosophy of tolerance and understanding on all levels, an even cursory examination of Baptist history reveals centuries of persecution, imprisonment, beatings and martyrdom our Baptist forefathers suffered at the hands of the papal church.
“Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” and “The Trail of Blood” by J.M. Carroll both detail systematic abuse that Baptist preachers, teachers and laypersons were subjected to simply for adhering to the truths of God’s Word, a total reliance on the shed blood of Christ for redemption and the belief in the individual priesthood of the believer purchased at Calvary.
Further perusal of the article revealed a spiritual blindness on the part of “Father” Neuhaus that mirrors that of the unregenerate everywhere. He is quoted as saying in regard to Americans that “if in their minds they think they are Christians and if that is the overwhelming majority… America is still a Christian nation.” I wonder how many doors “Father” Neuhaus had knocked on during visitation, only to be answered by a beer-can-toting “Christian” who assured him they would see him in Mass on Sunday? One need only look as far as the public schools and courtrooms of America to see that our country has turned her back on God.
William H. Martin
McCalla, Ala.
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